Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question. The south-east regional enterprise plan covers Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford. It was launched in Wexford on 24 March 2022. As the Deputy knows, each regional enterprise plan is overseen and monitored by a steering committee made up of regional stakeholders and chaired by a senior-level private sector businessperson.

I attended the most recent meeting of the steering committee for the south-east regional enterprise plan on 23 March. The meeting was hosted in workLAB in Waterford. Excellent progress is being made in delivering on the objectives of the plan. I can advise the Deputy further that my Department has secured up to €145 million from the European Regional Development Fund to drive implementation of the regional enterprise plans. We expect the first call of €35 million to be announced in the coming months.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department is holding nine Building Better Business conferences around the country. These conferences focus on the opportunities and challenges for businesses of digital transformation and the transition to a low-carbon economy, as well as showcasing the Government and agency supports available to small and medium enterprises. To date, two conferences, one in the north west and the other in the midlands, have taken place. The next event will be on 26 May in the mid west. we will be hosting a similar event in the south east on Friday, 14 July.

See this speech in context