Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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685. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the operational activities and costs to the State of the Western Development Commission. [19191/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Western Development Commission (WDC) was established in 1997 as part of a response to the severe population decline of the Western Region. It was put on a statutory footing in 1999 under the Western Development Commission Act, 1998.The main aim of the WDC is to promote, foster and encourage economic and social development in the Western Region, which covers counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare.

The strategic goals of WDC currently are to:

- contribute to balanced regional development by ensuring that the Western Region maximises its full potential for economic and social development;

- promote the benefits of living, working and doing business in the Western Region;

- support the sustainable economic and social development of the rural economy;

- provide risk capital to SMEs and social enterprises; and

- operate the WDC as a competent and effective organisation.

The WDC provides research and analysis to support policy-making on economic and social development in the Western Region. It provides risk capital to micro, small and medium sized and social enterprises through the Western Investment Fund, and is involved in a number of EU-funded projects.

My Department contributes approximately €1.5 million in Current funding towards the running costs of the WDC. The 2017 Revised Estimates Volume also includes a Capital allocation of €1 million for the Commission.