Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has set out in its statement of strategy its intention to make Ireland the best place to succeed in business across all regions of our country, with vibrant enterprises, more high-quality employment, growing trade, fair workplaces, and higher productivity.

We are supporting our local business communities through the ongoing work of our enterprise agencies, the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, and the Local Enterprise Offices, to develop policies to create jobs, increase productivity, encourage strong management and leadership, and drive transformation in employment intensive and locally traded sectors, with a focus on climate, digitalisation and skills.

There are over 210,000 people in Ireland working directly in IDA Ireland client companies. Around these companies more enterprises and more jobs are created. Supported by the increased economic activity, Ireland’s indigenous entrepreneurs see and seize the opportunity to create new businesses and provide new employment opportunities.

Enterprise Ireland works in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales on global markets, in this way supporting sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. Enterprise Ireland provides hands-on support to companies, promotes awareness of the benefits of innovation and provides important funding support in the form of both grants and equity and promotes awareness of incentives such as tax credits.

Located within each of the 31 Local Authorities and funded by my Department, the Local Enterprise Offices provide a ‘first stop shop’ for all available Government business supports and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under agreed protocols e.g. Revenue, Micro Finance Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, LEADER, and Enterprise Ireland. Any local business looking for assistance should contact their LEO.

The LEOs offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors which, over time, have the potential to develop into strong export entities. They also provide an extensive range of management training and development programmes, which are available to anyone looking to start, grow or pivot their own business.

In partnership with their colleagues within the Local Authorities the Local Enterprise Offices are actively engaged in the economic development of their communities and many were directly involved in applying to Enterprise Ireland for funding for projects under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Border Enterprise Development Fund.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise Centres and working hubs provide affordable physical workspace for businesses across the country and deliver training and soft supports to their tenants and other companies in their locality and regional area while providing facilities for remote working, helping start-ups to scale internationally and attracting small scale FDI.

To date, my Department has provided funding of €250 million administered by Enterprise Ireland to assist the establishment of some 270 Enterprise Centres throughout Ireland.

In 2022, an additional €5 million in funding will be available to Community Enterprise Centres though the Regional Enterprise Innovation and Scoping Scheme. This Scheme builds on existing regional initiatives and aims to target grant aid at projects which will improve the resilience and international competitiveness of enterprises across all regions.

Substantial funding will also be made available up to 2027 for regional enterprise projects under funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Shared Island fund.

In addition, a further €12 million in funding administered through Enterprise Ireland has been sanctioned to assist with the completion of projects under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and Border Enterprise Development Fund grant Schemes that have been delayed or interrupted due to increased construction and construction-related costs.

Nationwide there is a broad range of other hub-type facilities, both publicly and privately funded, 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, which leads on this mapping initiative, has also invested significantly in remote working infrastructure & connectivity through the Broadband Connection Point Network initiative 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.

The creation of employment in all regional locations, including East Cork and the Youghal area, is a priority for my Department and this Government. Enterprise Ireland job figures for 2021 show that over 200,000 people now work in Enterprise Ireland client companies with a net increase in employment of almost 12,000 jobs. I am particularly pleased that jobs growth occurred in all regions with almost 70% of new jobs growth occurring outside of Dublin.