Speech By Minister Micheál Martin At The Official Opening Of Easkey Enterprise Centre, Easkey, Co Sligo 26 September 2006

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to formally open the Easkey Community Enterprise Centre. Centres such as this play a very important part in our efforts to build a thriving enterprise sector in this country.

The development of community based Enterprise Centres is an essential part of the drive to create new regional enterprises in County Sligo. These Centres provide a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and serve to help the development of entrepreneurship at the local level. There are now six Enterprise Centres in Co Sligo. Along with this centre, there are centres also in Ballingtogher, Collooney, Enniscrone, Ballymote and Strandhill.

The Community Enterprise Centre initiative is managed by Enterprise Ireland and is a community led initiative in the form of a partnership between the local community and the State. Its objective is to enhance the development of an enterprise climate through the provision of infrastructure to support the establishment and expansion of micro enterprises through local community participation

These Community Enterprise Centres are important in acting as a focus and location for not only individuals who are from the area and wish to return but also for individuals or companies who are looking to expand their activities or are looking at the area as a location to live and work.

Easkey Enterprise Centre is a small centre of approximately 4,500 sq ft, consisting of 4 units. The Centre has a 10 seat IT training facility and has conducted approximately 15 courses since it opened for business in September 2005. One of the units is currently being used as a Conference facility.

Enterprise Ireland is pleased to be associated with this project and in July 2002 approved a Capital Grant of €200,000 under its Community Enterprise Centre Programme to Easkey Community Council Ltd. This was part of an overall investment of over €450,000. The International Fund for Ireland, Sligo County Enterprise Board and Sligo County Council also provided funding for the Centre.

Easkey Community Council Ltd is also involved in the construction of a social Community Centre adjacent to the Enterprise Centre which is underway and will be completed by year end 2006 and I would like to congratulate you on your efforts in that important local development.

In January 2006 I announced the extension of the Enterprise Ireland Community Enterprise Centre Scheme. The Scheme will provide €7m of Capital funding in the period 2006 - 2008 to assist Community Groups build Enterprise Centres.

Three applications were received from Community Groups in County Sligo following a call for proposals announced on 19 January 2006. In June 2006 I announced that two proposals from County Sligo were approved funding totalling €600,000 under this competitive scheme – a 13,000 sq ft Life Science Centre in Collooney and an 8,000 sq ft expansion to Sligo Enterprise & Technology Centre in Strandhill. This brings the total amount of Enterprise Ireland funding approved to Enterprise Centre projects in County Sligo is over €1.4m.

The Community Enterprise Centre Programme underlines the Government’s commitment to fostering an enterprise climate throughout the Regions and to supporting small business during the earliest stages of development.

I am very impressed with the extent of local cooperation in the cause of enterprise development that is behind this development. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the partners involved in the Centre – Easkey Community Council, the local community, Enterprise Ireland, International Fund for Ireland, Sligo County Council, and Sligo County Enterprise Board who worked closely together to make the centre a reality.

You have established a Centre to enhance the development of an enterprise climate through the provision of infrastructural facilities to support the establishment and expansion of micro enterprises through local community participation.

In conclusion I wish the Enterprise Centre every success for the future and am delighted to declare this centre officially opened.

Thank you.

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