COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, December 18, 2023

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the CEO to detail actions he is taking to encourage job creation in the Tallaght area; will he confirm contacts he is maintaining in the matter and will he make a statement? Charlie O'Connor

REPLY:

The aim of the Local Enterprise Office is to promote entrepreneurship, foster business start-ups and develop existing micro and small businesses to drive job creation and to provide accessible high quality supports for the Business ideas of our new and established businesses in Tallaght and wider South Dublin area. 

• We provide direct financial supports to micro businesses*. Micro Enterprises are businesses with 10 or less employees.   However, in some cases, depending on certain criteria, businesses with 10 employees or more may be eligible for osupports and we will advise on a range of alternative funding options available.
• We offer business information, advisory services and enterprise support.
• We deliver high-quality training to meet the needs of our new and growing business promoters including; Start Your Own Business, Managing Your Business e.g. Marketing, Sales, Financial Management, Strategy and Business Planning.
• We provide mentoring services to the business promoter across a wide range of areas with our panel of experienced experts.
• We guide our businesses to the services most relevant to support the growth and development of their business.
• We give you advice on local authority regulations, planning, accessibility, environment, procurement and other issues affecting your business and provide specific supports to improve their Industruial units through our Business Support Fund.
• We connect businesses with appropriate State resources for their business including relevant agencies such as;

–        Department of Social Protection: Enterprise Supports

–        Microfinance Ireland: Business Loans 

–        Revenue: Start Up Relief for Entrepreneurs

–        Education and Training Boards: Business Courses

–        Credit Review Office: When your bank has refused credit

• We create progression pathways for high-potential companies to Enterprise Ireland.
• We advise on local property solutions for start-ups and business expansions.
• We organise key enterprise events.
• We facilitate effective business networking.
• We promote entrepreneurship education in the local community and in our schools.

Our new Work IQ Innovation Centre, which is based in The Innovation Quarter, Tallaght will be passed over to Oxford Innovation to attract and support new businesses to the area. Work IQ will accommodate up to 60 businesses and play a major role in developing start-up enterprises in order to support the creation of over 700 jobs worth €80m to the economy over the coming years. 

Meanwhile Partas are creating Tallaght’s cultural ‘Left Bank’, an innovative and trendy artisan retail/food hub, cultural and performance venue, training centre and local tourism attraction, Priory Market, will be created on the Partas site in the Tallaght village. It will also be a social enterprise with all profits reinvested in local economic development, training and jobs. The concept fully, when complete, will include:

A food hub of 12 artisan street-food style units arranged around a large ground floor area with multiple seating options

An expanded microbrewery for Priory Brewing, to include a visitor centre and taproom.

Provision of shared test kitchen facilities for new artisan start-ups and for food training courses.

A pop-up restaurant facility for emerging new chefs.

A new 100 seater theatre/conference centre

A large studio facility for flexible uses.

When complete, this new centre, called ‘Priory Market’, will be a focus to bring social and commercial life back to the village and contribute to a sense of pride of place and a thriving atmosphere as well as a tourist attraction. It will provide an immediate 60 extra local jobs and training in all aspects of food, drink, craft and retail which in turn will act as a catalyst for other start-ups and artisans. It will be a focal point and performance space for local performers and artists and will, in effect, become the cultural ‘Left Bank’ of Tallaght. The profits generated would ensure impact, sustainability and further development.