Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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27. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the staffing and financial resource levels of the Local Enterprise Offices in 2015, in comparison to the County Enterprise Boards in 2013. [37213/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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As part of the Government Decision taken in 2012 to restructure State supports for the micro and small business sector the Government agreed to set up Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in each Local Authority area, with a staffing complement to come from both City and County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) and Local Authorities, and to be physically located in Local Authority offices. Upon dissolution of the CEBs in April 2014, all 122 existing CEB staff transferred into their respective LEO. Enterprise Ireland conducted a limited survey of LEOs in March 2015 to establish staffing numbers. The Survey showed that the total number of staff working directly in the 31 LEOs was over 180 (full time and part time) which included Local Authority staff as well as former CEB staff. In addition a LEO Graduate Employment Programme has been rolled-out under which 26 graduates have been assigned to the LEOs.

I have since asked Enterprise Ireland to work with the Local Authorities in evaluating LEO performance, scale of ambition, available resources, etc., in the context of delivering on the expanded remit of the LEOs with particular reference to their 2016 Local Enterprise Development Plans, Action Plan for Jobs commitments etc., the identification of best practice and utilisation of available resources. This will include a performance capability study of an initial group of LEOs to determine the level of expertise and experience currently available to those LEOs.

In accordance with the SLA between Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities, the Local Authorities, through the LEOs, deliver supports to the micro and small business sector at local level. In this regard, under Section 159 of the Local Government Act, 2001, each Chief Executive of a Local Authority is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of his/her Local Authority including the LEO function.

Where a Local Authority Chief Executive identifies a need for additional staffing in order to ensure continued delivery of key services it is open to him/her to pursue sanction for same with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

In terms of funding, the LEO allocation in 2015 is €29. 454m while €25.935m was allocated to the CEBs in 2013. The main increase of €3.5m is in the Capital allocation (from €15m to €18.5m) to provide for increased support and investment in the micro and small business sector.