Skip to main content
Normal View

Community Enterprise Centres.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004

Tuesday, 9 March 2004

Questions (122)

Jack Wall

Question:

209 Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the Enterprise Ireland county enterprise scheme will be re-advertised; if unused IDA land such as the site in Castledermot, County Kildare will be considered for such a scheme; if it is the remit of the local authority, namely Kildare County Council, to indicate such an application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7829/04]

View answer

Written answers

I assume the Deputy is referring to a new programme in relation to community enterprise centres (CECs). As the Deputy will appreciate this is primarily an operational matter for Enterprise Ireland, however there are no proposals at present to launch any further programme. Any proposal would arise in the context of Enterprise Ireland examining the impact and success of previous initiatives and identifying any outstanding issues requiring State support. On foot of such an examination, Enterprise Ireland may then formulate a new proposal for submission to my Department. Such a proposal would be considered by my Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance, with due regard to policy priorities and available resources.

Previous CEC programmes were designed so that local communities would make applications to Enterprise Ireland and take the lead role in the projects. Issues such as the availability of IDA land would generally be matter between the applicants and the IDA and be dealt with on a bilateral basis.

I cannot comment on the remit of Kildare County Council, nor on whether an application from a local authority would be eligible under the criteria of any new CEC programme. Under separate cover, I will send details of the last programme's eligibility criteria for the Deputy's information. Under this scheme, 35 local communities received capital funding towards the cost of developing-extending an enterprise centre.

Top
Share