Written answers

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

County Enterprise Boards

12:00 pm

Photo of Ulick BurkeUlick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason she has reduced the financial allocation to Galway County and City Enterprise Board by 34%; if her attention has been drawn to the impact this has on the assistance given to new start up enterprises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10611/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The 2010 financial allocation to Galway County and City Enterprise Board, and to each of the other 34 individual Enterprise Boards, is derived from the final allocation set out for my Department in the Revised Estimate as published on 18 February 2010. The 2010 budget allocation for the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) is over €28m of which €14.9m has been allocated for Capital expenditure. In 2009, a further €6m capital allocation was made available for the CEBs under the Department's capital carryover process. This absence of any capital carryover provision in 2010 accounts for the differences in allocations to individual boards as between 2009 and 2010.

The CEB Central Coordination Unit, based within Enterprise Ireland, has recently advised the individual Enterprise Boards of their 2010 budget allocations. All CEBs have, in the case of their Capital allocation, received 65% of their 2009 capital allocations with some resources remaining to be allocated at a later stage. This represents prudent management of the available funding in the context of the ongoing pressures on public finances. All Boards will have to manage the resources very carefully to match the needs of the micro-enterprise sector in their areas.

I can assure the Deputy that the situation will be closely monitored by both the CEB Central Coordination Unit and by my Department over the coming months in conjunction with the individual CEBs themselves.

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