Vol. 481 No. 2
69 Mr. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will expand the funding of the county enterprise boards in Dublin to bring their financial resources even roughly into line with the rest of the country in view of the problems of long-term unemployment in Dublin. [15948/97]
The annual funding allocations for each of the 35 County Enterprise Boards are determined in line with the provisions of the operational programme for local, urban and rural development. Factors taken into account include size of population, level of unemployment and the quality of the local proposals put forward to enhance self-sustaining enterprise development.
The approval capacity for direct financial aid to enterprise projects in each of the county enterprise boards in the greater Dublin region in the current year is as follows: Dublin City Enterprise Board, £1,000,000; South Dublin County Enterprise Board, £650,000; Fingal County Enterprise Board, £450,000; Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, £450,000.
The above figures compare with the average grant approval capacity throughout the county of under £419,000 per board. The grant approval allocations for each of the Dublin areas in the current year exceeds the level at which their allocations were initially fixed in 1996.
The equivalent allocations for indirect financial support by county enterprise boards for enterprise promotion and business advice, information, counseling and training programmes in their areas in the current year are as follows: Dublin City Enterprise Board, £200,000; South Dublin County Enterprise Board, £190,000; Fingal County Enterprise Board, £150,000 and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, £180,000.
The above figures compare with the average allocation for indirect financial support by county enterprise boards of under £129,000 per board.
I am satisfied that the range of factors taken into account in assessing the enterprise plans and expenditure proposals brought forward by county enterprise boards ensures that an equitable balance is maintained between the circumstances of urban and rural areas. The funding requirements of all areas are, moreover, kept under continuous review to accommodate variations in performance and in the scheduling of support programmes and projects.
