Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs in Kilkenny and Carlow currently supported by Enterprise Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32999/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Government is firmly committed to driving balanced regional development as a cornerstone of its enterprise policy. Under the “Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally” Strategy 2025–2029, Enterprise Ireland aims to grow employment in client companies to 275,000, with a strong emphasis on regional job creation and scaling indigenous businesses across all counties.

According to the most recent figures from the Enterprise Ireland Annual Employment Survey 2024 , there were 142 Enterprise Ireland-supported companies operating in Kilkenny at the end of 2024, employing a total of 7,255 staff. In Carlow, 102 supported companies were recorded, employing 3,714 staff.

Enterprise Ireland has invested €27.6 million in Irish start-ups and supported over 157 new businesses. Of these, 63 companies were based outside of Dublin. Eleven companies from the South East region secured funding, including Carlow and Kilkenny-based businesses such as Sulu Software Consultancy—developers of an innovative FinTech solution—along with Ealtra & Suspage Ltd.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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75. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how the southeast regional enterprise plan has acted to ensure that the green economy becomes an engine for future job creation and economic growth in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33051/25]