Enterprise Ireland has supported 101 start-up entrepreneurs in Donegal in the past three years through its various programmes, and in addition the Donegal Local Enterprise Office had supported 196 start-up entrepreneurs through its programmes. As the Deputy knows, the local enterprise office now has a service level agreement with Enterprise Ireland which allows start-ups progress to EI programmes. This indicates a healthy start-up environment in Donegal. However, I have the ambition to build on this and I am looking to the Regional Action Plan for Jobs to support a 25% increase in entrepreneurship over a five year period. Some of the details of the programmes in Donegal are as follows:
- Enterprise Ireland has supported 92 entrepreneurs on New Frontiers delivered in association with Sligo and Letterkenny IT
- EI has supported four companies on Competitive Start and five High Potential Start Ups
- Donegal LEO has supported 83 companies with capital grants, 113 applicants to Ireland's Best Young Entrepreneur and 235 doing start your own business courses, while ten start-ups in Donegal have availed of Microfinance.