COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 09, 2012

QUESTION NO. 15a)

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager for a report on any discussions which the Council has had with Enterprise Ireland and/or the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, and/or the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, in relation to Action 2.5 (regarding a new Community Enterprise Development Programme) of the Government's Action Plans for Jobs 2012, and Action 3.8 (Support for micro and small businesss sector in developing an online presence), and if she will make a statement on the matter?

REPLY:

Action Plan for Jobs 2012 builds on work across Government to deliver reform and create economic growth, and will deliver on the third major strand of Government’s economic programme. Action Plan for Jobs 2012 is the first instalment in a multi-year process. Section 2.5 states:

2.5 Establish a new Community Enterprise Development Programme for the maintenance or

establishment of a strong business development function in the Community Enterprise

Centres funded by Enterprise Ireland. This will see up to 30 centres benefit from a full-time

business development function, providing a 50% grant towards eligible costs or €50,000 over

two years.

The Plan is accompanied by a detailed list of the more than 270 actions which includes the measures required to implement each action and the Government body responsible for implementation in each case. The Cabinet has also sanctioned the establishment of a Monitoring Committee which will be chaired by the Taoiseach’s Department and will also include representatives of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Forfás. A number of expert staff from Forfás will work closely with the Department of the Taoiseach to assist with the monitoring process. Quarterly reports on implementation will be prepared and published by this monitoring group.

In addition, a series of regional meetings will be held over the coming months as part of the on-going process of consultation on job-creation. 

The Government have indicated their intention to create  “One Stop Shops” called “Local Enterprise Offices” to build on the significant work done by the CEBs to date. The new “one-stop-shop” micro enterprise support structure will be achieved through the dissolution of the existing CEBs and the creation of a new Micro Enterprise and Small Business Unit in Enterprise Ireland (EI) that will work with Local Authorities to establish a new network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in each Local Authority. This restructuring of EI to refocus its efforts on small and micro businesses is part of a wider restructuring that will also see the establishment of a Potential Exporters Division within E.I., and more collaborative work with the IDA.

It is understood that the intention is that Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities will be tasked with developing and rolling-out a LEO structure to facilitate the carrying out of the proposed functions of those offices as agreed by Government. It is anticipated that the current cohort of CEB staff will transfer to either Enterprise Ireland or the Local Authority.

Clearly, a lot of developmental work will need to be done over the coming months to effect these changes across all organisations – the CEBs, the Local Authorities and Enterprise Ireland – and, not least, there will be important HR issues to be addressed. These issues will be addressed having regard to appropriate practices in such instances, including consultations with all relevant Parties and, also, with advice and guidance from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,  having due regard to the Croke Park Agreement.

Although much of the above developmental work and discussions will take place at National Level we have substantial groundwork established in South Dublin County in terms of :

Action 6.5 of the Action Plan for Jobs – 2012 requires the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG), Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI.) and local authorities to –

“Develop a new sectoral strategy to promote employment, and support local enterprise by Local Government, to include measures in the area of business charges, local enterprise and business support arrangements, procurement support, local development and community based initiatives, the Green Economy and local government participation in employment support schemes.  These measures will complement, and assist in the delivery at a local level, of other actions set out in this Action Plan”. 

The draft Strategy document was developed jointly by DECLG, DJEI and the County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA).  It includes measures in the area of business charges, local enterprise and business support arrangements, procurement support, local development and community based initiatives, the Green Economy and local government participation in employment support schemes.  It is intended that these measures will complement, and assist in the delivery at a local level, of other actions set out in this year’s Action Plan for Jobs and Action Plans for future years.

The Strategy’s purpose is to activate the local authority sectoral elements of the Action Plan for Jobs, by –

Ø  identifying those actions where local authorities have direct responsibility alongside those actions which cannot be progressed without strong sectoral involvement and collaboration, and

Ø  providing a framework for the local authorities to develop their own local strategies in support of the Strategy.  

The draft is being circulated prior to implementation for consultation to key stakeholders, (particularly the CDBs), who are invited to make submissions.  Given that the Strategy must be in the course of implementation before the end of September 2012, all submissions should be submitted, preferably in a word document, by email to econdev@environ.ie no later than 5:30pm on Friday, 27 July 2012.

In terms of employment initiatives the Council will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders through the County Development Board and the County Social Inclusion Measures group in promoting and developing programmes in accordance with Government strategy leading to alignment of skills with enterprise needs. Particularly the Council will work closely with the Local Development Companies, Dodder Valley and CPLN, in the co-ordinated delivery of their Strategies and Action Plans in meeting the goals of the LCDP and specifically in relation to access to training towards job readiness and supporting local enterprise. Local enterprise centres at Killinarden, Brookfield, Bawnogue and Neilstown have been an integral part of this strategy. Occupation levels at the Centres have been consistently at a high level.

A full monthly update on the Council's Strategic Support towards business development and survival is provided at the Corporate Policy Group Meetings.