Mayo County Enterprise Board has been omitted from a major new investment of capital for county and city enterprise boards announced by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen this week.
At a celebratory good-news occasion in Dublin to announce the €3.3 million boost, the Taoiseach suggested the money would be dispersed among the country’s 35-strong network of county and city enterprise boards before the end of the year.
However, a breakdown of the monies shows that Mayo County Enterprise Board is to receive zero euros from the funding, as also is the case for Roscommon and Sligo in the west and Clare, Kildare, Offaly, Tipperary North and Waterford County Enterprise Boards. Galway County Enterprise Board, by contrast has been awarded €200,000.
The Taoiseach stated that the €3.3 million capital allocation was in addition to €15 million already provided this year to the CEBs “whose services have been in increased demand since the economic downturn began”. He added that the new cash injection “should create more than 450 jobs through helping new businesses get off the ground and support existing ones in creating and protecting jobs.”
The funding omission does not come as a surprise to Mayo County Enterprise Board as, according to a spokesperson, the body did not apply along with other CEBs for additional capital funding offered by the state to finance projects needing completion by end of year. However, it did receive other capital injections during the year and operations are “continuing as normal.”
Last month Mr Frank Fullard, Chief Executive Officer of Mayo County Enterprise Board, retired from his position but no new appointment has since been made. Mr Padraig McDermott continues to act as Assistant Chief Executive Officer with the organisation which has less than 10 staff working in its offices.
