1018. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will urgently re-examine an application by Killarney Innovation Centre for funding for a very important project in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61085/26]

The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme was launched in 2023 to support economic growth in all regions of the country, including through supporting the development of regional enterprise infrastructure projects.

I understand that Killarney Innovation Centre applied for funding under this scheme and was unsuccessful.

Enterprise Ireland administers the Scheme and assesses applications through an independent and competitive evaluation process that first checks eligibility and compliance, then scores proposals based on their alignment with regional priorities, innovation, collaboration, economic impact, financial sustainability, and ability to deliver measurable outcomes. Projects must demonstrate a clear enterprise need, strong stakeholder partnerships, long-term viability, and clear KPIs that contribute to regional enterprise growth and job creation.

As applications are assessed independently by Enterprise Ireland against the published criteria, neither I nor my Department can intervene in, or seek to influence, the assessment or outcome of individual applications.