Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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69. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to open the business development management grant scheme, administered through Enterprise Ireland; when applications will open; the budget that might be attributed to such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6303/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I understand from Enterprise Ireland that since the launch of the first Community Enterprise Centre scheme in 1989, Enterprise Ireland has approved €64 million for the development of Community Enterprise Centres in towns and villages across the country. There are currently 117 such centres across the country. The last scheme rolled out was in 2012 and 2013 when Enterprise Ireland provided funding of €2 million to support the recruitment of a total of 46 Business Development Managers.

On the wider issue of the performance of the Centres, the success levels, occupancy levels and sustainability of jobs at the Centres varies and therefore I asked Enterprise Ireland to review the operations of the Community Enterprise Centres in the context of Regional Enterprise Development and how the Community Enterprise Centres, the Local Enterprise Offices and other Regional entities might work more closely in support of business start-ups, before giving further consideration to the matter.

Earlier today the Government announced details of its 5-year, €250million Regional Strategy, aimed at accelerating the jobs recovery in every part of the country. Action Plan for Jobs – Regional - is based on the principle that the best way to support job-creation in towns and villages across the country is to support agencies and organisations within 8 regions, to build on the particular strengths and assets of their area and drive new job-creation strategies and projects.

The Strategy is based on the successful Action Plan for Jobs model of setting out lists of actions with timelines and responsibility allocated, and then monitoring implementation.

As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I will lead the initiative. Each of the 8 regions will develop its own Action Plan. It is my intention that all Regional Plans will be published or in development by July 2015.

Under the Strategy, Enterprise Ireland will launch a series of new competitive funding initiatives in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, enterprise infrastructure and job creation. The objective is to bring forward fresh collaborative initiatives to boost enterprise and job creation in the region. An initial fund of €50 million is to be made available for three competitive calls.

The first of these competitive calls, with a budget of €5 million, will focus on community-driven enterprise initiatives and how all the local players, public and private, can work together to maximise job creation.

The Community Enterprise Initiatives Fund call will be open to existing Community Enterprise Centres (CECs) and also to any other organisation or groups of organisations with innovative ideas to create jobs, promote entrepreneurship, boost innovation or enhance exports. It should be open to any credible and novel approach rather than simply replicating what has been done before.

The criteria in any such competition will be announced by Enterprise Ireland, but the typical criteria will include:

-Promoting a culture of entrepreneurship locally and regionally;

-Developing capacity to start up and scale companies; filling gaps in enterprise facilities;

-Building on existing strengths or opportunities, e.g. developing a sectoral opportunity where there is a competitive advantage

-Devising a credible plan to deliver added value in jobs and start-ups and increased level of exporting / potential exporters

-Commitment of matching finance

-Bringing originality in approach, objectives, leverage of other stakeholders

-Leveraging off other enterprise support (Mentoring, funding, networks)

-Promoting public and private partnership, e.g. alignment/collaboration with others players (e.g. LEO, ETB, HEIs, Chambers etc.)

I believe this is a significant challenge and a significant opportunity for the Community Enterprise Centres, in collaboration with others, to deliver new businesses and jobs in their locality.