COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE
Monday, October 24, 2022
QUESTION NO.
QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor
"To ask the CEO for a report on actions being taken to promote Enterprise in the Tallaght area; will he detail contacts being made in the matter and will he make a statement?"
REPLY:
The South Dublin Local Economic and Community Plan 2016 – 2021 (LECP) includes a series of economic objectives each of which identifies target actions and the key stakeholders involved. These actions are aimed at putting the appropriate infrastructure, enterprise and employment supports in place to improve the level and quality of economic activity in Tallaght and across the County. Research and work on the development of a new LECP plan ( is currently underway and will include new actions for economic and community enterprise development from 2023.
The delivery of the Innovation Centre, a €14m project investment which is strategically located on Council owned land in the Cookstown regeneration area of Tallaght Town Centre is now well underway and construction of the building is expected to be completed by June 2023 and will be fully commissioned and operational from October 2023. The Innovation Centre will be called WORK IQ and efforts are currently underway to develop a new website for this new project to support visibility and promotion with a view to generating expressions of interest. The Innovation Centre is one part of a new urban district called Innovation Quarter Tallaght that is being developed by the Council that also includes a new Affordable Housing Scheme, Innovation Square, as well as Tallaght District Heating network.
This Innovation Quarter Project will also compliment current investment of over €80m in infrastructure projects underway in Tallaght, such as the delivery of a new Heritage Centre, the completion of Tallaght Stadium bringing it to 10,000-seater capacity and a major public realm enhancement programme for Tallaght Town Centre.
The new Innovation Centre will play a major role in developing start-up enterprises and contributing to the Dublin economy, providing cutting edge facilities, a range of start-up programmes, including training, mentoring, funding supports and skills development, where in the longer-term, this new facility will support the creation of over 1,000 jobs, which will be worth €70m to the economy.
The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) provides financial grants, mentoring, training and other supports to assist new and developing micro-enterprises with job creation and sustainment in the County. The full range of Local Enterprise Office services are available to businesses in Tallaght and across the County to support both job creation and business development and these include financial assistance, export supports, trading online vouchers, training, mentoring and other advisory services along with the while the Sustainable Business Programme in partnership with South Dublin Chamber which offers assistance and advice to businesses.
LEO is also working with relevant local agencies including South Dublin Chamber, Technical University Dublin(Tallaght Campus), South Dublin County Partnership, Enterprise Ireland, Partas and others to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the actions which can impact on job creation in Tallaght and across the County.
The Council's 2022 Budget provided for the continuation of the Business Support Funds. This includes the Microenterprise/Start-up Support which encourages new micro enterprise a graduated “rates holiday” for up to two years. It also provides supports for Industrial Area Improvements Schemes, Individual Unit Supports and a Microenterprise Development Fund aims at the refurbishment of industrial areas and increasing the occucpany rates in those areas."