Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding supports or initiatives in place for small and medium enterprises in County Monaghan; 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. [25362/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Small and Medium Enterprises are generally recognised as firms which employ between 0 and 250 employees. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is the national development agency with primary responsibility for assisting the development of indigenous SMEs in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector. Enterprise Ireland currently works with 138 client companies in County Monaghan, which according to the latest Forfás Annual Employment Survey employ a total of 4,695 people.

The full range of EI supports is available to SMEs in County Monaghan. These range from employment and training grants to productivity improvement funding to innovation and R&D funding.

As part of its regional development role Enterprise Ireland works in collaboration with other development agencies, such as the County Enterprise Boards in County Monaghan to develop the business infrastructure. EI also works with Community Groups in the County to develop Community Enterprise Centres in order to foster micro enterprises, which can in time grow into larger companies.

The thirty-five County & City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) are the principal initial point of contact for people seeking support in setting up a new business. Their role is to provide support to micro-enterprise in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs provide both financial and non-financial assistance.

A total of €22.4m has been allocated to the CEBs for 2007 for Capital expenditure. This level of funding enables the CEBs to deliver on their primary role of assisting and supporting the small business sector through the provision of both direct grant aid and soft support measures.

Since 2004 Enterprise Ireland has approved over €13m in funding to its client companies in County Monaghan to assist them with their business development. In the same period payments of over €6.4m have been made to these companies.

Enterprise Ireland is currently recruiting for participants for the Enterprise Start Programme, which is due to commence in early November. A number of Information Sessions were held recently. The closing date for receipt of applications is Wednesday 24th October 2007. For the Enterprise Start Programme, Enterprise Ireland is seeking Innovative, Technology based projects with export potential in either manufacturing or internationally traded services. In addition to financial support, EI provides a range of non-financial support to its client companies.

Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI are currently running a Cross Border Enterprise Incubation Programme, which is known as the Transform Programme. The Transform programme, is an enterprise development programme for potential entrepreneurs, delivered over 1 year to 40 participants (50/50 North/South).

InterTrade Ireland, the cross-border body, focus its attentions on stimulating cross-border trade (Acumen Programme), knowledge and technology between industry and academia (Fusion Programme), all island collaborative R&D (Innova Programme), benchmarking (Irish Benchmarking Forum), graduate placement, sectoral studies, the All Ireland Supply Chain Forum and the development of the equity markets and Business Angels networks on the island of Ireland. EI will continue to assist and advise the International Fund for Ireland and the Ireland Funds on the assessment of business related proposals as required.

I am satisfied that the strategies and initiatives currently in place for the development of County Monaghan are the most appropriate and will lead to productive and sustainable employment for the people of the region.