Minister for Small Business, John Perry, has met with a delegation representing the Western Development Commission (WDC ). The Minister met with WDC chair, Helena Rochford Brennan; Ian Brannigan, acting CEO and development manager WDC; Gillian Buckley, investment manager WDC, Jackie Maguire, county manager of Leitrim County Council; and Cllr Mary Hoade to discuss the economic and social development of the Western Region.
During the meeting the Minister congratulated the WDC on its management of the €32 million Western Investment Fund (WIF ). The WIF is an integral element of the WDC’s strategy for accelerating the economic and social development of the region, with all profits from the fund being re-invested in the region. The WIF is the only dedicated funding source for the Western Region, providing loans and equity to business and local communities in the west.
Minister Perry invited the WDC to forward a submission for presentation at the Small Business Advisory Group, which the Minister chairs. The group was launched in June by the Taoiseach and Minister Perry to facilitate structured and regular dialogue between the Minister for Small Business and representatives of the small business sector.
The Minister commended the enterprise culture of the WDC. “The WDC is a catalyst for the seven counties of the Western Region; Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. It is an organisation that is doing and achieving, helping to build a sustainable future through its collaborative approach to get Ireland back working again.
“With the Commission continuing its work with local authorities and Enterprise Ireland it has a strong focus and central approach towards the need to engage constructively with other statutory and non-statutory bodies in implementing regional objectives across the Western Region,” the Minister added.
Minister Perry assured the WDC of his continued support in working with and promoting its initiatives, including the successful and innovative www.lookwest.ie website. As well as being an information portal for western SMEs, it also acts as a conduit for inward investment into the region and has received one million hits since its inception, and continues to receive 25,000 hits per month.
Minister Perry also conveyed the Government’s continued recognition of the critical investment by all the members of the WDC and acknowledges the key role that the Commission plays in sustaining jobs and promoting the economic and social development of the Western Region. “The value of the work carried out by the WDC in the creation of jobs is of vital importance in the present economic climate,” he concluded.
