Eric J. Byrne
Ceist:34 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the progress, if any, made to date in reviewing the operation of the county enterprise boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19207/96]
Written Answers. - County Enterprise Boards.
My Department is engaged on a continuing basis in monitoring the progress of the activities of the county enterprise boards, including the outcome of project approvals in terms of grants, numbers of jobs, grant cost per job, etc., and in keeping track of the level and type of expenditure by each board compared with their programmes and plans.
I propose shortly to publish a detailed review of the activities and expenditure of CEBs in the period from their inception in 1993 to the end of 1995. This publication at national level will complement the reviews and reports which are published by each county enterprise board as a means of informing the public about their activities. One of the purposes of the national review is to serve as a means of sharing the lessons of specific experience in developing programmes to assist new and existing enterprise and identifying models of good practice that can be considered by other boards and local development bodies.
In addition to the monitoring of activity undertaken by my Department, the external evaluator appointed under the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development, 1994-99, has commenced, as part of the mid-term evaluation of the Operational Programme a critical review of the Local Enterprise Sub-Programme under which county enterprise boards are funded. This will involve a through assessment of the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the activities sponsored by county enterprise boards. It will also consider whether the initial strategy is still relevant to the achievement of the objectives set for the overall initiative, and recommend any adjustments that require to be made.
I have put in place a method of allocating resources to county enterprise boards which takes account of such factors as: the population, overall size and relative needs of each area; the capacity of each area to successfully utilize enterprise funding and to create employment; the quality of the enterprise plan prepared by each city and county enterprise board.
The approach adopted in determining allocations each year will also have regard to the overall expenditure pattern of boards and their record in programme development. This process of continuing assessment is designed to improve the impact of the overall programme.