Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
359. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether retail businesses, including mobile phone accessory shops and vape shops, are eligible for local enterprise office start-up grants; the eligibility criteria applied to such businesses; and the oversight mechanisms that are in place to ensure grant funding is awarded only to qualifying enterprises. [68886/26]
View answerThe Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) located within the 31 Local Authorities, provide their services direct to all small businesses and promote entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country.
LEOs provide a wide range of high-quality business and management development programmes and productivity supports in the areas of Green, Digital and Lean. These supports are intended to help small businesses improve productivity, adopt new technologies, enhance sustainability and remain competitive, and are therefore available to small businesses across a broad range of sectors including retail.
The LEO’s start-up Priming and Feasibility grants, are specifically targeted at businesses operating in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, where the objective is to incentivise the establishment and growth of businesses capable of generating additional employment, productivity gains and export earnings. Retail businesses are excluded due to the recognised risks of deadweight and displacement, as grant-aided activity in local market-facing sectors may primarily compete for existing demand rather than create new economic activity.
The oversight mechanism for the awarding of LEO Grants is set out in the County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Act 2014, through this legislation, Enterprise Ireland is charged with the statutory responsibility and accountability for the functions of the Local Enterprise Offices and in doing so, is responsible for making arrangements with Local Authorities to deliver these functions. Enterprise Ireland’s statutory responsibility is detailed within a Service Level Agreement in place with each Local Authority.
The Local Enterprise Office Evaluation and Approvals Committee (EVAC) is a subcommittee of the Local Authority. The Chief Executive of each Local Authority has delegated power to the LEO EVAC, to approve all financial supports under the Acts detailed in the EVAC Terms of Reference and in line with the agreed Service Level Agreement.
