Press release
Ministers English and Humphreys launch North-East Regional Enterprise Plan for Cavan, Louth and Monaghan
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, was joined by Minister for Social Protection and Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, at the Cavan Digital Hub today as they launched the North-East Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) to 2024.
The North-East Plan, covering counties Cavan, Louth and Monaghan 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 Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, outlined the importance of the plan, saying:
"I am delighted to be in Cavan today to launch the North-East Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024. Congratulations to Richard Hanlon, Chair of the North-East Steering Committee, Caroline Brady, North-East Programme Manager and all the Committee members for their work in delivering this ambitious plan.
"Throughout 2021, I had the pleasure of working with Richard and the Committee during the development of the plan and am delighted to see the final product. The North-East Plan contains five agreed ‘Strategic Objectives’ for enterprise development, accompanied by time-bound actions that deliver the objectives. The funding announced will allow the region pursue this ambitious plan and I look forward to working with Richard and the Steering Committee through to 2024."
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.
Minister for Social Protection and Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, also welcomed the plan saying:
"I am a strong supporter of the Regional Enterprise Plans, and how they encourage regional collaboration as a means to further new opportunities in the regions.
"As a native of the North-East, I am delighted to be here today. This new plan will build on the positive collaboration achieved through the previous versions. They also take account of the changed economic circumstances nationally, the emergence of new challenges to enterprise development and competitiveness, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit and ensure balanced economic advancement across the regions in Ireland."
Chair of the North-East Regional Steering Committee, Richard Hanlon said:
"I am delighted that Minister English and Minister Humphreys are here today to launch the North-East Regional Enterprise Plan.
"Following in-depth regional consultation we have produced a plan that is focused around themes of importance to our region’s stakeholders, particularly around digitalisation, climate action and focusing on key existing and emerging sectors in the North East. I must thank the Steering Committee members across counties Cavan, Louth and Monaghan for their time and commitment to the plan and I look forward to engaging with you all as we move to implementation stage."
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 North-East Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 includes the following Strategic Objectives:
| Region | County |
| Midlands | Offaly |
| Laois | |
| Westmeath | |
| Longford | |
| North-East | Louth |
| Cavan | |
| Monaghan | |
| North-West | Donegal |
| Sligo | |
| Leitrim | |
| Mid-East | Kildare |
| Meath | |
| Wicklow | |
| West | Galway |
| Mayo | |
| Roscommon | |
| Mid-West | Clare |
| Limerick | |
| Tipperary | |
| South-East | Carlow |
| Kilkenny | |
| Waterford | |
| Wexford | |
| South-West | Cork |
| Kerry | |
| Dublin | Dublin |
| Project | REDF funding | BEDF funding | RETS funding | Project description |
| Monaghan County Enterprise Board | €202,800 | n/a | n/a | Development of a regional Food Centre of Excellence - creating collaborations in the food sector supporting Food Product Development |
| Focused Engineering Network DAC | €250,000 | n/a | n/a | North-East Engineering Cluster to safeguard and further develop the engineering sector |
| Bioconnect Innovation Centre CLG | €4,976,880 | n/a | n/a | Office, Lab and Biotechnology Research Capabilities to support company biotechnology research. biotechnology focussed research |
| DkIT Connect Designated Activity Company | €3,774,337 | n/a | n/a | Research and innovation institute of excellence in Connected Health and Wellbeing |
| Monaghan County Enterprise Fund | €577,960 | n/a | n/a | A digital hub with co-working space and training/mentoring provision to support SMEs |
| Creative Spark CLG | €500,000 | n/a | n/a | Workspace and training facilities for start-ups and established enterprises providing digital fabrication hardware and software. |
| Creative Spark CLG | n/a | €269,408 | €270,656 | Start-up and business support in a town-centre co-working space in Dundalk |
| Dundalk Institute of Technology | n/a | €254,877 | n/a | The ATHENA STEM Project to build a critical mass of female STEM entrepreneurs and business managers |
| Louth County Council | n/a | €587,747 | n/a | Drogheda Digital Innovation Hub (DDIH) for high-potential tech projects seeking to start and grow. |
| Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Training Centre of Excellence(Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB)) | n/a | €4,499,829 | €1,436,000 | Advanced Manufacturing & Technology Training Centre of Excellence in Dundalk |
| Irish Wood and Furniture Manufacturing Network CLG | n/a | €312,320 | n/a | National network to initiate, promote and nurture collaboration across the wood, furniture and joinery manufacturing sector. |
| National Data Platform Designated Activity Company | n/a | €609,584 | n/a | Digital Innovation Hub for cluster activity in Agrifood and engineering using Artificial Intelligence, Coding, Machine Learning and Edge Computing. |
| Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board | n/a | €2,035,613 | n/a | Further Education Training Centre for training and development of Supply Chain, Logistics and Procurement sectors. |
| Total | €10,281,977 | €8,569,378 | €1,706,656 | TOTAL FUNDING: €20,558,011 |
| Project | REDF funding | BEDF funding | RETS funding | Project description |
| Leitrim County Enterprise Fund | €1,284,000 | n/a | n/a | 3 Digital innovation Hubs including centre in Cavan town. |