Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 4

Written Answers. - Galway City Enterprise Board.

Pádraic McCormack

Question:

136 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment when he proposes to start up the city enterprise board for Galway city; the number of members who will be on this board; when the board will meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. Quinn)

As the Deputy will be aware, the 18 member Galway County and City Enterprise Board has been in operation since late 1992 and has successfully overseen a significant through-put of small enterprise project approvals in that period. In December 1993, I confirmed that accordingly I had decided to extend the mandate of the current board and to keep its operation under review in the context of the framing of the operational programme for local development under the National Development Plan, 1993 to 1999.

In the light of the Government's statement of 9 February 1994, on the designation of areas of disadvantage under the local development programme, I am satisfied that the geographical coverage of the existing enterprise board should be maintained. That board, with the 34 other boards throughout the country, has been requested to proceed with the formulation of an enterprise action plan for its area. This action plan will be expected to address the scope for ensuring co-ordination between the work of the enterprise board, the range of State supports for small enterprise and the complementary local partnership structures to be established in Galway city, one of the newly designated urban areas, and in Connemara and East Galway which have also been designated as disadvantaged rural areas under the local development programme.