Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost to increase funding to the local enterprise office network by 5%, 10%, and 50%. [33974/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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A Further Revised Estimate (FRE) setting out the allocations for 2021 in respect of the various programmes funded from my Department’s Vote is expected to be submitted to the Dáil for approval shortly. It is expected that the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) will be provided with a gross allocation of €52.781million for their use in 2021.

On the basis of the LEOs’ expected allocation for 202I, increasing their budget by 5% would cost some €2.639million, an increase of 10% would cost approximately €5.27million and an increase of 50% would cost €26.39 million.

The Deputy should be aware that the LEOs received very significant additional funding in 2020 to assist them in their response to both Covid and Brexit. They will also receive further substantial additional funding in the 2021 Further Revised Estimate.