Guidelines & Procedures of the Micro-enterprise Policy Unit

Legislation

Under Section 10.2 of the Industrial Development Act, 1995, the Minister through the Oireachtas, makes funding available to the County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) to meet the costs of fulfilling their administrative and general expenses and to discharge their obligations and liabilities in the performance of such functions. Statutory Instrument No. 655 of 2006, the Industrial Development Act 1995 (Authorisation of Enterprise Ireland) Order, authorises Enterprise Ireland to carry out certain functions in respect of the County and City Enterprise Boards as directed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. These functions cover a range of strategic, administrative, financial and technical supports to the thirty-five CEBs.

An Operating Agreement exists between the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and each CEB, which sets out the rights and obligations of the Department and each Board under the County Enterprise initiative.

On October 1^st 2004 this agreement was updated to reflect the provisions of the Micro-Enterprise Measure of the Local Enterprise Development Priority of the Border, Midland and Western Regional Operational Programme and the Southern and Eastern Regional Operational Programme for the period 2000 to 2006, and continues into the 2007-2013 Programme.

This update reflects the current general operating environment for the CEBs, and sets out in general terms the purposes for which, and the manner in which, CEB funds may be applied. As each CEB is a company legally constituted under the Companies Acts and Limited by Guarantee, the Operating Agreement should be read in conjunction with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company.

A further update is being undertaken in 2008 to reflect the transfer of certain operational functions from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to the Enterprise Ireland CEB Central Coordination Unit (CCU).

The CEBs are required to comply with directions issued by the CCU and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, by way of Circulars, arising out of their legislation, their Operating Agreement with the Department/CCU, the requirements of the Regional Operational Programmes and other matters.

Memorandum and Articles of Association

Each CEB is a company limited by guarantee and operates under the Companies Acts. Copies of their Memorandum and Articles of Association are available from the Companies Registration Office.

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