DEPARTMENT OF JOBS, ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION

The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation’s mission is to support the creation of good jobs by promoting the development of a competitive business environment in which enterprises will operate to high standards and grow in sustainable markets. They drive their Competitiveness and Jobs agenda in association with their partner agencies – Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Office and the National Standards Authority of Ireland. Their Innovation and Investment Division works ... to promote a competitive, productive enterprise environment which attracts foreign investment, supports indigenous enterprise and encourages export-led growth. The Division also promotes, on an agreed North/South basis, the development of an environment that optimises the benefits of the all-island economy for enterprises through North/South collaboration particularly in the areas of trade and business development. The Division is responsible for the development, promotion and co-ordination of Ireland's science, technology and innovation policy and Ireland's policy in international research activities. It also has responsibility for the formulation of Ireland's policy on intellectual property (IP) issues and ensures that Ireland has a modern suite of IP legislation that reflects developments in intellectual property practice and obligations arising from international agreements. In implementing this policy agenda, the Division works with and funds, in whole or in part, a number of agencies and programmes, namely IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Shannon Development, InterTrade Ireland and the Higher Education Authority (who administer the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions). The Patents Office based in Kilkenny also forms part of the Division. Their Commerce, Consumer and Competition Division is the policy arm of the Department for delivering a fair and efficient market in which Irish commerce prospers. The Division is concerned with delivering an environment for business in which competitiveness, dynamism and productivity flourishes and in which there is consumer and investor confidence. Their regulatory regime is intended to ensure that business is conducted with probity and integrity but without undue burdens and that the rights of investors, consumers and creditors are protected, transparent and enforced.More