Address by Mr. Noel Treacy, T.D.,
Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce
at the Launch of the Annual Review of the Laois County Enterprise Board
and of a New Product of "Blooms Fayre",
a Company Assisted by the Laois Board;
at the Killeshin Hotel, 25th January 2000 4.00pm

I am delighted to have been invited here again today by the Laois County Enterprise Board to officially launch their 1999 Annual Review and also to launch a new product of "Blooms Fayre Ltd", a company which has benefited from the assistance of your excellent Enterprise Board.

As we move forward under Ireland's new National Plan, the emphasis on regional initiatives is growing. From 1st January last, the local support and development functions for small business has been centralised fully in the Enterprise Boards and the Boards' Enterprise Plans will be consistent with and form an integral part of County Plans which will be prepared in conjunction with the new County Development Boards. This will give added impetus to enterprise development and avoid wasteful duplication. Since the 1st of January also, the Enterprise Boards will form an integral part of the Productive & Investment sub-programmes of the BMW & S&E Operation Programmes of the new National Development Plan.

County and City Enterprise Boards have been major players in achieving the economic success which our country is experiencing at this time. The Enterprise Boards have proved to be successful, innovative and effective at developing a structure capable of both generating and tapping enterprise at local level. Within a few short years the Enterprise Boards have helped transform Ireland's economic landscape. By providing an unequivocal enterprise focus they have developed indigenous enterprise potential and stimulated economic activity at local level right throughout our Country.

The high level of success achieved by the County and City Enterprise Boards is very impressive and, more importantly their potential has been revealed within a short timescale. The original job targets set for the Enterprise Boards was to create 8,000 jobs over the first five year period of their operations. Already to the end of 1998, over 15,000 jobs have been created in Enterprise Board assisted projects. I understand that in the year just past, it is expected that a further 2,500 jobs will have been created. Based on demographic statistics, the equivalent job creation target for the Laois Board was 120 jobs. Because of the phenomenal success of all of the Enterprise Boards in achieving their targets, revised targets were set during the Programme, equating to 255 jobs for County Laois. Already, to the end of 1999, the Laois Board has more than doubled this figure with the creation of over 600 jobs.

It is particularly heartening when one considers that when the Laois Board invited me to speak here at the official opening of your new offices in March of last year, Laois was facing challenging times with the loss of jobs in C&M Portlaoise and pending redundancies in Avon, Arlington.

However, this Government, being firmly committed to the alleviation of such setbacks, created the Laois Jobs Task Force, on which membership comprises of representatives of the Laois Enterprise Board, I.D.A. Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, FAS, SIPTU, IBEC, Laois County Council and local industry. The Task force in conjunction with the I.D.A. are currently seeking a replacement Industry for this County. As is clearly evident, Laois has managed to overcome these substantial hurdles and go on to achieve the impressive statistics already mentioned by me.

I look forward to continued business and economic success in County Laois, and sincerely trust that these can be achieved without detriment to the remarkable cultural, scenic and environmental assets of this wonderful Country.

This review, of the Laois Enterprise Boards activities which I am particularly pleased to launch today, shows how well the Board is meeting its remit, not only in its job creation targets, but in all of its many activities, for example, in its remit of counselling and advising clients, the Enterprise Board has achieved 3,336 business contacts and 3,040 student contacts during the programme. Again, these results have exceed targets. I commend this Review to you all and I now declare it formally and officially launched.

I also have the pleasure this afternoon of launching a new product from a young Laois company Blooms Fayre Ltd. This company which was set up by Marguerite Sheeran and Anne Marie Hennessy produce food products for the gift and hamper market. I have seen some of these products and I look forward to tasting them. This Local Enterprise is based in the Slieve Bloom mountains, from which it takes its name. The food sector holds great opportunities for Ireland; our quality of food is recognised at home and abroad. I want you all to personally remember this launch, and to seek out and support this local enterprise. So with my very best wishes for the future success of this small business, I declare the Blooms Fayre Enterprise formally launched, and wish its owners and employees many years of prosperity in the exciting millennium ahead.

In conclusion I wish to pay tribute to the members of the Evaluation Committee, Ann Flynn Chairperson, and to Maria Callinan, the Board's Chief Executive and all the outstanding staff of the Laois County Enterprise Board for their dedication and achievements to date. Your considerable hard work and time commitment, which all concerned have devoted is ensuring the continued success of this excellent Enterprise Board. I commend the Annual Review of the Laois County Enterprise Board, and I now declare it formally launched.