Offaly Local Enterprise Office praised by local TD

To mark National Local Enterprise Week this week, Offaly Fine Gael TD, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has highlighted the very positive results by the Offaly Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland to generate and support job creation here in Offaly during National Local Enterprise Week.

“Nearly €1 million was invested by Offaly Local Enterprise Office in 2017 for the purposes of supporting local enterprises, which are the lifeblood of the local economy. The Local Enterprise Office is the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and various other supports to budding entrepreneurs to help them start or grow their own business," she said.

“I was delighted to secure confirmation last month that the number of people on the live register in Offaly has now decreased by 1107 since February 2017. This is great news and represents an annual reduction of 18% in the number of people out of work in the county. Our recovery is being felt right across Ireland. 9 out of every 10 new jobs created in the last year were outside Dublin."

“It was very encouraging to see Enterprise Ireland supported companies in Offaly receive over €1.4 million representing the highest level of financial support across the 4 Midlands counties. Enterprise Ireland provides sector specific support and advice to manufacturing and internationally traded service companies and they are a hugely important source of employment and job creation here in Offaly," Marcella added.

“I have been assured by my colleagues in Government that the focus this year will be to ensure that Irish businesses are encouraged and supported to innovate and diversify to respond to threats emerging from Brexit.”