Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

65. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21946/23]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Balanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key policy of mine and this Government, and is reaffirmed in the White Paper on Enterprise.

My Department contributes to this agenda in a number of ways, including through oversight of development and implementation of nine Regional Enterprise Plans.

The Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan which covers Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath was launched in Mullingar on 1^stMarch last year.

Each Plan is overseen and monitored by a Steering Committee made up of regional stakeholders and chaired by a senior level private sector business-person.

Minister Calleary attended the last meeting of the Midlands Steering Committee and has reported good progress is being made in delivering on the objectives of the Plan. The next meeting of the Steering Committee is due to take place tomorrow, 12^thMay in Portlaoise. Minister Calleary will again be in attendance.

I can advise the Deputy that my Department has secured up to €145 million from the European Regional Development Fund to drive implementation of the Regional Enterprise Plans. This funding will support innovative enterprise focused projects across all regions. I expect the first call of €35 million to be announced in the coming months.

Finally, the Deputy may be aware that my Department is holding nine ‘Building Better Business’ conferences around the country. These focus on the opportunities and challenges for businesses of digital transformation and the transition to a low-carbon economy, as well as showcasing the government and agency supports available to small and medium enterprises. The Regional Enterprise Plan Chair also has the opportunity to address attendees about the progress being made in the implementation of the Plan.

Two of these conferences have taken place to date, the first for the North-West region on Friday, 3^rdMarch at the Letterkenny campus of the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Donegal. The second event actually focused on the Midlands region and was held on the 27^thApril at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise. I attended and spoke at both of these events and had an opportunity to engage with local businesses and other stakeholders.

I believe the conferences demonstrate the firm commitment of this Government to balanced regional enterprise development for all regions of Ireland, including the Midlands.

The next event will focus on the Mid-West region and take place on the 26^thMay in the University of Limerick.