Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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281. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how his Department is supporting job creation in Kildare, especially in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42553/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department, in partnership with the enterprise agencies, provides a comprehensive range of supports for job creation and sustainable economic growth in County Kildare.

Enterprise Ireland offers financial support and grant aid to high-potential companies in Kildare that demonstrate the capacity for rapid growth and entry into export markets. This support is crucial for stimulating job creation and economic development in the region. There were 555 jobs created in Kildare in 2023 by 158 Enterprise Ireland assisted companies. Total employment within Enterprise Ireland assisted companies in the county was 9,436 in 2023, with employment growth for the year of 2%.

The Kildare Local Enterprise Office provides services directly to small businesses, promotes entrepreneurship and contributes to jobs growth within towns and communities across the county. Last year, LEO Kildare financially assisted 268 small businesses which helped them to support 1,309 jobs. LEO Kildare also provides assistance to small businesses to further develop and grow, through tailored training, development, and mentoring supports.

Over the last four years, Kildare County Council and LEO Kildare have led on a number of hub developments around County Kildare, supporting entrepreneurship, enterprise creation, innovation, decarbonisation, town centre renewal, digitalisation, and fostering strong entrepreneurial communities and local employment.

Ireland continues to be recognised as a highly stable and attractive location for Foreign Direct Investment. However, Government does not take our success to date for granted, and we remain committed to ensuring the right polices are in place to facilitate the development of appropriate skills, infrastructure, and innovation to facilitate strong levels of FDI into the future. My Department works with IDA Ireland to ensure a continuous flow of investment into Ireland. There are currently 45 IDA client companies in Kildare, employing 11,909 people.

The Regional Enterprise Plans are an integral part of Ireland’s enterprise policy, aimed at driving economic growth and sustaining better standards of living throughout Ireland. The Mid-East Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) covers counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath.

A key strategic objective of the Mid East REP is the development of the Athy Food, Drink and Skills Innovation Hub. This project will deliver a commercial space dedicated to the growth of new food companies and the training and retraining of future employees in the food, hospitality and Foodtech/ Agtech sectors. Kildare County Council has been awarded €5.1 million under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund for delivery of this project.

The National Equine Innovation Centre has been established in Kildare through the Mid East REP, with programmes and training courses being developed to support our world class equine sector. The NEIC is home to a number of high potential start up companies in the sector and is based at the Irish National Stud.