Government funding announced for county enterprise boards across the country will see the creation of five new jobs in County Mayo.
The €45,000 extra funding for Mayo County Enterprise Board, out of a total of €3.1 million nationally, has been welcomed by local Fine Gael deputies John O’Mahony and Minister of State Michael Ring.
The new jobs are to be created before the end of 2011 according to Minister for Small Business, John Perry. The additional funding is provided from savings elsewhere in the Minister’s Department, and is provided in response to specific requests from CEBs. The funding is additional to the €15 million already provided to CEBs in 2011.
The Minister made the announcement to the Small Business Advisory Forum on Wednesday morning saying: “If we are to get out of this crisis, it is crucial that we strive in every way possible to encourage the start-up and expanding of businesses that will create the jobs of the future. The County and City Enterprise Boards around the country have a key role to play in providing much-needed capital for these businesses. This year a number of CEBs have indicated that they would not have sufficient funding to respond to the needs of start-ups in their area, and so the Department sought to make savings in other areas to provide funding for these vital businesses.
“It is very encouraging that 28 CEBs have sufficient demand from projects in their area to justify these requests, and this shows that the start-up spirit is alive and well in Ireland. The provision of this additional funding to support businesses is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to the small business sector, and ensures that resources are targeted at those CEBs where demand is greatest.”
John O’Mahony, in welcoming the news, stated: “Every job that we can create here in Mayo is absolutely vital and while five jobs and an extra €45,000 may not seem a lot in the global picture, it cannot be underestimated just how important those jobs will be to the people who get them.”
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring added that the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in our country is very encouraging, that people are willing to get out there and start new businesses or expand existing businesses.
