Marc MacSharry
Question:107. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the North-West Regional Enterprise Plan. [43805/21]
View answerWednesday, 15 September 2021
Questions (107)
Written answers
Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a key policy priority of mine and this Government.
My Department is currently overseeing the development of nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024.
These are ‘bottom-up’ plans, developed by regional stakeholders which will identify growth opportunities, recognise vulnerabilities, and enable job creation across the regions including in the North-West region through collaborative regional actions.
The new North-West Plan to 2024 which covers Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, will build on the core activities of the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs and the wider range of State Bodies involved in supporting enterprise development in the region.
My Departmental colleague, Minister Damien English and myself are driving the delivery of the Regional Enterprise Plans at the national level, and I have myself been engaging directly with the stakeholders in the North-West in the preparation of their new Plan to 2024. I recently met with the outgoing chairperson Philip Martin, CORA Systems and the Programme Manager to receive an update on the development of the new Plan and am very pleased with the progress being made, and the level of engagement being received. A new Chair for the North-West Steering Committee will shortly be announced.
The regional stakeholders in the North-West region are currently working to finalise focused Strategic Objectives for their region, and actions to deliver on these objectives and intend to sign off on the new North-West Plan in the coming weeks.
Once this has been done the intention is to publish all nine new Plans including for the North-West region, in quarter 4 this year.
My Department through Enterprise Ireland has made available €0.5 million in Feasibility Funding with grants of up to €50,000 on a 50% match fund basis through the Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme which can be leveraged to develop nascent initiatives emerging from the Regional Enterprise Plans. A closing date of October 1st 2021 applies to this funding.
Question No. 108 answered with Question No. 73.