COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 12, 2010

MOTION NO. 6

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

That this Council,

(a) building on the experience of the Intellectual Enterprise Zones and complementary to the role of the County Development Board, act as the catalyst and bring together representatives of the County Enterprise Board, The Chamber of Commerce, SIPTU, IBEC, FAS, Social Welfare, The VEC and IT Tallaght, with the specific objective of identifying and devising a range of responses and strategies for their implementaion, that can be implemented as a matter of urgency at County and local level, and which address directly the unprecedented level and scale of unemployment being experienced by persons and families in this County, and that

(b) a sub-committee, composed of representatives of all political groupings in the chamber and Senior Management of this Council, be established to guide and participate in the process and to oversee and monitor the implementation of the recommendations.

(c) the sub-committee to report progress to this Council at each Monthly Meeting

REPORT:

As members will be aware from the comprehensive  reply to the December Council meeting intellectual enterprise zones are envisaged as spaces (virtual and physical) where individuals can use the space on a ‘time share basis’ to run and operate their business and where persons on the live register can develop added value skills.  In tandem with the physical space it is proposed to develop a virtual business campus or intellectual enterprise zones with a view to creating new business opportunities.  This space will also afford participants to engage in a community of practice and network with like minded individuals.  The web presence is an interactive space where participants in the programme can feedback their observations, ask questions, register for various training programmes, interact with colleagues and book time/space in the Intellectual Enterprise Zone work space.

The steering committee guiding the initiative meets in County Hall and includes representativse from the Dept of Social Welfare, CEB, FAS, ACE, Tallaght IT the Partnerships etc. The meetings are convened by the IEZ co-ordinator. Based on feedback from our partners and the participants we are currently developing a "communities of practice " model as the next stage of the project. Updates on the project  are given to the County Development Board and the Economic Development sub group of the Board.

The Dublin Regional Authority has now agreed that the IEZ project should be developed on a Regional basis based on the South Dublin experience to date.A short presentation is attached in this regard should members require further details.