Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost in 2025 if the capital funding for technology centres increased by 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36544/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Technology Centre programme is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, which is funded by my Department, through Enterprise Ireland.

The programme allows Irish companies and multinationals to work together on market focused strategic R&D projects in collaboration with research institutions. Technology Centres are collaborative entities established and led by industry. Participating companies propose areas and themes of greatest relevance to them over a 3 to 5-year period and in response, the researchers develop solutions that respond to these needs.

The Technology Centre programme budget outturn for 2023 was €17,906,000 which comes from capital expenditure. The table below shows the cost of increasing this funding by 20% and the total expenditure inclusive of the rate of increase.