Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
429. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will address a series of matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) concerning departmental projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27253/23]
View answerThe Government established the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) in 2018 as one of four National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027 Funds under Project Ireland 2040. DTIF aims to encourage collaboration and innovation in developing and deploying disruptive technologies commercially to tackle national and global challenges. The Fund is managed by the Department and administered by Enterprise Ireland.
A total of 16 Call 4 projects have been approved funding of over €62 million to date, and staff in Enterprise Ireland are working with the lead partner of one further Call 4 project in exploring options to enable the project to meet the governance requirements for the Fund and be approved for funding. Eight of the 16 approved Call 4 projects have started, the consortia in six projects have yet to determine their start date and two projects have been invited to submit a revised project plan for review, following the loss of a project partner.
The announcement of successful DTIF Call 4 projects took longer than was anticipated, due to revised governance arrangements for the Fund to ensure compliance with the application of State Aid requirements under the EU General Block Exemption Regulation. To comply with the Regulation, it was necessary for Enterprise Ireland, to conduct Undertaking in Difficulty (UiD) assessments on the enterprise partners in the successful projects. While these assessments are an essential part of the due diligence of the Fund, my officials are aware of the burden that this placed on companies involved in the Call and are working with Enterprise Ireland to revise and streamline the process involved.
It should be borne in mind that, with DTIF, Enterprise Ireland is administering a complex funding initiative with a large volume of activity to a high standard of governance. The 16 Call 4 projects are among the 91 projects with 340 project partners that have been approved for funding of €306 million under Calls 1-5 of the Fund. Enterprise Ireland works diligently with project consortia to work through a range of multi-faceted issues to maximise the number of projects that commence and progress to completion.
The DTIF is an important Government initiative which supports a broad range of policy goals and it is continually being refined and honed following engagements with stakeholders. The officials in my Department will continue to work with Enterprise Ireland to ensure that the Fund continues to meet its objectives and the needs of participants, whilst also maintaining strong governance procedures.
