Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a policy priority of mine and this Government.
Overseen by my Department, nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024 have been developed by regional stakeholders which identify growth opportunities, recognise vulnerabilities, and enable job creation across the regions.
Eight of the nine new Regional Enterprise Plans have been launched with the final Plan for the South West, due to be launched at the end of April. My officials are now engaging with the Regional Plan’s Programme Managers on implementation of the Plans.
The Government, through Enterprise Ireland, has provided funding to assist enterprise development and regional jobs growth across all regions. For example, my Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Border Enterprise Development Fund, and recent Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme has approved over €126 million across 79 enterprise strengthening projects in every region over a series of competitive calls since 2017. These Funds enable significant collaborative and innovative regional projects to provide a timely impetus to job creation in regional locations.
I can advise the Deputy that up to €180m is being made available over the coming months and years for the nine regional plans to develop and implement collaborative and innovative enterprise projects – projects that will not just sustain but add to employment at county, regional and national level. To create a strong pipeline of projects for future funding calls Enterprise Ireland has also announced a new competitive ‘priming’ and ‘feasibility’ scheme fund of up to €5 million. This Scheme is now open for applications and details can be accessed on Enterprise Ireland’s website.
The Government’s efforts to create sustainable enterprise in the regions is working, as can be seen by the latest Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office Annual Report figures.
Enterprise Ireland’s strategy fully aligns with Government's ambition to bring job opportunities and growth to all parts of Ireland increasing total employment to a record high of 2.5 million by 2024 with an ambitious target of creating 45,000 jobs over the next three years and increasing exports by Enterprise Ireland client companies to €30 billion.
The IDA has made progress in boosting investment in regional locations. Of the 246 investments won in 2020, more than half went to regional locations. In 2021, of the 249 investments secured by the IDA, over half were for locations outside Dublin.
The Local Enterprise Offices have just come out of an 8th consecutive year of growth with 7,400 new jobs created by LEO clients in 2021. The LEOs now support over 7,100 companies financially within their portfolio with almost 36,000 associated jobs. The Local Enterprise Offices are at the very heart of business development and entrepreneurship in towns and communities right across all regions.
While there are challenges, there is resilience in the Irish business community and a renewed optimism for the future growth of our small and micro businesses.
The Deputy may also wish to note that the ‘Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns’ which was jointly developed by Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Rural and Community Development and informed by the work of a Town Centre First Interdepartmental Group, was published in February 2022, focuses on the regeneration of rural towns and villages.
Now that most of the restrictions have been lifted I want workers to be able to work remotely, whether from home or nearby hub if they chose to do so. I recently published details of new legislation which will give employees the right to request remote working, to allow people to live and work in their local regions. With more people working in their local towns and villages this will contribute to supporting our climate change targets, reduce traffic congestion and commuting times to an individual’s place of work.
