COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, February 09, 2015
QUESTION NO. 19
QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor
To ask the Chief Executive to confirm his proposals to promote the availability of The Business Support Grant Scheme and in reporting will he also state what funding is available this year in that regard?
REPLY:
As discussed at the Budget meetings c1% of rates paid has been ring fenced for projects directly related to supporting business. The Business Support grant is a key element of these business supports and E880,000 has been budgeted in this regard. Other initiatives include the business sustainability project with the Chamber, tourism strategy, shopfront design guide etc. The Business Support Grant is primarily intended to provide a support grant to ratepayers under €10,000 valuation. The Council will promote the Business Support grant in a number of ways, through the its website, other media outlets, South Dublin Chamber and, in particular through a direct mail shot to all relevant businesses in the County. This promotional work including the direct mailshot will be undertaken in late February/ early March.
As indicated at Budget, CPG and Council meetings the surplus funds over and above the direct grant to ratepayers will be retained to fund other interventions to support Business in the County.
These interventions will be guided by the feedback from the business survey carried out in 2014, the vacancy analysis and physical surveys of our business parks and may include :
- physical upgrade of the business environment in the County,
- additional training and support through LEO in conjunction with our business sustainability program with the Chamber, and
- the potential of supporting additional incubator/enterprise space in the County, where required and making use of appropriate vacant space.
A key feedback from talking to local businesses in compiling the County Economic Profile is the need for a coherent programme of works which will reflect the planned multi annual nature of the investment, (subject to budgetary approval), and concentrate on key areas.
The Economic, Enterprise& Tourism SPC met on 13th January and established a working group to consider a number of initiatives in the County, including the Business Support Grant. A full report in this regard will be brought to the Working Group for consideration.