The city and county enterprise boards – CEBs – are locally controlled enterprise development companies established in each county and urban authority area in Ireland. The function of the boards is to develop indigenous enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity at local level. CEBs may provide grant assistance to micro projects – ten employees or less – in manufacturing, tourism and services provided the promoter can demonstrate that the project is viable, will not displace jobs elsewhere in the economy, will focus on new initiatives in fields where they can best fill gaps rather than duplicate provision, will involve the creation of sustainable employment, and requires grant assistance to enable the project to develop.
Separately FÁS has a number of initiatives to assist persons to set up their own businesses and also to assist persons already in business. One of the key initiatives is the FÁS business appraisal training programme which directly assists persons to investigate a business opportunity and to bring it forward into the market place. A total of 316 persons in 1998 took part in this programme. The FÁS co-operative development unit also provides funding to assist persons form worker co-operatives in services and manufacturing. A total of 17 new co-operatives were established in 1999, creating 76 new jobs. Funding is available to assist recruitment and training. Existing co-operatives are also supported in their early stages of development. For persons already in business, FÁS offers financial support for training through its training support scheme in manufacturing and other sectors, including retail. The emphasis in the scheme is towards smaller companies, for example, 80 per cent grants are available for companies employing 20 persons or less. The Deputy's Question and suggestion will be brought to the attention of FÁS's retail industry training advisory committee.
Officials of my Department have met the Irish Organisation of Market and Street Traders, a body established to promote the interests of street traders in the context of the casual trading legislation. The meetings have normally been concerned with discussions on the implementation of the Casual Trading Act, 1995, and problems encountered by traders with local authorities. The Casual Trading Act, 1995, devolved all operational responsibility for regulating casual trading to local authorities and this remains the case. Consequently it is the local authorities who now determine the implementation of the Act and it is to those authorities that representations should be directed.
