1080. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if additional financial support will be made available to local authorities and community groups to develop enterprise centres or work spaces, taking in to account the importance of such facilities in assisting job creation, particularly in smaller towns and villages; if he is aware of the substantial costs on local authorities and community groups in developing such centres at present, which impacts severely on councils with a low rates base; if his Department and the statutory agencies under the remit of his Department will give this request further urgent consideration. [64061/26]

1081. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if, in view of the importance of developing enterprise centres and work spaces, a new scheme of grant-aid will be introduced to assist local authorities and community groups with such developments, taking into account the importance of such work spaces for the economy in all regions. [64057/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1080 and 1081 together.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 64057/26 and 64061/26 together. I should note, first of all, that my Department does not provide funding in relation to co-working space. This is under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment focus on Enterprise related funding.

The Deputy will be aware that there has been significant investment in Enterprise Centres and similar spaces in recent years. Since 2017, my Department has approved regional enterprise development funding of over €150 million through a variety of schemes and funds administered by Enterprise Ireland, including the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and the Border Enterprise Development Fund, and the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme (Smart Regions). This funding includes more than 60 pieces of physically enterprise infrastructure, the large majority of which are in the enterprise centre space.

The Smart Regions scheme closed to new applications in June, and I anticipate announcing the final funded projects in the coming months. Naturally, I am aware of the challenges that exist in this space and encounter them in the context of these projects on a regular basis.

Enterprise Ireland is the body that assigns funding under the above schemes in accordance with the Department’s policy direction, and they do so in alignment with a strict set of criteria to ensure the funding is used in the most appropriate and beneficial way across the State.

Following the closure of the Smart Regions Scheme to new applications, the Department and Enterprise Ireland are now going to assess how the money already invested has worked, how future funding can best build on our progress, what we can learn from this, and how to achieve the maximum outcome in the future.