Forfás

Forfás was the national policy and advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation in Ireland. Established in 1994 and dissolved in 2014, it operated as a statutory body under the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Forfás's primary function was to advise the Irish government on matters related to developing and implementing strategies to foster economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation.

Key responsibilities of Forfás included:

• Policy Advice: Providing independent analysis and recommendations to the government on issues affecting Irish enterprise, including industry trends, skills needs, and infrastructure requirements.
• Strategy Development: Contributing to the formulation of national strategies for research and development, innovation, and enterprise development.
• Agency Oversight: Having a significant oversight role for state agencies responsible for enterprise and innovation, primarily Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, and Science Foundation Ireland. Forfás ensured that these agencies’ activities aligned with government policy and delivered value for money.
• International Benchmarking: Monitoring international best practices in enterprise development and innovation and advising the government on how to adapt these practices to the Irish context.
• Research and Analysis: Conducting research and analysis to inform policy decisions and to track the performance of the Irish enterprise sector.

In 2014, Forfás was dissolved as part of a restructuring of government departments and agencies. Its functions were largely absorbed into the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (now the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment). Some specific responsibilities related to skills and labour market intelligence were transferred to other bodies such as SOLAS (the Further Education and Training Authority).