Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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272. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if base line employment data is provided by companies seeking support from the Industrial Development Authority, Enterprise Ireland and county enterprise boards; and if these companies are obliged to make annual employment returns to the agencies concerned as a condition of support. [33406/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise Ireland actively works with viable companies to help them to both sustain and create jobs. All clients provide base employment data when seeking support from Enterprise Ireland. Employment data for Enterprise Ireland is collected annually as part of the Forfás Annual Employment Survey which measures the number of jobs in agency assisted clients. Clients are not obliged to make annual employment returns as part of this process.

IDA Ireland client-companies seeking grant assistance submit a detailed business plan outlining details of the project activity to be carried out including functions and responsibilities of the Irish operation. As part of the business plan, companies provide:

- staff projections for a period of three to five years,

- including employment build up by year,

- broken down by job category and,

- salary level.

A description of skills required for the project and a percentage of staff with Third Level qualifications for each year of the projections, is also included in the business plan.

In the case of an Expansion Project, the above information is provided together with a current base jobs figure.

An annual performance review is carried out by IDA Ireland for all employment grants to ensure that posts for which grant aid has been paid to clients have been filled. The reviews continue until the contingent grant liability period expires.

The role of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) is to develop indigenous potential and stimulate economic activity at a local level primarily through the provision of financial and technical support for the development of small and micro-enterprises. The jobs created with CEB assistance contribute greatly to the development of local economies throughout the country. In addition, the CEBs work closely with their clients both in the early start-up stages of businesses and also to ensure the sustainability of those businesses through on-going support, advice and mentoring.

In order to receive financial assistance from a CEB, a project promoter must indicate employment potential associated with the project. The CEBs ensure that all grant conditions are met and carry out employment surveys of CEB assisted companies in order to ascertain the jobs created for the period 1993 to the present day. Employment surveys are carried out on an annual basis by the CEBs and collated by the CEB Central Coordination Unit.