Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation if he or a relevant State agency will take a hands-on role in establishing business incubation centres, rather than requiring local groups to set them up and manage them. [17143/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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This Government has made its commitment to ensuring that the appropriate infrastructure is in place to facilitate an environment where enterprise can flourish and sustainable jobs can be created clear through its Programme for Government, which outlines the measures that will be explored to maximise enterprise development.

The establishment of business incubation centres on higher education campuses across Ireland is supported by capital investment from my Department's Vote, provided through Enterprise Ireland (EI). Such facilities are internationally recognised as an important element of public assistance for technology-intensive start-ups. They differ from other types of space in the supportive environment in that they offer client companies services such as:

· Business mentoring from a dedicated centre manager and a local network of experts;

· The opportunity to leverage academic R&D expertise;

· Access to specialised facilities that they could not themselves typically afford;

· Student placements and recruitment;

· Fostered networking with other start-ups in the centres and more widely.

E.I. has invested over €50m in these facilities that operate in nearly every Institute of Technology and university in the country. They typically comprise a number of incubation units, some hot-desking space for prospective entrepreneurs as well as ancillary space, such as meeting rooms and networking areas. There are currently 276 companies in the 21 facilities operational across Ireland, employing over 1,100 people and operating in a range of areas, including software, environmental technologies and digital media.

EI has also rolled out four schemes to support communities to develop locally owned Community Enterprise Centres, (CECs) which have enabled entrepreneurs to establish, provide employment and to grow their businesses in their own locality, by providing a physical and human support network for emerging entrepreneurs and micro industry. The CEC scheme was designed as a community led initiative in the form of a partnership between the local community and the State. Its objective has been to enhance the development of an enterprise climate through the provision of infrastructural facilities to support the establishment and expansion of micro enterprises through local community participation in both urban and rural locations.

Since the launch of this initiative €61.4 million has been approved for the development of CECs across the country and this capital investment has facilitated the development of 134 centres, of which 108 have been completed with the balance either under construction or just recently approved. Of the completed centres, the most recent data (2009) shows that they currently house 901 companies providing employment for 4,870 people.

Additionally, support is provided through EI for the part funding of Business Innovation Centres (BICs), which are regionally based support organisations for pre-start-up and start-up enterprises and innovative existing companies. There are four BICs located in Dublin, Galway Cork and Waterford, all providing incubation space to assist fledgling businesses start, establish and then to move on, so that vacated space can be used for other new start-up businesses. A key feature of space managed by the BICs, is that the start up company not only gets space, but often also gets free business advice and access to facilities such as meeting rooms with audio visual equipment and to shared services such as a receptionist/telephonist, shared photocopiers and printers.

In line with the Government focus on job creation I will ensure that there is a continual focus on the provision of adequate incubation space.