Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the south-east regional enterprise plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18808/22]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I seek a report on the south-east regional enterprise plan launched in March.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation continues to be a key policy priority of mine and this Government. Throughout 2021, my Department has overseen the development of nine new regional enterprise plans to 2024, including for the south east, which covers County Carlow. A key feature and strength of the regional enterprise plans is that they are developed using a bottom-up approach, which is developed by regional stakeholders who are keenly aware of the growth opportunities and vulnerabilities in their region and of the benefits of working collaboratively. Stakeholder consultation sessions attracted attendees from across industry and the public sector and higher education sectors from within the region. The sessions highlighted the high level of collaboration and ambition that exists within the region, with a strong sense of optimism prevalent despite some regional challenges.

I was pleased to launch the south-east plan in Wexford on 24 March. The new plan contains five strategic objectives and related actions to be delivered by the end of 2024 and my officials are engaging with the regional chairpersons and programme managers as implementation commences. The plan's strategic objectives are as follows: start and grow, that is, encouraging entrepreneurship and enhancing the region's start-up ecosystem; green growth, namely, ensuring that the green economy becomes an engine for future job creation and economic growth in the region; smart specialisation and clustering, that is, the principles of smart specialisation and clustering are critical for the region to create a resilient, inclusive, sustainable and competitive economy; innovate, that is, building on our existing research and development capacity to place innovation at the heart of the south-east economy; and placemaking, namely, developing a region that is attractive to both domestic and international visitors and communicating the benefits of living and working in the south-east, which is something the Deputy does on regular occasions.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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It is great that we are intent on developing and implementing collaborative and innovation enterprise projects in the region to support sustainable jobs.

This is considerably important for Carlow and Kilkenny, especially in the context of the technological university, TU, for the south east. The creation of the TU will significantly enhance progress towards both national and regional priorities for the area, especially in the areas of access to higher education, research-informed teaching and learning, supporting enterprise and enhancing the regional development. For us to encourage entrepreneurship, start-ups and the green economy, principles of smart specialisation and clustering innovation and communicate the benefits of living and working in the south east, we must all work together.

To move to the implementation stage, we must build on the core activity of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise offices, LEOs. Does the Minister of State have any update on them? The south east struggles to compete in the national funding programmes, such as those provided by Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, and so on, which means we are a bit behind. We seem that bit weaker. Is there an update on that?

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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A regional plan has been launched. It will be driven by Mr. Patsy Carney, the programme director, to ensure that the aspirations of the plan are realised. The Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy English, and I were determined, before we launched the plan, that we wanted to have a funding stream in place to ensure that the objectives could be delivered, which is key. We have secured that funding stream. It is €180 million over the lifetime of the plan. A new fund of €5 million was launched last week. It is a priming and feasibility fund which will enable promoters and projects to come forward, carry out a feasibility study and be ready to avail of the larger tranche of funding which will come on stream later this year. I encourage Deputy Murnane O'Connor-----

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I will.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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-----to work with the promoters of projects within her county that would be of regional benefit to the south east in order that they come forward to avail of this €5 million in funding and to ensure that they are ready to access the higher funding later in the year.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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That is very welcome. I thank the Minister of State. I assure him that we in Carlow and Kilkenny will access this funding. It is important when we speak about real ambition and investment that we have proper infrastructure in place. The Minister of State indicated that when we are creating jobs and new businesses, we have to have proper roads and that Irish Water must provide water supplies and wastewater services. That needs to be looked at too.

I wish to ask the Minister of State about another matter. Under the rural development policy for 2021 to 2025, there are 152 policy measures contained in the framework plan, including one for promoting remote working hubs. The measures to support the development of social enterprise in rural areas are serious supports in terms of enterprise and jobs. Carlow County Council has worked with key stakeholders to identify further investment opportunities in order to enhance the hub offering in the county, with opportunities to enhance services that can be utilised. This process has identified three key locations of geographic importance to business communities and there is considerable demand. The way forward is sustainability in rural Ireland. What supports can we offer to support this? I will keep promoting Carlow, and I will definitely be in contact with the Minister of State about this funding.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The primary responsibility for the roll-out of rural hubs falls under the remit of the Department of the Minister Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys. However, the previous regional enterprise development fund has supported rural hubs in other areas throughout Ireland. This new €5 million priming fund is an opportunity. If one had a specific idea in Carlow that may come forward for a regional hub, one could avail of this €5 million fund to come forward, carry out the feasibility study and be ready to avail of the funding later in the year.

The Deputy raised a point on the IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. The IDA Ireland strategy launched last year provides a key commitment that 50% of all new investments will be in the regions. We want to ensure balanced regional development. Enterprise Ireland launched its new strategy earlier this year, leading in a changing world, which aligns to the Government priority to ensure balanced regional development.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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We will come back to Question No. 8.