Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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It is positive to see Enterprise Ireland (EI) supported companies recording jobs growth for the third year in a row and that employment in companies supported by Enterprise Ireland is now at its highest ever level at over 225,000 people. The latest job figures show employment increased across all economic sectors for Enterprise Ireland supported companies. In total, 15,530 new jobs were created in 2023 by companies assisted by EI.

Balanced regional development is being achieved in terms of both new jobs created and total employment: 68% of new jobs created in EI clients in 2023 were in companies located outside the Dublin region. It is also welcome to note the particularly strong performance of regions outside of Dublin such as the West region (+5%), the North-East region (+5%) and the North-West region (+4%).

Enterprise Ireland surveys its portfolio of clients annually to collect employment data and this data is supplied in the following table.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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453. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Local Enterprise Office supported jobs in each county at the end of 2023, in tabular from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1870/24]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 453 together.

This Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with small businesses to support their growth, help them to find new markets, create jobs and take on the twin challenges of decarbonisation and digitalisation. The Local Enterprise Offices have a key role to play here.

The results of this year’s Annual Employment Survey are very positive. The Local Enterprise Offices have financially assisted a portfolio of 7,167 small businesses, that account for 38,726 jobs across the country. This is the highest recorded number since the establishment of the LEOs and represents a 10th year of consecutive jobs growth. In 2023, LEO supported companies created 6,640 new jobs, with a net gain of 2,131 jobs.

82% of the new jobs created by Local Enterprise Office companies in 2023 were located outside of Dublin. This shows again how vital the LEOs are to the development of our indigenous enterprises and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices.

The net jobs gain in employment by LEO Client companies of 2,131 accounts for any loses from company amalgamation, transfers from LEOs to Enterprise Ireland and those that cease trading.

The figures accounted for in these results are only LEO clients that have received financial grant assistance from their Local Enterprise Office and does not measure small businesses and their associated jobs that have received training, mentoring or other supports such as the Trading Online Voucher, Green for Business, Lean for Business or Digital for Business.

The Local Enterprise Office Annual Employment Survey results for 2023 are set out in the following table:

The Annual Employment Survey is performed by the LEO Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Q4 each year. These results are included in the LEOs Annual Impact Report.