Question 284: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding supports or initiatives in place for small and medium enterprises in County Donegal; if his Department will provide additional funding supports or initiatives for them in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24180/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The primary agencies under the remit of my Department with responsibility for supports and initiatives for small and medium enterprises in Donegal are Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Donegal County Enterprise Board (CEB). Enterprise Ireland provides funding and expertise to companies with ten or more employees in the indigenous manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors who wish to expand through increased export activity. Through its network of 34 overseas offices, Enterprise Ireland assists client companies to create and implement successful strategies for market entry, development and growth.

Since the beginning of 2004 Enterprise Ireland approved over €15m in support to its client companies in Co. Donegal and made payments of over €7.5m. In the same period, EI has also approved support of €883,000 for Third Level/Industry Partnerships with Letterkenny Institute of Technology to encourage the adoption of new technologies by industry.

Enterprise Ireland initiatives in County Donegal to assist in job creation include;—

Enterprise Ireland supports the CEIM Enterprise Platform Programme, in partnership with Letterkenny Institute of Technology, the Institutes of Technology in Sligo and Border Action in providing a training programme for entrepreneurs wishing to set up their own businesses. This programme is now going into its fourth year.

Enterprise Ireland, in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and SEUPB commenced recruitment for the Transform Programme (a new cross-border enterprise incubation programme) in May 2007. The programme was launched on 11th Sept 2007 with a total of 43 participants (9 from the North West Region).

Enterprise Ireland approved support of €650,000 in 2006 for the provision of enterprise space in Carndonagh and Donegal Town, as part of the Community Enterprise Centre scheme.

Enterprise Ireland approved €2.54m in 2005 to extend The Business Development Centre at Letterkenny Institute of Technology to cater for increasing demand. The building is due to commence in 2008.

During the years 2004 to 2006, a total of 1,156 full time jobs were created in Enterprise Ireland client companies in County Donegal, as against job losses of 980, leaving a net gain of 176 jobs.

Enterprise Ireland's policy objectives for balanced regional development are reflected in the structure of its funding offer, whereby, funding for existing company expansion and start-up businesses is biased towards the regions. The maximum grant level is higher than in Dublin and the Mid-East and a higher proportion of this funding is also non-repayable.

Also, under the Innovation Voucher Scheme, which I announced in March of this year, companies with less than 50 employees can apply for a voucher worth €5,000 and, if successful, the voucher can be exchanged for advice and expertise from accredited knowledge providers. A number of Donegal companies have already availed of this scheme.

As regards the Donegal County Enterprise Board, funded by my Department, its role is to provide support to micro-enterprises in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level. Through the provision of both financial and non-financial support the Board supports individuals, firms and community groups provided that the proposed projects have the capacity to achieve commercial viability. Financial support is available in the form of Capital Grants, Employment Grants and Feasibility Study grants. From the Board's inception in 1993 to-date they have paid out over €6.7m in grant assistance to over 300 clients, which has assisted in the creation of 1,385 jobs.

In relation to non-financial support, Donegal CEB engages in a range of activities to stimulate enterprise and to support small businesses, including the following:

provision of one-to-one business advice and guidance and one-to one Mentoring through the Boards Mentor panel;

development and delivery of activities to highlight and promote enterprise in such as the annual Enterprising Donegal Week;

provision of targeted training programmes such as Start Your Own Business, financial management, computerised accounts, IT for small business etc.

In addition to its normal budgetary allocation, I have made additional funding available to Donegal CEB to develop and deliver two new initiatives i.e. a Business Information Service and a Lets Do Business Schools Programme. The Business Information Service involves the provision of a comprehensive business information service to individuals and businesses in the County. The Lets Do Business Schools Programme seeks to develop a spirit of enterprise within national and secondary schools through active learning in a range of enterprise competitions, events and enterprise clubs.

I can assure the Deputy that government funding support and initiatives for enterprises in County Donegal is, and will remain, a priority for the State development agencies under the auspices of my Department.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA premises which are vacant in each county including the town in which each of the vacant premises is located. [24285/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency and not a matter in which I have a function. I have been informed by IDA that there are 28 IDA owned buildings vacant at present. In addition, the Agency leases units from private investors and I understand that 35 of those units are also vacant. Details of the locations of these buildings are set out in the tabular statement.

A policy decision to move away from involvement in buildings was implemented by the Agency in the late 1990s. In divesting of buildings the Agency was conscious of the need to maximise the financial returns and to balance the disposal programme against the need to have buildings available in key locations for marketing to IDA and Enterprise Ireland clients.

John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if Shannon Development and the IDA are prepared to prioritise the promotion of the Askeaton Business Park as a suitable location for the employment of individuals in the pharmaceutical industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24457/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. Shannon Development's remit includes the provision of property solutions to accommodate the FDI sector in the Mid West region. IDA Ireland works closely with Shannon Development in the promotion and marketing of these tailored property solutions, throughout the Mid West, including the Askeaton business park.

The marketing of individual areas for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the IDA. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency, I am precluded under the Industrial Development Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. Both IDA Ireland and Shannon Development are working closely concerning the provision of a strategic site for the Mid West region and are looking at a number of locations in this regard, including the Askeaton site. This process is ongoing. Shannon Development is also considering other development options for the Askeaton land bank.

The Askeaton site is been actively marketed through IDA's network of overseas offices as a solution for utility intensive projects, and not just biopharma. The investment projects which IDA Ireland seeks to win are in more advanced higher value sophisticated activities, both manufacturing and services, often related to research activities, requiring high level skills, infrastructure and business services generating more high value products, services and jobs. Ultimately decisions regarding where to locate a project, including what areas to visit are taken by investors based on the ability of the locations to support their business needs.