Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 76 together.

Balanced regional enterprise development remains a key focus for me and for the Government, as affirmed in the White Paper on enterprise. I very much appreciate the contribution made by enterprise and remote working hubs throughout the country. These facilities allow people to live and work in their local communities and provide vital services to support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs. We have invested significantly in the development of these facilities. We are committed to further support for the sector. The Department of Rural and Community Development has invested more than €150 million in the development of remote working facilities through programmes such as connected hubs, the town and village renewal scheme and the rural regeneration and development fund. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities, with many vacant and derelict buildings being converted into remote working hubs.

My Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development are working together to develop the first strategy for a national hub network, following consultation with key stakeholders. I expect the draft strategy to be brought to Government in the coming months. Since 2017, my Department has allocated more than €150 million to support enterprise centres and hubs across the country through Enterprise Ireland’s schemes, such as the regional enterprise development fund and the Border enterprise development fund, which I am sure is of use to the Deputy and his communities.

Enterprise hubs are essential infrastructure for entrepreneurs and SMEs and they are an integral part of the enterprise ecosystem in the country. That is why my Department has secured up to €145 million for the smart regions enterprise innovation scheme which is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund. That scheme includes four streams ranging from delivery of major local enterprise infrastructure such as building enterprise hubs to funding for services delivered to SMEs to drive innovation and enhance their competitiveness. The smart region scheme is open for business. Enterprise Ireland is ready to work with potential applicants. That is an important message to get across in Deputy Smith’s constituency. While they are independent, the Government will work collaboratively with the local authorities to deliver innovative projects. The local authorities have supported many of the enterprise hubs delivered to date, as project partners or through direct funding contributions.

Smart regions scheme projects are delivered on the triple helix partnership model. That means they are developed in collaboration with industry, academia and the public sector. Any co-financing rates are based on a multitude of factors, but primarily they are constrained by state aid restrictions and the partnership model required for the development of these projects nationally. I anticipate an announcement of initial projects funded under the smart regions scheme in the coming weeks. I hope there will be good news for many organisations throughout the country. There are no plans to introduce another regional enterprise development scheme while the smart regions scheme is in place. I expect, however, that funding of enterprise hubs will be kept under review as we consider future approaches to regional enterprise development.

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