Ministerial report from Sean Sherlock TD

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Minister Seán Sherlock TD Minister of State for Research & Innovation

INVESTING IN SCIENCE, INVESTING IN JOBS ■ I have overseen the announcement of seven new Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres around the country. It is the largest ever state/industry co-funded research investment in Ireland with €200m of new Exchequer funds over 6 years and €100m co-investment by over 150 industry partners.

■ Targets research into major social challenges, including Health and Energy, directly supporting 800 top-class researcher positions ■ Among the research activities funded are: ■ “Big Data”, a sector currently growing at up to 40% per annum ■ Advanced food research based around microbes which live in the gut ■ World-leading research to take advantage of Ireland’s natural advantages in marine energies ■ Research to develop screening and diagnostic tests for perinatal and neonatal conditions ■ The seven centres involve a collaborative partnership across research institutions in Ireland with participation from University College Cork, University College Dublin, Tyndall National Institute (UCC), Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, NUI Galway, Dublin City University, Cork Institute of Technology, Teagasc, the Marine Institute, Geological Survey Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons and CSO Cork amongst others.

IRELAND AT TOP TABLE THANKS TO R&D INVESTMENT ■ Earlier this year I led the negotiation team during Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union this year to finalise the provisions of Horizon 2020, the €70b EU R&D funding programme.

■ In the coming years, Ireland will be able to benefit from the rollout of Horizon 2020.

■ I would envisage that our national research and development community is well placed to win significant funding in the order of €1bn between now and 2020.

■ In addition, significant improvements were made to the R&D tax credit in Budget 2014 which will make Ireland more attractive as a location for Research and Development activity, which will in turn and will result in additional jobs being created.

WORKING TOGETHER

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PROJECT MATHS; FIVE YEARS STRONG ■ Project Maths is celebrating five years this year as the programme to improve the teaching and learning of maths.

■ The programme is aimed at improving the skills of maths teachers at post- primary level. Challenges still remain despite the huge progress and investment in mathematics teaching done by the Government.

■ Approximately 400 teachers began a new course last Autumn to improve their skillsets in teaching maths. The introduction of Project Maths brought much change, and it has required the commitment and dedication of both students and teachers.

PROTECTING ARTISTS, PROTECTING INCOMES ■ I signed the European Union (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2012 which is helping to make Ireland a model of international best practice for innovation, and ensure that our copyright laws facilitate the achievement of this goal.

■ I also launched the next stage of the Copyright Review Committee review of Ireland’s copyright legislation, aimed at removing barriers to innovation.

■ In Ireland we must build on our very substantial achievements in the creative and digital media industry, and become a model of international best practice for innovation in this area. Ireland is home to some of the world’s most innovative Internet companies, and we are determined to grow our reputation as a location where smart people and smart companies can innovate in this fast-moving arena.

CONSOLIDATED COMPANIES BILL ■ I have been a playing a key role in bringing the Consolidated Companies Bill through the legislative process.

■ One provision will amend existing examinership provisions to provide for the option to allow small private companies to apply directly to the Circuit Court to have an examiner appointed instead of having to apply to the High Court as is currently the case. This will lower costs and provide greater accessibility for small private companies to the examinership process by eliminating the need for High Court involvement.

■ It will be enacted in 2014

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WORKING FOR IRELAND ■ I have been tasked by the Taoiseach with leading efforts across Government to develop the social enterprise sector, following the publication of a Forfás report showing that the sector has the capacity to double employment with the creation of an additional 25,000 jobs by 2020.

■ The social enterprise sector has played a key role in Irish society and in the economy for many years. Social enterprises offer jobs across a range of skill-sets, and provide services and employment in many local and rural communities. That is why as part of the Action Plan for Jobs we have committed to supporting the development of a vibrant social enterprise sector. It has huge potential for employment growth.

■ Social enterprises are business models set up to tackle social, economic or environmental issues. Some social enterprises engage in trading or commercial activities to pursue their objectives and any surplus earned is reinvested in the social objective.

■ The sector employs more than 25,000 people in over 1,400 social enterprises in Ireland, with a combined total income of around €1.4 billion. A new Forfás report has found that there is potential to double employment in the sector over the period to 2020.

CONTACT SEÁN:

Constituency office: Davis (Flemings) Lane, Mallow, Co. Cork Phone: 022 53523 Fax: 022 57761 Email: sean.sherlock@oir.ie Web: www.seansherlock.ie Sean Sherlock TD @seansherlockTD