Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 March 2019
173. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the funding that her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department have provided to projects in County Roscommon in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, respectively; if the funding has been allocated; if it has been drawn down in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12520/19]
View answerMy Department and its agencies are working towards ambitious targets to ensure that employment and investment are distributed as evenly as possible across the country. Roscommon has experienced significant gains in both employment and investment in recent years, with a comprehensive range of supports provided to companies in the County by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices.
Enterprise Ireland (EI) supports companies in urban and rural areas to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future. In 2018, 1,764 people were employed across 45 EI supported companies in Roscommon. In the period 2016 -2018, EI paid approximately €2.5 million to client companies in Roscommon: €844,931 in 2016, €1,524,042 in 2017 and €121,099 in 2018.
The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Roscommon is the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business in the area.
In 2016 LEO Roscommon provided funding for 10 projects to the value of €125,498. In 2017 the LEO provided funding for 28 projects to the value of €263,112 and in 2018 it provided funding for 35 projects to the value of €335,937.
In 2017, the IDA paid a total of €185,500 to its client companies in Roscommon. IDA Ireland paid no grants in Roscommon in 2016. Information on grants paid to IDA client companies in 2018 will be made available once they have been audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
