COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 14, 2013

MOTION NO. 3

MOTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

That the Manager would make a Report for discussion at the meeting on the Community Enterprise Centres in the County, which are under the remit of the Council, or in which the Council participates in partnership, including information on the number of enterprises accommodated in the Centres and the numbers employed.

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.

The Centres at Brookfield, Killinarden and Bolbrook are operated by Partas  and  the Centres at Neilstown and Bawnogue are operated by Action Community  and Enterprise Ltd. The Companies in question have been requested to provide current details of occupancy rates and the information will be forwarded to the Councillor when available.