Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 November 2012
28. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to support enterprise development in the midland and western regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51775/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSupporting new and existing indigenous and foreign-owned businesses, across all regions, is central to our plans for recovery, growth and jobs. The Action Plan for Jobs contains a number of measures which are aimed specifically at the facilitation and incentivisation of national enterprise development from start-ups to growth companies.
The Enterprise Development agencies are at the forefront of implementing the Action Plan for Jobs across all regions and continue to ensure that enterprises can maximise their contribution to economic recovery and jobs growth. IDA Ireland’s strategy document, entitled “Horizon 2020”, sets out the Agency’s targets for the period 2010 to 2014. These targets include the creation of 63,000 new jobs in Ireland during that period and a target of securing 50% of these investments to locations outside of Dublin and Cork. The agency has invested heavily in the provision of property solutions tailored to meet the requirements of investors and has developed a network of high-quality Business Parks in locations throughout the Midlands and Western Regions. There are a total of 120 IDA supported companies employing over 17,500 people between both regions reflecting the considerable success that has been achieved in attracting high quality investment to both regions.
A total of nearly €15m was paid to Enterprise Ireland client companies in the Midland and Western Regions in 2011, supporting more than 18,000 jobs. Of the 92 High Potential Start-ups assisted by Enterprise Ireland throughout the country in 2011, four are based in the Midlands region and eight in the West. As part of our support for early stage entrepreneurs, I announced an investment of €50,000 by Enterprise Ireland in each of four start-up companies in the West Region on 25 September 2012.
An Taoiseach announced a €200,000 Competitive Feasibility Fund for the West Region in September and a €200,000 Competitive Feasibility Fund for the Midlands Region in October 2012. Support of up to 50% of eligible expenditure up to €25,000 per project is available for entrepreneurs and early-stage companies in each Region. 22 applicants for CFF West have been invited to pitch to a panel of Industry Experts and Enterprise Ireland staff in November 2012.
Following Exporting Awareness Events last March and May in Athlone and Galway respectively, a further 'Get Export Ready' Workshop was held in Athlone in April, in Galway in June and July and an Export Awareness Event in Tullamore in October 2012. A representative from Enterprise Ireland made a presentation on Exporting at the ‘MeetWest 2012’ event on 20 and 21 November in Co. Roscommon and was available for one-to-one meetings afterwards.
Ireland's National Entrepreneur Programme - The New Frontiers EPP Programme - was launched in March 2012. This Programme provides a package of supports to help accelerate the development of start-up businesses and is being delivered by GMIT at the Galway and Castlebar Innovation Business Centres in the West and in Athlone Institute of Technology in the Midlands.
Community Enterprise Centres located in both regions were approved funding under the Community Enterprise Centre Business Development Funding Programme. This Programme supports funding for the creation of, or maintenance of, a business development function within the enterprise centres concerned. In April, I officially opened the Boyle Enterprise Centre which has received substantial funding from Enterprise Ireland and Roscommon County Enterprise Board.
Ensuring that more micro and small businesses can start up, expand and export is a key pillar of the Government’s plans for jobs and growth. That is why the Government has decided to implement an ambitious reform in the delivery of service to small and micro business. This will include the:
- Development of a new Small and Micro Business Division within Enterprise Ireland (EI) as a centre of excellence in the provision of supports to the small and micro enterprise sectors;
- Dissolution of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs), and the transfer of their functions, assets and liabilities to Enterprise Ireland (EI);
- Establishment of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to provide a high quality, innovative, “first-stop-shop” support service for small businesses within Local Authorities, and providing early access to the services of national bodies and,
- Integration of key local authority business services into the Local Enterprise Office and promotion of a local environment in which enterprise can thrive.
Pending the introduction of these proposed new arrangements, County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) in the Midlands and Western Regions will continue to ensure that available funds are targeted to maximise entrepreneurial development and engage and work with micro-enterprises employing less than 10 persons, on an on-going basis with strong referral to sister agencies to progress the needs of the businesses in their respective areas. So far this year, the CEBs in the Midlands and Western Regions have supported over 130 projects to the amount of €1,180,667.
