Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation the progress made regarding the commitment given in the renewed programme for Government to undertake an independent review of the effectiveness of State agency support for enterprise, including interaction between the Industrial Development Agency, Enterprise Ireland and county enterprise boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2530/11]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Forfás, working with officials from my Department, is at present developing an evaluation framework which will facilitate a review of the effectiveness of State agency support for enterprise. The framework is designed to robustly measure the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of programme objectives and delivery. I expect that the development of the evaluation framework will be completed by the end of March. This will be followed by the systematic evaluation of programmes delivered by the enterprise development agencies and will identify synergies and/or overlaps between the supports they provide.

The enterprise development agencies have, as a matter of course, collaborated extensively for many years on an ongoing basis through a range of formal and informal mechanisms. However, in 2009, my Department established a High Level Group comprising representatives of each agency to identify areas for further collaboration. In addition to involving my own Department's main agencies, the High Level Group also includes a representative from Udarás na Gaeltachta. The Group has made progress in a number of areas, for example in ensuring that access to supports is defined by business need rather than agency "ownership". It has also enhanced the sharing of information, and has identified initiatives to maximise potential synergies between foreign and indigenous firms.

The Group will continue to identify areas where agency collaboration can be strengthened and where the effectiveness of support to enterprises can be improved. The Group will take account of the outcome of the programme evaluations in due course.