Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 March 2014
150. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the proposals or consideration he is giving to community owned enterprise units specifically as part of the Enterprise Ireland strategy in the future; if he is considering a capital refurbishment fund to ensure such community enterprise units can be upgraded or developed to meet new client needs. [10906/14]
View answer151. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if consideration will be given to the appointment of one member of the National Association of Community Owned Enterprise Centres to the board of the local enterprise office attached to each local authority. [10907/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together.
I have been informed by Enterprise Ireland that since the launch of the first Community Enterprise Centre scheme in 1989, €61.4 million has been approved by Enterprise Ireland for the development of Community Enterprise Centres across the country.
To date there have been four capital schemes and 134 centres have been approved for financial support - of which 120 have been completed. According to a survey of the Community Enterprise Centres commissioned by the National Association of Community Enterprise Centres (NACEC) there were 3712 jobs in 832 enterprises across the 76 centres that responded to the survey.
In January 2012, Enterprise Ireland introduced a €2m fund to support the appointment of 46 Business Development Managers to sustain and scale up tenants and employment numbers within the Community Enterprise Centres that were previously funded by Enterprise Ireland.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government places strong emphasis on the potential for entrepreneurship and job creation at community and local level. To that end, the Government is bringing about a transformation of the supports and advice available to businesses at local level through the creation of the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) network. The LEOs will operate from within the Local Authorities but funding and policy will be provided by my Department and Enterprise Ireland to ensure consistency with other supports for enterprise. In that regard, I have asked Enterprise Ireland to ensure that the Community Enterprise Centres and each LEO work very closely together.
I understand that Enterprise Ireland is considering its supports for Community Enterprise Centres and in a number of months, I expect them to report back on their preferred approach to supporting these facilities.
The LEOs will replace the existing City and County Enterprise Boards which will be dissolved. An Evaluation and Approvals Committee will be established in each LEO area to assess applications for financial support. This Committee will consist of a Chair (City or County Manager), a representative of Enterprise Ireland, and five local individuals with specific areas of business expertise.
As such, the LEOs will not have a Board but, as said earlier, I do envisage that there will be a high level of co-operation and co-ordination between LEOs and other providers of support to the micro and small business sector, including the National Association of Community Enterprise Centres.
