James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation the action being taken by him, Forfás and enterprise agencies to create economic growth in County Longford, which has lagged behind the rest of Ireland in terms of industrial activity and output, inward investment, high technology composition and transport and communications infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18086/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Job creation is central to our economic recovery and the Programme for Government has job creation at its core. The role of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place that will support and grow our enterprise base in order to facilitate both job creation and job retention. The Jobs Initiative announced on 10 May focuses our limited resources on measures that offer the greatest potential for expansion and employment creation in the domestic economy.

The Initiative has a significant focus on tourism and the reduction in the VAT Rate and the abolition of the travel tax will provide an important stimulus to tourism businesses in Co. Longford and around the country.

The programmes supported by my Department and its agencies will be critical in achieving economic growth through promoting the export potential of enterprise in Ireland and driving our Smart Economy. The allocation of €508 million in funding for 2011 will ensure that the core programmes of the enterprise agencies are sustained and targeted as well as driving investment in research and development. This investment in the Enterprise Development agencies will drive recovery in the economy by facilitating the winning of foreign direct investments, the growth of indigenous exports and the creation of sustainable jobs.

Two Industrial Development agencies under the aegis of my Department, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, together with Longford County Enterprise Board (CEB) support enterprise development in the County.

The primary role of IDA Ireland is the attraction of high quality Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Ireland. An integral and fundamental element of this role is the agency's mandate to promote sustainable and balanced regional development. Longford is traditionally a centre of manufacturing for foreign direct investment, and has been comprehensively marketed by IDA Ireland as part of an integrated Midlands Region. This marketing programme has already yielded significant results for the area and there are six IDA supported companies in Longford employing more than 600 people. In addition to marketing Longford as a location for new inward investment, IDA continues to work with its existing client base in the County encouraging them to expand their presence in the County.

Enterprise Ireland has 58 clients in Co. Longford employing over 1,700 people. Since 2008, the agency has made payments of approximately €6.4m to clients in the county. This funding has helped companies to create and retain employment, to explore new markets for products and services and to build innovative capacity. Some 21 innovation vouchers to the value of €105,000 have been awarded to companies in Co. Longford. The vouchers are designed to assist small Irish firms access innovative solutions available in the higher education sector and give them financial support to get on the first rung of the innovation ladder.

The fifth Midlandsand West Enterprise Programmeis due to commence in July 2011. This programme supports high growth entrepreneurs to incubate their business ideas. The programme is a one-year programme, run jointly between Athlone Institute of Technology and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and in partnership with Enterprise Ireland. Ten new high potential entrepreneurs from the Midlands have participated on the programme for each of the last four years. These entrepreneurs spend the year incubating their businesses with the assistance of a range of customised supports aimed at developing sustainable export oriented businesses.

In 2011, Longford County Enterprise Board has continued to assist micro-enterprises throughout the County by both direct grant aid to businesses and project promoters and through, where appropriate through the provision of a range of other important business supports such as mentoring, business training and business advice designed to help to stimulate indigenous enterprise creation and to boost employment creation and retention. At present there are 680 enterprises supported by Longford CEB, employing almost 1,000 people. Since its inception in 1993, the Board has paid out almost €5m in support to local enterprises in Co. Longford.

Issues regarding transport and communications infrastructure are matters for my colleagues the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.