Vol. 514 No. 5
98 Mr. Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the grants or incentives which will be made available to a company (details supplied) in County Westmeath which wishes to increase its workforce from two to eight permanent employees and with possibilities of further expansion; the appropriate agencies in County Westmeath which might render appropriate assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4728/00]
The Westmeath County Enterprise Board is one of the 35 city and county enterprise boards, which were established in 1993, to support the development of small enterprises, ten employees or less, through a range of measures. These include the provision of capital or employment grants, and business-management development support.
Would-be applicants for grant assistance must demonstrate to the enterprise boards, which are independent in their functions, that a project is commercially viable; will not displace jobs elsewhere in the economy; will focus upon 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.
