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

1162. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the current and capital allocations in 2018 to the Western Development Commission. [24361/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Western Development Commission (WDC) was established on a statutory footing in 1999 under the Western Development Commission Act, 1998. The main aim of the Commission is to promote, foster and encourage economic and social development in the Western Region, covering counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare.

The WDC plays an important part in the Government's wider focus on regional development, which is underpinned by the National Planning Framework and also involves a deeper role in economic development by the Local Authorities and the Regional Assemblies.

Minister Ring appointed a new Board to the WDC in August 2017 and has delegated responsibility for oversight of the Commission to me. I met with the new Chair and the Acting CEO in November 2017 and in May 2018 I met with the new Board to discuss issues pertaining to financing and other areas of priority for both the WDC and the Department.

There is also on-going engagement between my Department and the WDC at executive level to deepen the Commission’s involvement in the regional development agenda and to benefit from their experience.

The Exchequer allocation for the WDC in the Revised Estimates Volume for 2018 is €1.516 million in Current funding. There is no capital allocation to the WDC.

In addition, the WDC operates the Western Investment Fund (WIF), which is a revolving fund into which the Exchequer provided a total of €31.7m to the end of 2014. The fund contributes to the development of the region by investing through equity or loans in business start-up, growth-oriented small and medium enterprises and in community-based measures to encourage enterprise development.

By the end of 2017, the WIF had invested €48.5 million in 135 enterprises and currently has approximately €21.4 million available for reinvestment in SMEs, micro-enterprises and Community and Social Enterprises in the western region.