305. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if local enterprise offices have targets imposed by his Department; if he will provide a breakdown on a county basis as to the targets and budget for each office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4450/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop-shops providing advice and supports to entrepreneurs and new businesses in the micro and small business sector. They operate within the functional areas of the Local Authorities rather than at a County level, per se. Their performance is monitored in accordance with the ambitious performance indicators and metrics set out in the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for the LEOs agreed between Enterprise Ireland (EI) – which has operational responsibility for the LEOs – and the Local Authorities as part of the Local Enterprise Development Plan (LEDP) for their areas. The LEDPs for 2015 are currently being finalised and will be available through the local enterprise website at www.localenterprise.ie in due course.
The targets for the LEOs, which are aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, enterprise growth and job creation, cover amongst other things, performance in terms of projects assisted, jobs created and sustained, progression to EI, training delivered and mentoring provided.
Details of the performance of each LEO in 2014 against its targets are being collated by the Centre of Excellence in EI and will be available later this month.
Enterprise Ireland is responsible for allocating budgets to individual LEOs for both current administration and capital requirements. The Board of EI is meeting later this month to agree these allocations. The SLA provides for a review of the methodology used in making allocations and this matter will be progressed in the context of the 2016 Estimates process in Quarter 2 2015.
