Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

17. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide the budget and job creation targets for the local enterprise offices for County Tipperary for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5840/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Tipperary replaced the County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) for North Tipperary and South Tipperary on 15 April 2014 to become the first-stop-shop for micro- and small-enterprise development within the County.

Enterprise Ireland (EI) is responsible for allocating budgets to individual LEOs and CEBs for both current administration and capital requirements. I understand that the budget allocation for the LEO Tipperary for 2015, which is anticipated will be in the region of the 2014 allocation, is due to be agreed by Enterprise Ireland shortly. In 2013 €18.5 million was allocated to the Local Enterprise Offices, a similar budget was allocated in 2014. On Wednesday I announced details of an additional competitive funding stream of €5 million for the Local Enterprise Offices to seek additional resources for innovative new projects.

Formal job creation targets were not a feature of the operation of the CEBs at the time. However, one of the major elements of the reform of the CEB structure that I implemented was the development of a set of rigorous performance metrics for the LEOs.

The LEO Tipperary is expected to develop specific targets for these metrics, in conjunction with EI, as part of their annual Local Enterprise Development Plan (LEDP) for 2014. The LEDP for Tipperary for 2015 is currently being prepared and it is expected that the Plan and associated targets will be available through the local enterprise website at shortly.