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Local Enterprise Offices Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 November 2019

Thursday, 14 November 2019

Questions (108, 109)

Robert Troy

Question:

108. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the value of fees charged by local enterprise offices to start-ups and existing micro-enterprise clients in mentoring sessions provided in one-to-one business advice clinics in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; if there is a set fee in each LEO office; the average fee charged for a mentoring session annually; the limit of the number of sessions a start-up or micro-enterprise client can participate in during the year; and the number of sessions that took place in each year over the period in question. [46993/19]

View answer

Robert Troy

Question:

109. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the value of all fees charged by external experts to micro-enterprises client of local enterprise offices for mentoring sessions provided on an appointment basis in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; if there is a set fee for a mentoring session; the average fee charged for a mentoring session annually; the limit of the number of sessions a micro-enterprise client can participate in during the year; and the number of sessions that took place in each year over the period in question. [46994/19]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together.

The network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), located in the Local Authorities nationwide is the ‘first-stop-shop’ for advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports for anyone intending to start or grow a business.

The Mentor Programme is designed to match up the knowledge, skills, insights and entrepreneurial capability of experienced business practitioners with small business owners or managers who need practical and strategic one to one advice and guidance. The mentor contributes independent, informed observation and advice to aid decision making. All applications for mentor assistance are dealt with individually and are preceded by a business needs analysis to assess the key needs of the business and determine the most imperative mentoring objectives.

The following table shows the LEO Mentor expenditure for the years 2016 -2019.

Local Enterprise Office Mentor Expenditure, €, 2016, 2017, 2018 and Q1-Q3 2019

Local Enterprise Office

2016

2017

2018

1st Jan - 30th Sept 2019

Carlow

41,869

42,425

41,231

31,872

Cavan

45,917

34,500

47,306

16,942

Clare

24,590

21,742

36,360

19,735

Cork City

47,507

42,166

46,536

25,750

Cork North & West

91,200

88,394

116,664

94,572

Cork South

45,487

53,748

52,776

49,216

Donegal

17,208

22,930

28,867

27,764

Dublin City

178,109

183,405

183,303

155,859

Dublin South

65,265

57,876

68,454

53,347

Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown

60,701

51,976

43,924

26,351

Fingal

80,339

74,713

83,772

53,346

Galway

58,249

76,412

63,362

50,400

Kerry

37,728

45,005

50,159

42,691

Kildare

49,669

61,827

44,512

32,211

Kilkenny

59,924

79,094

67,483

45,214

Laois

29,676

29,743

32,062

28,132

Leitrim

34,198

33,309

31,446

19,188

Limerick

71,987

52,895

38,475

33,671

Longford

19,377

24,731

17,947

22,324

Louth

42,177

61,104

48,005

28,955

Mayo

34,326

55,221

50,121

54,769

Meath

46,687

59,454

62,812

75,461

Monaghan

26,883

22,761

22,691

19,673

Offaly

32,187

41,612

36,559

16,525

Roscommon

30,707

43,337

44,430

24,172

Sligo

85,212

112,280

85,333

47,343

Tipperary

63,426

66,814

77,468

54,660

Waterford

62,570

77,270

65,538

60,645

Westmeath

24,278

60,436

37,793

41,962

Wexford

69,366

66,059

39,659

35,290

Wicklow

70,201

58,301

53,761

40,040

TOTAL

€1,647,020

€1,801,540

€1,718,808

€1,328,078

There is no national policy that limits the number of assignments a micro-enterprise client can participate in during the year. The LEOs have the discretion to set their own policy in this area.

LEO Mentoring is recorded as Assignments and Visits. An assignment is the overall mentoring project undertaken by the client with each assignment consisting of one or more visits. The number of mentoring visits as part of an assignment is a matter for each LEO to decide in consultation with the mentor. In 2016, the number of LEO Mentoring assignments that took place was 3,018 with 12,035 assignment visits taking place that year. In 2017, this saw an increase to 4,064 and 12,303 respectively. In 2018, Mentoring Assignments increased by 44% to 5,870 while Mentoring Visits increased by 7% to 13,091. To date in 2019, there has been 4,905 Mentoring assignments and 11,236 Mentoring visits completed.

The LEO mentoring Programme has grown year on year and is an asset to businesses who need practical and strategic one to one advice and guidance. The LEOs will continue to work with the broad range of indigenous enterprises across sectors to ensure soft supports in the form of training, mentoring and targeted programmes are available to businesses and individuals who engage with the LEO network.

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