Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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31. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the status of the Athy food hub; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30326/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Regional Enterprise Development Fund supports regions throughout Ireland to build on their unique strengths to support enterprise capability and job creation. 68 projects throughout Ireland were approved funding under this initiative, a key pillar of Enterprise Ireland’s Powering the Regions Strategy which contributes to the Governments regionalisation policy The Regional Enterprise Development Fund is administered by Enterprise Ireland as an open competitive fund. The details of the fund, including eligibility and project evaluation was detailed in the fund’s reference document published on Enterprise Ireland’s website.

The Athy Food Hub applied for funding under Call 3 of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and regretfully was not successful. It is my understanding however that this group received funding under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which falls under the remit of my colleague, Ms. Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands.