Vol. 436 No. 5
133 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment when the County Development Teams will be formally dissolved; and when formal application forms will be available to the new County Enterprise Boards to allow people to apply for grant aid.
No decision has been taken formally to dissolve the Western County Development Teams. However, primary responsibility for their functions in relation to the general promotion of economic development at county level, and in relation to the administration of grant schemes for small business, is in the process of transfer to the County Enterprise Boards in the relevant counties. As regards application forms for assistance from the County Enterprise Fund, my Department will be contacting County Enterprise Officers shortly with general guidance on application procedures. The imposition of a formal common application form is not considered appropriate at this stage. I would emphasise, however, that the County Enterprise Fund is open for applications. Promoters of small business projects who wish to be considered for grant assistance from the Fund should contact their County Enterprise Officer, who is now in a position to submit qualified applications for consideration to the County Enterprise Board.
