Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 63 together.

Balanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key policy for me and this Government, and is reaffirmed in the Department’s White Paper on Enterprise.

The Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans.

The West Regional Enterprise Plan covers Galway, Mayo and Roscommon and was launched in Castlebar on 4 March last year.

Each Regional Enterprise Plan is overseen and monitored by a Steering Committee made up of regional stakeholders and chaired by a senior level private sector businessperson.

I attended the most recent meeting of the West Steering Committee on 20 June in the BIA Innovator Campus in Athenry. At the meeting, an update was provided on the progress being made on the construction of the Campus, which will be an invaluable asset to food innovation and incubation in the West. In addition, I also heard from CREW (Creative Enterprise West) about their ongoing work in the digital creative sector in ATU Galway. The Regional Enterprise Plan Programme Manager also provided details on recent funding successes. I believe good progress is being made in delivering on the strategic objectives of the Plan.

With regard to funding, I can advise 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 aligned to the Plans. I expect the first call of €35 million to be announced in the coming months.

Finally, the Department is holding nine ‘Building Better Business’ conferences around the country throughout 2023. These focus on the opportunities and challenges of the 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. Regional Enterprise Plan Chairs also have the opportunity to address attendees about the progress being made in the implementation of their Plan.

The most recent conference focused on the Mid-East region and was held last Friday in Naas. The next event will focus on the South-East region and take place on 14 July in the South-East Technical University (SETU) Arena in Waterford. The West event is scheduled for October.

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