Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the grants or subsides that are available to an Irish owned call centre based in County Cork that is trying to expand and create an extra 30 jobs; if he will provide contact details of the person responsible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28009/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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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 (CEBs) and Enterprise Ireland, through whom assistance is delivered directly to businesses.

Enterprise Ireland (EI) is the Government agency responsible for the development and promotion of the indigenous business sector. The agency's mission is to accelerate the development of world-class Irish companies to achieve strong positions in global markets resulting in increased national and regional prosperity. Enterprise Ireland works closely with individual companies and sectoral groups, offering a wide range of services.

Through its network of 13 Irish offices and 32 international offices, Enterprise Ireland works with clients to assist them to compete and to grow. Enterprise Ireland assists client companies by ensuring that suitable supports are available across those areas critical to business functions namely: Strategy, Finance, Research & Development, Marketing, Human Resources and Production.

Financial and non-financial supports are provided to companies with a business strategy that encompasses all elements required for business success. Enterprise Ireland's range of financial and non-financial supports to Irish-owned companies are designed to help them compete in the most challenging competitive environments, to help them achieve greater efficiencies and to improve overall business performance across a range of areas.

Enterprise Ireland has a very clear mandate in terms of the type of companies with which it works. Agency client companies 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. Qualifying entities must also employ more than 10 people or be a high growth start-up according to criteria defined by the Board of EI. All projects must be commercially viable and supported by a suitable company development plan. Any assistance is provided on the basis of identified needs of the company.

Enterprise Ireland has an office in Cork located at Industry House, Rossa Avenue, Bishopstown, Cork, Telephone: 021 480 0200 Fax: 021 480 0271. Enquiries should be directed as follows: General Enquiries: Kaye Drake 021 480 0232 - Start-Up Enquiries: Jacqui Norton 021 480 0228

The role of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) throughout the country is to provide a source of support for micro-enterprise in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level. The Boards give priority to manufacturing and internationally traded services, and support micro-enterprise businesses provided that the proposed projects have the capacity to achieve commercial viability.

Through the provision of both financial and non-financial support, such as advice, mentoring and training programmes, the CEBs remain central in assisting many micro-enterprises in developing their growth potential. Such supports include business related training courses for owner-managers and their staff, one-to-one mentoring provided by business specialists, in company training and start your own business courses. There are four CEBs currently situated in Cork. For contact details for the appropriate Board the promoter should go to www.enterpriseboards.ie.