Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

54. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide a report on the Enterprise Ireland supports for jobs and business in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6716/22]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department together with Enterprise Ireland is committed to building on the South East’s regional strengths working with partners such as the Local Enterprise Offices, the South East BIC and New Frontiers Carlow IT, to deliver initiatives that assist entrepreneurship and foster a new generation of innovative and ambitious start-ups in Carlow and the South East.

In 2021, 3,500 people were employed across 66 Enterprise Ireland client companies in County Carlow and 524 jobs were created by Enterprise Ireland client companies, resulting in a net increase in employment of 274 jobs. This strong figure demonstrates the resilience of export led industry in Carlow in what was a challenging year.

Additionally in January 2022, Carlow LEO announced that 203 client companies in Carlow currently employ 1,015 people, an increase of 265 jobs in 2021 and a net gain of 47 jobs in the year.

In 2021, Enterprise Ireland paid €4.9 million to Enterprise Ireland client companies in County Carlow. These investments have helped companies in County Carlow to innovate, to invest in capital equipment, and to create new jobs in the county.

Under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund over €4 million has been approved to four projects in County Carlow namely, InsurTech Network Centre, Crystal Valley Tech, Incupharm and the National Design Innovation Hub. This will assist new collaborative and innovative initiatives that can make a significant impact on enterprise development in the region and nationally.

A further €377,520 was approved for IT Carlow under the Regional Technology Clustering Fund to assist the development of an industry-led Engineering Cluster to expand capability and competitiveness in the South East of Ireland.

In response to Covid-19, my Department, through Enterprise Ireland, funded the Enterprise Centres Scheme for both profit and not for profit Enterprise Centres. Two Enterprise Centres in Carlow (ERIC Centre and Carlow Enterprise House) were approved €128,478 under this scheme.

Enterprise Ireland will continue to work closely with clients in Carlow and every county to strengthen their growth plans as well as assisting companies on transformation initiatives such as green, climate change, digitisation and sustainability.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

55. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the financial supports available from his Department and through the agencies under the remit of his Department for the development of enterprise centres through community and or local authority development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7062/22]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Enterprise Centres provide important infrastructure for entrepreneurs and are an essential part of the start-up ecosystem across Ireland. The Centres, many of which are regionally based, provide space, mentoring and support to start-up founders and teams, helping them to scale internationally.

To date, my Department has provided funding of €250 million administered by Enterprise Ireland to support the establishment of some 270 Enterprise Centres throughout Ireland, of which approximately 40 of these Centres originated from the Regional Enterprise Plans.

This investment has enabled the establishment of physical space for entrepreneurs, start-ups, scaling companies, SMEs and a balance of small scale FDI. This has enabled the delivery of enterprise relevant programmes to companies and the provision of physical spaces to support remote working.

Since 2017, Enterprise Ireland has administered Departmental funding to 91 projects totalling €16.4 million under both the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Community Enterprise Centres Schemes.

On 20 November 2020, €8.24 million in grants, administered through Enterprise Ireland, for 95 Enterprise Centres around the country was announced. This funding will ensure that these Enterprise Centres, many of which have been negatively impacted by COVID-19, can sustain their businesses, pivot and further develop their services, to continue to assist the development of our start-up companies.

Currently, an Enterprise Ireland open ‘Regional Development Feasibility Fund’ is available to promoters seeking to scope out and investigate the viability of larger full-scale projects such as remote working hubs. A feasibility grant of €15,000 or 50% of eligible costs, whichever is lesser, is available to qualifying applicants meeting the required criteria.

In addition, over the next 20 years, advances in digital technologies will transform the enterprise potential across the country, particularly in our smaller towns and rural areas. To maximise those opportunities, co-working spaces (or “eHubs”), are envisaged under Project Ireland 2040 as part of an ongoing suite of measures to encourage greater levels of collaboration between entrepreneurs in accessing available supports and assistance in helping to make their businesses grow.

There are a broad range of other hub-type facilities, both publicly and privately funded, around the country including Community Enterprise Centres and incubator/accelerators that are being considered by the National Hub Network Working Group in their mapping of a national network of remote working facilities. The Department of Rural and Community Development leads on this mapping initiative. The DCRD has invested significantly in remote working infrastructure & connectivity through the Broadband Connection Point Network initiative and a number of programmes and schemes including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Leader Programme.

In addition, the first allocation of €3 million in Budget 2022 was announced for the European Digital Innovation Hubs as part of the EU Digital Europe Programme which will provide over time a total of €13.4 million in funding to Ireland focused on bringing digital technology to businesses, SMEs, citizens and the public sector.