Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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107. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the name and location of each community enterprise centre by county, in tabular form; the current and capital budget allocation for community enterprise centres in each of the years 2016 to 2020, in tabular form; and the number of staff employed in each community enterprise centre on account basis. [46992/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to supporting enterprise development throughout the country. Enterprise Ireland (EI), has approved funding to enable community groups throughout the country to develop the entrepreneurial talent in their area and support innovative business ideas to create jobs.

In the period 2016 and to date in 2019, Enterprise Ireland has supported community enterprise centres under the following three competitive schemes:

-Community Enterprise Centre Scheme;

- Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme; and

- Regional Enterprise Development Fund

Community Enterprise Centre Scheme

Enterprise Ireland has co-funded, with local enterprise development groups, a total of 164 Community Enterprise Centres across the country with payments totalling €44 million. There is now a Community Enterprise Centre located in every county. Table One in the following link provides details of each of these Community Enterprise Centres by County.

In January 2012, the agency provided €2m, via competitive competition, to support the role of a Business Development Function/Manager in Community Enterprise Centres.

The CECs collectively employ approximately 6,000 people across 1,200 companies and are key hubs of enterprise activity in many areas.

Payments made by Enterprise Ireland to Community Enterprise Centres under this scheme in the period 2016 to date in 2019 was approximately €1.16 million. Details of payments made by Enterprise Ireland to each centre is outlined in table two.

Table 2:Payments under the Community Enterprise Centre Scheme during the period 2016 to date in 2019.

Enterprise Ireland’s Regional Team monitor the progress of funded Community Enterprise Centres.  However, employment figures for each funded centre are not available as Enterprise Ireland does not collect information on the number of jobs per Community Enterprise Centre.

Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme

This competitive scheme was open to new and existing organisations, groups and alliances, who collaboratively seek to promote entrepreneurship, create jobs, foster innovation and enhance export opportunities for small business. In 2016, Enterprise Ireland approved 32 Community Centres for funding under this scheme. A total of €1.9 million has been paid by Enterprise Ireland to community enterprise centres under this scheme during the period 2016 to date in 2019.Table three provides payment details by Centre.

Table 3:Payments under the Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme during the period 2016 to date in 2019.

Regional Enterprise Development Fund

Enterprise Ireland has approved funding totalling €59.5 million to 42 projects under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund. This fund supports significant collaborative regional initiatives to build on specific industry sectoral strengths and improve enterprise capability, thereby driving job creation. Under Call 1 and Call 2 of this fund, 9 Community Enterprise Centres were approved for funding in 2017 and 2018 respectively. To date over €250,000 has been paid to Community Enterprise Centres by Enterprise Ireland under this fund. Table four outlines details of payments to Community Enterprise Centres.

Table 4:Payments to Community Enterprise Centres under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund during the period 2017 to date in 2019.

As part of Enterprise Ireland’s regional strategy Powering the Regions and to build on the agency’s investment in this space to date, the agency has an ambition to support 10,000 co-working and incubation spaces in regional locations.