Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to outline his Department’s position on supporting the digital advertising sector in Ireland, recognising the economic value of digital advertising including its value to SMEs; and the plans appoint a senior official in the Department to take responsibility for the digital advertising policy. [28099/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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158. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has engaged with platforms and businesses offering digital advertising in relation to challenges posed by the implementation of the EU Digital Markets Act resulting in restrictions on personalised digital advertising and the impact this has had on efficiencies for advertisers and SMEs; and if Ireland has raised this matter at EU level in the context of the ongoing simplification agenda. [28100/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.

I will take Questions 28099/25 and 28100/25 together.

I thank Deputy Currie for these questions.

Platforms and businesses offering digital advertising services are extremely important for our economy, not only for the direct employment they provide for highly skilled staff, but also as providers of online platforms that are indispensable enablers for the business model of many other companies established in Ireland operating in the online, digital economy. Such platforms are critical for indigenous SMEs and startups promoting their products and services, and engaging in eCommerce. As the digital economy has no geographical boundaries, online platforms provide these indigenous companies access to a global market.

The CSO has estimated that 75% of enterprises used social media in 2023. IAB Ireland, the trade organisation for digital advertising, has estimated that total digital advertising spend was €958m in 2023.

The EU has introduced several new digital regulations in recent years to ensure that the EU single market operates efficiently and fairly, with healthy competition; to encourage investment and innovation; and to protect online consumers. These regulations include the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, the AI Act, the ePrivacy Directive, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the forthcoming Digital Fairness Act.

The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulates online platforms designated as ‘gatekeepers’ that control Core Platform Services in the EU digital market. It is designed to facilitate fair access to the market for new entrants, particularly, smaller, innovative companies for the benefit of consumers and innovative businesses. For example, it prohibits certain anti-competitive practices by gatekeepers, such as self-preferencing their own products or services to inhibit competition from third parties using their platforms. The European Commission is responsible for enforcing the DMA and is independent in the performance of this function.

I, and my officials, regularly meet with these companies, and their representative associations, on a variety of matters within my remit and that of my Department, including EU regulations. In particular, my officials have been engaging with Technology Ireland regarding coordination and responsibility for digital advertising policy. My officials are also engaging with the cross-departmental Senior Officials Group on Digital Issues, as digital advertising, and relevant regulations, span the remits of a number of Departments.

The Government is deeply committed to a pro-competitiveness, pro-investment and pro-innovation agenda. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, which includes a commitment to simplifying and modernising our regulatory framework to ensure Ireland remains competitive within the EU and globally, facilitating continued investment.

I recognise the importance of regulation to ensure that the EU single market operates efficiently and fairly, to allow healthy competition, to encourage investment and innovation, and to protect consumers. However, it is equally important that regulations are targeted and proportionate to the policy objective, whether it is to protect consumers and citizens, or to promote competition and innovation.

As part of its strategy to enhance the EU’s competitiveness, having regard to the findings of the Draghi Report on the future of European competitiveness, the European Commission has committed to a review of these regulations to ensure that they are still fit for purpose, and to consider how they could be simplified to make it easier for companies, particularly SMEs, to comply.

I strongly support this initiative and in particular, the priority of “Simpler, lighter, faster: ensuring that EU regulation is fit for competitiveness” in the European Commission’s masterplan for restoring EU competitiveness, The Competitiveness Compass. I also welcome two key initiatives in the European Commission’s work programme for 2025, namely a “fitness check” of EU digital regulations, to feed into a Digital Simplification package due in Q4.

The Government will continue to engage with the European Commission, and other Member States, at official and political level to ensure that the momentum behind the competitiveness agenda is sustained.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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159. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing Enterprise Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [28363/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The funding provision to Enterprise Ireland covers two subheads on the Department’s Vote, Subheads A7 and B4, which span general supports to indigenous firms and for research and development/innovation supports. My Department has allocated a total of €383.639 million in respect of these subheads in 2025. The cost of increases of 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50% are set out in the table below:

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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160. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing IDA Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [28364/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland received an additional €15.5 million amounting to €283,083m in funding for 2025 in recognition of the increasing competition internationally for FDI. In that regard, IDA Ireland continues to target significant FDI investment in 2025, with a focus on Research Development and Innovation, Sustainability and Digitalisation. The additional funding will help IDA to strengthen its team and deliver enterprise-focused property solutions across the country reflecting the Government’s commitment to regional development. It will also ensure that the IDA further support the decarbonisation of industrial emitters which is key to achieving the 35% reduction target by 2030.

The table below outlines the estimated cost of increasing IDA Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of establishing the co-operative development unit within his Department. [28365/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of the co-operative sector, the focus of my Department is on completing work on the Co-operative Societies Bill. Drafting of the Bill, by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, is nearing completion and it is expected that the finalised Bill will be brought to Government during Q4 2025.

The Bill provides for the most far-reaching reform of the legislation governing co-operatives in the history of the State. The Bill introduces a modern legal framework which will place the co-operative model on a more favourable and clear legal basis and encourage the consideration of the co-operative model as an attractive formation option for entrepreneurs and also for social and community activities. A modern legislative basis, including strong corporate governance requirements, will also provide confidence to stakeholders and help to encourage investment in co-operatives.

It should be noted that the co-operative model is one of a number of corporate options available to those considering establishing themselves in business. However, the choice of corporate model is a matter for the founders of any business and my Department does not promote any particular corporate structure over any other.

It is considered that the most appropriate way to raise awareness of the potential benefits of the modernised co-operative model will be through existing channels and structures and there are no plans to establish a dedicated unit for co-operative development.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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162. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing InterTrade Ireland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [28366/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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InterTradeIreland is funded jointly by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Ireland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, with a budget allocation of €12.57m in 2025. The estimated cost of increasing InterTradeIreland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in set out in the table below.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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163. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing research, development, and innovation funding under his Department by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [28367/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The expenditure for all Departments on research, development and innovation (RD&I) is available as part of ‘The Research and Development Budget’ published annually by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. This report outlines all RD&I expenditure and future allocations by Government Department and by the relevant Agencies, as well as ongoing trends in items such as the number of researchers in the economy.

According to the 2024 Government Budget allocation for research and development (GBARD), which is the latest data available, my Department and its Agencies, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and InterTrade Ireland were allocated a total of €233.756 million in this area. The estimated cost of increasing this by figure by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50% is set out in the table below:

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost of increasing the disruptive technology fund by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form. [28368/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is one of four National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027 Funds under Project Ireland 2040. €500 million has been allocated to the Fund up to 2027 for co-funded collaborative projects. It is aimed at encouraging collaboration and innovation in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies, on a commercial basis, targeted at tackling national and global challenges. It is managed by my Department and administered by Enterprise Ireland.

In the first seven DTIF Calls to date, €393 million has been allocated to 107 projects involving collaborative partnerships between industry, especially SMEs, and public research bodies in applying industrial research under the six themes of the revised Research Priority Areas, in areas such as Health and Wellbeing, Energy and Climate action, Food, ICT and Advanced and Smart Manufacturing.

DTIF Call 7 closed on 30 April, with a total of 41 projects received by the deadline. These projects are now going through the eligibility and evaluation process and I expect to announce funding allocations to more projects under that Call in the coming months.

DTIF projects are awarded funding based on merit, making the amount of funding allocated from the DTIF specific to each Call and is subject to the number and quality of the applications received.

The cost of increasing the NDP Fund for DTIF by the percentages asked is set out in the table below.