Laois enterprise park in Portlaoise gets €1 million boost

The Junction 17 National Enterprise Park in Laois is getting a €1 million boost from a fund that is set to see Laois County Council getting nearly €4 million to prepare a regional enterprise plan for the Midlands.

The money has been allocated as part of a new €18 million package for 15 projects in the Midlands that will receive grant awardsfrom the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) programme.

The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications says all of the awarded projects will invest in local communities, to create employment and to diversify the local economy of the Midlands region. They range from innovation and community hubs to a range of education and training programmes, and from green energy projects to heritage initiatives.

Laois County Council has spearheaded the development of the Enterprise Park which is located off the M7 motorway on Portlaoise's outskirts. It purchased the land for the park and has invested heavily in road and other infrastructure to attract business to set up in the county town.

The Council says the Park is focused on heavy, light and ICT industry, trade warehousing, distribution, logistics and other uses associated with the transport industry.

A number of companies have already located there including Leprino Foods, an US firm that makes mozzarella cheese. Kirby Engineering, Aubren and Midlands Steel are other firms locating there.

Meanwhile, the local authority has been awarded €3,992,882 to prepare the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition. This will be a regional initiative for counties that are the focus of the Just Transition process.

The Department said projects have been selected through a competitive process under the EU Just Transition Fund Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme, administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department, which seeks to support the implementation of bottom-up local and regional strategies. Successful projects needed to demonstrate close alignment with locally-led Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) and Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs).

Ireland’s EU Just Transition Fund programme is targeted at the wider Midlands region as it transitions away from peat extraction for energy use.  MORE BELOW PICTURE.

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan commented on the projects approved for funding under the scheme.

“It is imperative that communities and workers who are most affected by the shift to a carbon neutral future are provided with targeted supports to address the social and economic impact of the transition.

“The changes we need to make have to be just, ensuring that the needs of people and planet are supported. This scheme will help communities across the Midlands to maximise the opportunities and benefits of the green economy by harnessing and supporting the implementation of bottom-up local and regional strategies. This will help build new economic strength and identity for the region while also supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy,” he said.

Clare Bannon, Acting Director of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), also welcomed the announcement.

"It is a significant milestone for the EU JTF Programme as this scheme is the first of its kind in Ireland in its approach to funding local and regional economic strategies, designed to put local authorities and communities at the centre of the delivery of the EU JTF in Ireland. These selected projects highlight the ingenuity and locally-conceived ideas that have the potential to make a lasting impact on the wider Midland region. We also extend our gratitude to all the applicants for their submissions, which have shown dedication to the opportunity that exists in the region,” she said.

Councillor Kate Feeney, Cathaoirleach of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, remarked:“The selection of these projects under the innovative EU JTF Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme is a transformative moment for the Irish Midlands. By bringing support directly from the EU to the local level where it is needed the most, the selected initiatives will foster growth and drives sustainable development for the communities in the region for years to come.”

Pobal CEO, Anna Shakespeare said:  “Pobal is delighted to be working with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly on the EU Just Transition Fund to support the implementation of these very exciting projects within the midlands. These diverse projects demonstrate a tangible investment in the development of local communities, building skills, generating employment and supporting the economic diversification of the midlands region as they transition to a low carbon economy. Pobal recognises the value of this fund and are proud to support it. We look forward to working with all stakeholder organisations in the region to make this scheme a success.”

The Department said Local and Regional Economic Strategies Support Scheme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund programme 2021-2027 which supports the workers and communities most negatively impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy by supporting the development of sustainable and resilient communities in the Midlands.