Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland is the State agency with primary responsibility for the development of manufacturing and internationally traded services. It provides funding and support for domestic businesses. The businesses assisted range from start-ups, those with relatively small scale activities with high potential start-up to larger companies who wish to expand their activities.
EI  seeks to improve efficiency and grow international market share. It provides funding and support for college-based researchers who assist in the development, protection and transfer of technologies to industry.
Establishment & Functions
The Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland Act) 1998 established Enterprise Ireland. Forbairt and An Bord Tráchtála were dissolved, and their powers were transferred to Enterprise Ireland. The functions of Enterprise Ireland are:
- to develop industry and enterprise in the State;
- to promote, assist and develop the marketing of goods;
- to promote, assist and develop the marketing of services;
- to assist enterprises in strategic assessment and formulation;
- to develop the technological base and capacity of enterprises;
- to innovate and undertake research and development;
- to strengthen the skills base in industry;
- to provide services which support development;
- to make investments in and provide support services to industrial undertakings which comply with statutory requirements;
- to administer schemes, grants and other facilities requiring the disbursement of EU funds;
- to apply for and receive in the State, trademark licenses protections and concessions in connection with the trade and marketing of goods or services related to it; and
- such other functions as may be appointed.
Domestic Focus
Enterprise Ireland focuses on Irish-owned businesses, particularly in relation to the delivery of new export sales. It runs a range of business support services. They run from the Enterprise Platform Program to programs for well established businesses.
Enterprise Ireland provides support and advice to Irish technology companies and helps them market themselves in and enter foreign markets. It funds applied research enhancement centres for the purpose of providing specialized expertise, research and development capabilities and access to state-of-the-art equipment for companies.
Ministerial Directions
The Minister may give directions to the agency. The agency may not give preference to one area over the other, in the location of an industrial undertaking, other than as part of general industrial policy.
The agency consists of board members appointed by the minister. There is a chief executive officers and staff of the agency. The agency may establish committees and undertake certain functions through them.
Development
The Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act, 2013 amended the legalisation which prevented Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland from providing and administering grants and other financial facilities in the Shannon free zone is removed.
The powers and objectives of Forfas were modified. It is enabled to request statistics from public bodies for the purpose of research and development for the purpose of EU regulations on the collection of statistics on science and technology. Forfas is to co-operate with the Central Statistics Office the fulfil the EU requirements.
The caps for industrial incentives for individual enterprises were amended upwards.