The Government says it is committing €100m to European space programmes up to 2024.

Minister of State John Halligan made the announcement at a ministerial council meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The gathering was held in Seville, Spain to agree future strategies and policies.

Ireland's investment decisions at the conference, known as 'Space19+', were guided by the National Space Strategy for Enterprise, published earlier this year.

The strategy aims to develop a strong and economically sustainable space-active industry in Ireland.

In line with the strategy, Ireland has invested in programmes which will generate commercially sustainable business opportunities, especially in the emerging 'Space 4.0' market and in technology transfer.

The Government says the space programmes that Ireland invested in at Space19+ include Prosex, exploration, Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and integrated applications.

Minister of State John Halligan at the ESA ministerial council meeting in Seville, Spain | Image via @EnterInnov on Twitter

Speaking from Seville, Minister Halligan said: "This ministerial council meeting is very timely for Ireland.

"Earlier this year I published Ireland's first National Space Strategy for Enterprise, which sets out the framework for investment and growth between now and 2025.

"Ireland's investment in ESA will be guided by the priorities identified in the strategy and I am delighted to announce that Ireland's level of investment in new optional programmes at Space19+ is a significant increase when compared to the last ministerial council meeting held in 2016."

He added: "We hope to see Ireland's overall investment in space increase above and beyond this level in the coming years through industry co-funding, which is supported through a number of ESA programmes Ireland will be investing in".

Minister Halligan said he was 'particularly happy' that Ireland is joining ESA's Climate Change Initiative, which will use Earth observation data to assist developing countries in areas such as food security and mitigation of the effects of natural disasters.

The commercial space industry has been estimated to grow to approximately €2.3tn by 2030.

While the number of Irish companies engaged with ESA contracts has grown from 45 in 2014 to 70 in 2019.

This is an increase of over 55% in five years.