Written answers

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Local Enterprise Offices

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

65. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the budget and job creation targets for the local enterprise office in County Donegal for the years 2011 to 2014, inclusive; the targets for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7306/15]

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

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Donegal is the first-stop-shop for micro- and small-enterprise development within the County.

In 2014, €18.5 million was allocated for County Enterprise Development and the same budget was allocated for 2015. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is responsible for allocating budgets to individual LEOs for both current administration and capital requirements. I understand that the budget allocation for the LEO Donegal for 2015 is due to be agreed by Enterprise Ireland shortly and will be in the region of the 2014 allocation. Details of the budget allocations for the LEO Donegal/Donegal (County Enterprise Board (CEB) for the four years from 2011 to 2014 are set out in the table. This excludes funding of up to €73,000 which was available to the LEO Donegal last year for the prize fund, bootcamps and administration of the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition within their area.

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 in 2014 was the development of a set of rigorous performance metrics for the new LEOs.

The LEO Donegal is expected to develop specific targets for these metrics, in conjunction with EI, as part of their annual Local Enterprise Development Plan (LEDP) for 2015. The LEDP for Donegal 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.

In 2014, preliminary data indicates that clients of the LEO Donegal created a total of 361 full- and other-time jobs; however, due to lob losses within their clientele, the net number of whole time equivalent jobs created in 2014 was 46.

All LEOs are working on the development of collaborative initiatives designed to generate new actions and best practice in delivering job creation, which will support the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, the recently launched Entrepreneurship Strategy, and the Regional Enterprise Strategy and associated LEO Competitive Fund of €5m which was recently announced.

YearLEO/CEBBudget Allocation
2015LEO DonegalNot yet available
2014LEO Donegal€833,259
2013Donegal CEB€783,964
2012Donegal CEB€789,521
2011Donegal CEB€864,009

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.