COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, November 12, 2012

MOTION NO. 2

MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

That this Council requests the Manager to present a detailed report, for discussion, on the funding options available to the Council to develop new community enterprise centre spaces, training space, ‘hot-desking’ facilities etc. (including through the leasing of currently vacant premises) in areas of the county currently not serviced and where there is a clear verifiable demand.

REPORT:

The Council through its own efforts or in co-operation with other Agencies has constructed local enterprise centres at Neilstown and Bawnogue in Clondalkin and at Brookfield and Killinarden in Tallaght .  

In each case the development of the enterprise facilities was co-ordinated by a group comprising representatives of South Dublin County Council, the Area based local Partnerships, the South Dublin County Enterprise Board and local community development representatives. Funding was from those agencies together with grant Aid from Enterprise Ireland and a corporate sponsor (in the case of Killinarden- AIB Bank and Bawnogue- Dunloe Ewart).

The Centres aim to provide low cost start-up units with the necessary management supports, catering for a broad spectrum of services and trades. It is anticipated that as skill levels, business acumen and workforce increase in the individual businesses, the successful entrepreneurs will move on , thereby broadening the scope of start up aid and creating new business opportunities for local people.

The Centres at Killinarden and Bawnogue also include some community space to provide services to the wider community, including a crèche facility and restaurant at Bawnogue.

The Council also provided a former community premises at Bolbrook to Partas for development as an Enterprise Centre and also disposed of  a site at St Dominic's Road for the provision of enterprise units by a private Company.

A "hotdesk" facility has been provided at County Hall originally as part of the IEZ initiative in 2010 and now in conjunction with the IE Network project.

This Council does not currently have local funding available for development of new community enterprise facilites but included in the "Action Plan for Jobs 2012" is the following objective: 

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.

It appears that this objective refers to existing Centres, however, this Council will engage with Enterprise Ireland through the economic sub-group of the County Development Board, including the local development companies,  in respect of the Community Enterprise Centre Business Development Programme 2012 to identify the potential for providing and funding such centre(s) in appropriate area(s).