John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To complement what the Minister has said, I visited several counties, including Mayo, where I got a very good reception. On the issue of what the local authority would bring to the table I take Mayo as an example. The development and implementation of the local enterprise plan will be formulated by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, through the local government input into the county development plan and the development of a partnership with the relevant agencies North and South. I met the chairman of InterTradeIreland and it is anxious to work closely with the local authorities. The promotion and marketing of local areas as a location for investment, as the Minister has said, is done in conjunction with the appropriate national body, IDA, We have a very effective service level agreement with Enterprise Ireland. With the concept of a regional plan, a county plan can feed into the IDA plan and identify and develop projects and programmes, leveraging resources to implement these programmes and funded from non-core resources.

There will be other non-core funding as well, such as the management of the local authority enterprise infrastructure, enterprise parks. I had the occasion this week of launching a report entitled The Impacts of Community Owned Enterprise Centres. There are over 120 of these centres, spread through every county. They set up in locations where the IDA will not set up. I have distributed a copy of the report to every Member of the Oireachtas. It indicates that there are 3,500 jobs in community-owned enterprise parks. They will have a critical role in this as well.

While they will be based in the first-stop-shop for business they will incorporate the county. This is a county development plan. From next June there will be significant autonomy at local level and local authorities will have an input into assisting in the development of the county economic strategies, as proposed in the local government reform programme. Local authorities will engage directly with businesses in difficulty to develop payment plans, for example for commercial rates. They will have the possibility of giving a derogation for vacant properties. I am very impressed by the meetings that I have had around the country with county managers and the county enterprise board directors.

I know that mentoring is close to Deputy Collins’ heart. There were 1,473 training courses; 4,824 clients were mentored and there were 89 management development and growth programmes. As the Minister said, we have got an increase on the capital allowance which the Department will ring-fence. Local government will bring in staffing and expertise.

I had a very good day in Mayo where I met all the agencies. As Deputy Calleary is aware, they are up to the game. We are at a very advanced stage. The Minister will announce the kick-off date for this work but we are pushing at every possible level to get these enterprise offices open. The first first-stop-shop will open very shortly.

I am very optimistic because I believe in the role of local government in business, and integration of this Department, with start-up companies, community enterprise parks and formulating a plan for the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. I will send a copy of the service level agreement to every Member when it comes into the Chamber. It covers general business advice, information on rates, planning and licensing. The Taoiseach has been pushing very effectively for the integration of licensing on business. We have carried out a review of all licences operating in business. In the retail trade alone there are 15 different authorities and 28 licences. From the third quarter of this year there will be a single portal where one can get all one’s licences. Much of that has been worked out. People will deal with SOLAS, the Companies Registration Office, the Credit Review Office and other services, including Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Western Development Commission and Fáilte Ireland, and get advice and information for local business on assessing public procurement, which is a big issue – I hear it all the time – advice on energy efficiency, sustainable development and alternative renewable energy. The service level agreement agreed by the Minister with Enterprise Ireland is a very good document and Julie Sinnamon is determined to ensure that it will be a working document. Eugene Forde of the enterprise development unit in the Department is here with us. We look forward to the opportunities that the roll-out of this service will bring in 2014.