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

I will clarify this issue for the Senator. The new local enterprise offices - in 31 locations around the country - will comprise the existing staff resources of the county enterprise boards and those of the business development units of the local authorities. These combined resources will deliver an enhanced service via a very effective service level agreement, which I will circulate. It clearly indicates the new role and is well worth studying. I refer to Senator White's point which we will discuss later. It is not in any way excluded and if anything will be enhanced. The combined resources will deliver an enhanced and integrated support service involving business people through a first-stop shop, under a service level agreement to micro and small businesses.

This is breaking ground in respect of enterprise in every county. There will be a great level of autonomy in respect of the involvement of local authority and Enterprise Ireland staff, currently under the remit of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The Exchequer allocation, as secured by the Department, will continue to be the primary source of funding for the provision by the LEOs of grant-aid support to the micro and small business sector. Individual LEO budgets will be allocated by Enterprise Ireland as a separate, ring-fenced subhead. It is entirely assured, without any dilution. It is ring-fenced funding that will be benchmarked. It is anticipated that local authorities will provide funding to LEOs for activities and projects, particularly in regard to enterprise promotion, through their normal budgetary processes. As I stated, local authorities have already committed staff resources on a county-by-county basis. To include in legislation the provision mentioned by the Senator would prohibit local authorities from supporting enterprise development in their local areas and, in my view, would directly contravene last year's decision by Government to restructure the existing model, creating an enhanced national enterprise support model to be delivered through the local authorities.

What is contained in the legislation is an enhancement of the service, providing a one-stop shop and enhanced role of services. I will circulate the service level agreement. Any questions Senators may have about availability, county by county, and the due diligence to be carried out is clearly set out in that document.