Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
108. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the degree to which he continues to support and drive the creation of new enterprises in the indigenous sector nationally with particular reference to the need to encourage the generation of employment in all regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52840/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Irish enterprises continue to navigate the impact of both COVID-19 and Ireland’s new trading relationship with the UK, my Department’s focus continues to be on building a resilient enterprise base to sustain jobs and exports. Through our Agencies we continue to support and drive the creation of new enterprises in the indigenous sector nationally and in particular the generation of employment in all regions. In 2020, Enterprise Ireland supported enterprises employing over 220,000 people nationally of which 65% of this employment is located outside Dublin.
My Department also oversees the development of nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024. These are bottom-up plans, developed by regional stakeholders including the Local Authorities, the enterprise agencies, local enterprise offices, regional skills forum and education and training institutes in each region.
The Plans aim to identify growth opportunities, recognise vulnerabilities, and in response, strengthen the regional enterprise ecosystem to enable job creation in the regions.
My Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Border Enterprise Development Fund and Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme, administered by Enterprise Ireland, has allocated over €126 million across 79 enterprise strengthening projects in every region over a series of competitive calls since 2017. These Funds are supporting significant collaborative and innovative regional projects that when complete will provide a timely impetus to job creation in the regions.
We introduced a number of significant measures in Budget 2022 in order to future-proof our SMEs on their growth journey such as the expansion of the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS), the extension of the Small Start-Up Companies Relief, the new Digital Games Tax Credit, a new €90 million Innovation Equity Fund as well as increased resources for the Local Enterprise Offices, IDA and Enterprise Ireland. We are also providing €20 million to help Irish enterprise decarbonise and go digital and there will be a new call for applications for the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. These are all designed to kick start new areas of economic growth and help establish long-term, future-proofed jobs.
