Minister Troy launches South-East Regional Enterprise Plan for Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford

24th March 2022

Up to €180 million to be available for regional enterprise development projects across the country

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, today launched the South-East Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) to 2024, in Wexford.

The South-East REP, covering counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford, is one of nine new enterprise plans throughout the country which will be funded by up to €180 million. This funding will drive the implementation of the Plans which will develop and implement collaborative and innovation enterprise projects in the regions and support sustainable jobs.

The REPs have been developed using a ‘bottom up’ approach by people who have a real stake in their community. This model makes the Plan unique and responsive to the opportunities and needs of the region, with a focus on regional collaboration.

 Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, outlined the importance of the Plan, saying:

“I am delighted to be in Wexford today to launch the South-East Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024. Congratulations to Patsy Carney, Chair of the South-East Steering Committee, Alan Quirke, South-East Programme Manager, Richard Hickey, South-East Programme Executive and the Steering Committee members for delivering this new plan for the region.

“Over the past year the enterprise community from across Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford came together to develop ambitious, achievable objectives to capitalise on the unique strengths and seize the opportunities for the South-East. The Plan reflects the region’s huge appetite to build a balanced regional recovery, one that is focused on future enterprise development and sustainable job creation for the longer term.

"I was determined to ensure that funding will be made available to drive the Regional Enterprise Plans and I am delighted to announce today funding of up to €17 million for regional enterprise projects as part of the overall €180 million in funding over the coming years. This is necessary for the development of collaborative regional projects that will drive delivery of the objectives developed in this South-West Plan. I look forward to working with Patsy and the Committee throughout implementation.”

Delivering balanced regional growth is a stated objective within the Programme for Government and in the Economic Recovery Plan 2021. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment contributes to the regional agenda in a number of ways, including through the enterprise agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland; the Local Enterprise Offices and through national enterprise policy.

Chair of the South-East Regional Steering Committee, Patsy Carney, Director of Kinetic Labs said,

“I would like to thank Minister Troy for his visit to Wexford today for our launch of the South-East Regional Enterprise Plan. I would like to acknowledge his support and involvement during the consultation process which was key in ensuring momentum and engagement was maintained in the region.

“Can I thank the Steering Committee members across Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford for their commitment to the region and to this plan which is the result of thorough consultation with our stakeholders. We have developed a plan that is focused around five Strategic Objectives - encouraging entrepreneurship and start-ups, the green economy, principles of smart specialisation and clustering, innovation and to communicate the benefits of living and working in the South-East.

“I look forward to working closely with the Minister and Committee members as we move to implementation stage.” 

The South-East Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 can be accessed on the Department’s website - South-East Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024

Ends

Notes to Editors:

Nine new REPs to 2024 have been developed throughout 2021 by Regional Steering Committees. Each Regional Committee is chaired by a senior figure from the private sector and include the Enterprise Agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, Local Authorities, Regional Assemblies, higher and further education bodies and others. The plans also complement Our Rural Future, the whole-of-government framework to develop rural Ireland in the coming years.

Because of their regional nature, the Plans bring a focus and collaborative effort to address specific regional ecosystem gaps and act on the strengths and opportunities unique to each region, adding value to and complementing the ongoing work of the individual enterprise agencies and development bodies in the region.

The South-East Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 includes the following Strategic Objectives:

1: Start and Grow - Encouraging entrepreneurship and enhancing the region’s start up ecosystem.

2: Green Growth - Ensuring that the green economy becomes an engine for future job creation and economic growth in the region.

3: Smart Specialisation - The principles of smart specialisation and clustering are critical for the region to create a resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and competitive economy.

4: Innovation - Building on our existing RD&I capacity to place innovation at the heart of the South-East economy.        

5: Place - Developing a region that is attractive to both domestic and international visitors and communicating the benefits of living and working in the South-East.

South-East Regional Enterprise Development Fund and Regional Enterprise Transition Scheme funded projects

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