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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Questions (40)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

40. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding that has been allocated by his Department for projects and initiatives in County Tipperary over the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40497/21]

View answer

Written answers

The past 12 months have been unprecedented in terms of supports offered to businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the normal enterprise supports that continued to be provided by my Department.

Enterprise Ireland (EI), an Agency of my Department, have paid out a total of €10,009,199 to companies in Co. Tipperary over the last 12 months, these figures exclude infrastructural clients, recipients of DTIF; Employment Subsidy Schemes I and II, Community Enterprise Centres and Shannon Free Zone transfer companies, and Innovation Partnerships & Innovation Vouchers.

Under my Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) administered by Enterprise Ireland, over the three calls to date, the Mid-West region has secured total funding of over €15 million across eight projects. Two Tipperary based projects, the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation and Tipperary Innovation Engine secured a total of over €5.1m under the fund. Please see supplementary table for the breakdown of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) details for Co. Tipperary and projects with an element in Tipperary but not based there.

The COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme, administered by Enterprise Ireland on my Department’s behalf is to support companies in the indigenous retail sector who have already started an online journey and to further enhance and strengthen their online presence. To date there have been three competitive calls under the COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme. The total amount of grants awarded to businesses in Tipperary over the 3 calls is €450,073.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is the “First Stop Shop” for anyone seeking information and support on starting or growing a business in Ireland. LEO Tipperary received a total of funding (including non-pay and capital) for the year 2020 of - €3,823,645 and for 2021 of - €2,507,599 giving a total allocated of €6,331,244.

The IDA are the Agency principally tasked with attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland, there are currently 12 IDA Client companies in Tipperary, employing 4,180 people. Grants paid in a particular year are not necessarily linked to either the investments won, or the jobs created in that 12-month period. Grants are generally drawn down over the lifetime of a project which is normally over a period of three to five years. Some investments which result in job creation may not be grant aided and some well-established firms may no longer be receiving grant payments. The latest available figures for IDA grant assistance to county Tipperary are that for the 12 months to 31 December 2020 the total IDA grants paid to Co. Tipperary amounted to €4,792,342.

The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus Scheme was introduced by Government as part of the package of COVID-19 enterprise measures in 2020, to help with the cost of reopening or adapting business premises so that normal business could resume. Funding was provided for this purpose by my Department to the Local Authorities who administered the Scheme. The Scheme closed to applications on 31st October 2020. Within the Tipperary Local Authority area 4,273 grants were paid to a value of €20,401,593.

In relation to the Small Business Assistance Scheme COVID (SBASC) and funding provided in Co. Tipperary, under Phase 1- €336,000 was paid, under Phase 2 - € 428,000 was paid giving a total of €764,000 funding paid to businesses in Co. Tipperary.

I remain committed in ensuring continued support to all regions of our country.

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