Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1174. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to foster new employment in nationally strategic places such as Sligo town, apart from the north west-north east Action Plan for Jobs strategy; if she has considered measures, such as special tax incentives for companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9609/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Over the last number of years the Government has launched a range of tax and other measures to support employment and entrepreneurship in every part of the country. These include the launch of the JobsPlus and the Start Up Refund for Entrepreneurs (SURE) scheme and Budget 2016 in particular focused on incentivising innovative startups, rewarding successful entrepreneurs and sustaining investment and jobs in existing businesses. Among the new pro-jobs taxation measures in Budget 2016 were:

- Reduced Capital Gains Tax rate of 20% for successful entrepreneurs

- Reductions in the USC affecting middle-income workers and creating jobs

- Income tax credit of €550 for self-employed people, with improvements in future years

- Knowledge Development Box, which is globally ‘best in class’ and the first OECD-compliant scheme with a competitive rate of 6.25% on qualifying income, benefitting large companies and SMEs

- Extension of tax relief for start-up companies

- Improvements to the Employment and Investment Incentive scheme to increase availability of investment finance for business.

We have launched the Action Plans for Jobs Regionals, which together with a fund of €250m will seek to ensure that all regions of the country benefits from the economic recovery underway.

A Trade & investment mission and networking lunch will take place in Sligo on May 18, 2016. The purpose of the event is for IDA clients to meet and network with Enterprise Ireland clients to encourage sales, opportunities and collaboration. To date 18 Multinational Companies are attending, 12 of these are taking 1-1 meetings. Some 43 Enterprise Ireland companies are registered with a total of 72 1-1 meetings scheduled to take place.

To date in 2016, Enterprise Ireland has approved over €1,867,162 and made payments of €369,241 to its client companies in County Sligo and Leitrim. In 2015 payments of €1,326,846 were made to companies in Sligo and Leitrim. This was primarily to support new business employment, R&D, capital investment and staff training.

A Competitive Start Fund which was announced for applications for start-ups based outside of County Dublin for those active in the Manufacturing & Internationally Traded Services sectors opened on Wednesday 3rd June 2015 and closed on Wednesday 17th June 2015.

Competitive Feasibility Funding assists new start-up companies or entrepreneurs to investigate the viability of a new growth-orientated business proposition which has the potential to become a High Growth Potential Start-up (HPSU). A Competitive Feasibility Fund for the North West was launched on February 9, 2015 with a closing date of March 3, 2015. 11 applications were received and 3 projects, 2 from Sligo and 1 from Donegal, worth a total of €62,500 were put forward for approval at the May 8, 2015 Enterprise Ireland Investment Committee.

The New Frontiers programme is being run in conjunction with IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT and is designed to provide ambitious entrepreneurs with the necessary business skills to establish a successful global business. The overall objective is to incubate 10-12 export focused businesses across the Region each year. Phase 2 of the 2015 programme finished in February 2016 with 16 participants each receiving €15,000 to assist and develop their business over the six month duration. There are four participants from Sligo and three from Leitrim on the programme. Recruitment is currently underway for Phase 1 of the 2016 programme.

IDA actively promotes Counties Sligo and Leitrim for mobile FDI investment. However, the final decision on where to locate an investment does, and always will, ultimately reside with the client company. Regular engagement and collaboration with stakeholders is also important in positioning any regional location to attract FDI. IDA continues to do that as well as continues to work with existing clients in all regional locations to strengthen their base in the Region whilst looking to develop new mandates and generate additional jobs.

Currently there are 38 existing multinational companies based in the North West (Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal), employing 5,379 across the Region (Annual Employment Survey 2015) which is an increase of 291 jobs over the previous year which indicates a strong performance by the existing client base.

IDA Ireland is committed to Regional Job Creation and in this respect is targeting a significant uplift in the number of investments for each region. Specifically in the Region, IDA is constructing an advance facility in Sligo which is due for completion at the end of 2016 and which will enhance our value proposition for the Region.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1176. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding the competitive call under the €5 million community enterprise initiative 2015 to 2017; if she has processed the applications; when she will make a decision; when she will issue formal letters of offer; if the €5 million is still available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9743/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Last year, the Government announced details of the 5-year, €250 million Regional Action Plan for Jobs, aimed at accelerating the jobs recovery in every part of the country. Under the Regional Plan, Enterprise Ireland launched a competitive call, the Community Enterprise Initiatives Fund, with a budget of €5 million over two years, which focused on community-driven enterprise initiatives and how all the local players, public and private, can work together to maximise job creation. The Fund was 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. Enterprise Ireland is tasked with the management of the Community Enterprise Initiative. The results of the competitive Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme will be announced shortly and the letters of offers will issue accordingly.