Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
18. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there is a county breakdown of the 125 start-ups that were supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24957/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank Deputy Kehoe for his question. I know he is keen to promote job creation and enterprise in Wexford and we had a productive meeting earlier this year to see what more we could do to develop enterprise in the county.
As you know, in March we launched a new Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 for the South-East. Its five strategic objectives are:
1. Start and grow – Encouraging entrepreneurship and enhancing the region’s start up ecosystem.
2. Green growth - Ensuring that the green economy becomes an engine for future job creation and economic growth in the region.
3. Smart specialisation and clustering - The principles of smart specialisation and clustering are critical for the region to create a resilient, inclusive, sustainable and competitive economy.
4. Innovate - Building on our existing RD&I capacity to place innovation at the heart of the South-East economy.
5. Place - Developing a region that is attractive to both domestic and international visitors and communicating the benefits of living and working in the South-East.
Over 5,000 jobs are supported by 87 EI-supported companies in Wexford. Over 1,500 jobs are supported by LEO-supported companies and 288 net jobs were added during 2021.
3,750 jobs are supported by 25 IDA-supported companies in Wexford and 162 net jobs were added during 2021.
Enterprise Ireland's new strategy includes a commitment to build a stronger start-up project pipeline across the regions, targeting an increase of 20% in the number of prospective and fast-growing high potential start-ups, including through commercialisation of research and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
The breakdown by county of the 125 start-ups approved by Enterprise Ireland (EI) in 2021 is led by Dublin with 65 start-ups, Cork and Galway with 10 start-ups each and Kildare and Waterford with 5 start-up companies each. This accounts for 95 of the total 125 start-ups approved by EI in 2021.
Other counties with less than 5 start-up companies approved in 2021 comprised of Wexford with 4, Kilkenny, Limerick and Mayo with 3 start-ups each, Donegal, Kerry, Monaghan, Westmeath and Wicklow with 2 each and Carlow, Clare, Leitrim, Meath, Offaly, Sligo and Tipperary, all with one start-up company each.
