Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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375. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the butter exchange project in Shandon. [7899/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Since 2017, my Department has allocated over €150 million to regional enterprise development projects through a variety of schemes and funds administered by Enterprise Ireland. Much of this funding has supported the development of enterprise hubs and centres around the country with many of these projects aligned to the nine Regional Enterprise Plans.

Enterprise hubs and centres provide spaces for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs; most importantly they facilitate a wide range of business animation activities, providing training, collaborative spaces and networks, and supporting innovation and digitalisation.

Enterprise Ireland supported Recreate Shandon with a Feasibility Grant under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, with €14,850 approved to complete an initial feasibility of the Butter Exchange project in partnership with Cork City Council in 2020.

In 2022, Enterprise Ireland approved a more in-depth feasibility study for this project under the Regional Enterprise Innovation Scoping Scheme, with a grant approval of €46,800 again in partnership with Cork City Council. In both cases, these amounts represented 50% of the feasibility project cost.

Enterprise Ireland has advised me that the project management is currently working on finalising a detailed business plan which will form the basis of an application for funding of the full project. For this application, various funding options are being considered, including the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, administered by Enterprise Ireland and currently open for applications.

Enterprise Ireland remains available for discussion of this project as required.