COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 08, 2013
MOTION NO. 2
MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle
That this Council welcomes the CCMA report 'Supporting Enterprise, Local Development and Economic Growth: Analysis of Local Authority Activities for 2012'; and notes the work of certain local authorities in developing enterprise centres, as well as newer models of 'E Centres' and 'E-Work Centres'; and requests the Manager to examine the feasibility of establishing an 'E Centre' or similar model in this County, in particular in areas not currently serviced by an enterprise centre, learning from the models outlined in the CCMA report which seek to 'utilize existing vacant spaces in local towns' to facilitate "entrepreneurs starting their own businesses by providing e-working and 'hot desking' facilities at low cost in the community' and to provide 'a focal point in the town for the community to drive employment initiatives.'
REPORT:
The following report was presented to the October Council meeting in respect of local enterprise centres :
"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)."
Since October the Council has agreed an Economic Strategy and Action Plan for the County in December 2012, the implementation of the LEO structure is progressing nationally and locally and the IEN hotdesk in County Hall remains in operation. It is envisaged that these initiatives will support the objectives set out in the Motion. It was also agreed at the April Council meeting that, following the submission and consideration of a report from the SPC Working Group to the May meeting of the Economic Development SPC, all members would be invited to the September meeting of that SPC, to review progress on the Strategy. The Working Group of the SPC has scheduled a meeting in this regard for 11th July.