Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 October 2023
135. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for a breakdown of the of the €750 thousand allocation in Budget 2024 to contribution to support nine Regional Enterprise Plan Programme Managers. [45603/23]
View answerRegional enterprise development is an established core element of the enterprise policy landscape, and the Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) are among the primary tools to progress this policy priority. The REP Programme Managers (PMs) are critical to the successful implementation of the REPs.
To date, the REP PMs have been employed on short-term contracts jointly funded by the relevant region’s Local Authorities (and the Western Development Commission in the case of the West). Given the nature of the contracts it has been difficult to retain suitable PMs.
In order to ensure the successful implementation of the current REPs and the longer-term future of regional enterprise development it was necessary to establish the PM roles on a more permanent basis. Therefore, my officials have been engaging with the County and City Management Association (CCMA) since the end of 2022 to seek a common position as to the future of the roles. This involved discussions as to the future funding of the roles.
The announcement made on Budget Day of a €750k contribution to support the funding of nine REP PMs demonstrates the commitment of my Department and this Government to regional enterprise development.
My officials will now engage further with the CCMA and other stakeholders to ensure that the PM roles, with new funding arrangements in place, attract and retain suitably qualified individuals to drive implementation of the REPs on the ground.
