Beverley Flynn (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the grant assistance available to a new business (details supplied). [28665/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not provide direct funding or grants to businesses but provides funding to a number of State Agencies, including the County and City Enterprise Boards, Enterprise Ireland and FÁS, through whom assistance is delivered directly to businesses.

The 35 County and City Enterprise Boards provide a source of support to small businesses with 10 employees or fewer. Subject to certain eligibility criteria new and developing enterprises may qualify for financial support from the CEBs in the form of feasibility, employment and capital grants. All of the CEBs operate to the same criteria in relation to the assistance which they can offer i.e. they can support the establishment and/or the development of enterprises provided that the projects, which should generally be in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector, have the capacity to achieve commercial viability and which over time may develop into strong exporting entities. In addition, the CEBs deliver a range of non-financial supports to improve management capability development within micro-enterprises designed to help new and existing enterprises to operate effectively and efficiently so as to last and grow.

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.

EI Clients must be Irish owned, be a manufacturing or an internationally trading services enterprise or be an overseas company in the food, drink and timber sectors seeking assistance to locate in Ireland, must employ more than 10 people or be a high growth start-up according to criteria defined by the Board of EI. In addition Enterprise Ireland must be satisfied that the company will: produce products for sale primarily in world markets; produce products of an advanced technological nature for supply to internationally trading or skilled sub-supply firms within the State; and produce products for sectors of the Irish market which are subject to international competition or is a service industry, as defined by relevant ministerial order.

The person concerned should, in the first instance, make direct contact with their local CEB and explore what level of assistance, if any, may be available to them. Contact details for individual CEBs can be found by accessing the following website; www.enterpriseboards.ie