Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of allocated grants to date this year by agencies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18726/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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An annual Exchequer allocation is provided each year for the operation of the CEBs. The Exchequer allocation is made in the context of the overall public finances and in 2011 amounts to €27.242m, of which €15m in Capital is available for direct grants and training, mentoring and advice services to micro-enterprise clients. The bulk of the non-capital allocation to each CEB pays the salaries of the Business Advisors and other staff who provide direct advice and mentoring to client companies. This represents a strong investment in the micro-enterprise sector, notwithstanding the additional level of demand on CEB services generated in the current difficult economic climate.

The CEB Central Coordination Unit (within Enterprise Ireland) works closely with the CEBs throughout the year reviewing individual expenditures to ensure that the funding allocated to the CEBs is utilised to the maximum extent possible. It is a matter in the first instance for individual CEBs to determine how they will use allocated funds. Some Boards may choose to commit all of their available funding as projects present themselves, even if this means that their funding is committed relatively early in the year, while others may choose to reserve some funding until later in the year so that they are in a position to support other high quality projects that emerge at that time. Should it arise during the year that some Boards are not in a position to spend all of their annual allocation, for example where an approved grant is decommitted late in the year if the project has not started, it is reallocated to any Boards that are in a position to spend additional funds within the year.

There is undoubtedly a high level of demand on CEBs resources at present and the matter will continue to be monitored by the CEB Central Coordination Unit. While there are no current plans to provide additional funding to the CEBs this year, the majority are still in a position to approve further grants between now and the end of the year. In addition, while a high percentage of the total funding has been committed at this stage, approved commitments are not always drawn down by enterprises, for a variety of reasons. Experience shows that grant decommittals in the second half of a given year usually result in some additional funding, within the overall annual allocation, being made available for further grant allocations.

Further detailed information is attached at Appendix 1.