New enterprise centre for north Dublin

Tánaiste Mary Harney has officially opened the new premises of Northside Enterprise Centre in Coolock in North Dublin.

The centre, which comprises 22 units, has been constructed at a cost of €2.3 million. The centre is designed to maximise the provision of space for micro-enterprise start-ups and the provision of modern training and conference room facilities. It has been constructed to cater for modern hi-tech start up projects.

Current demand in the Coolock area indicates that there is a space requirement for the small enterprises in a number of sectors such as IT-based projects, light engineering, software development, printing, arts and crafts and training and consultancy.

At the opening, the Tánaiste said: "This centre is a response to the needs of Coolock and its environs and is aimed at fostering an enterprise culture in the area. The centre provides the sort of suitable workspace at competitive prices that is crucial to the growth of small business. Enterprise centres such as this facilitate job creation and add considerably to the area's capability to support enterprise development."

She added: "Community Enterprise Centres are important to local communities. They provide much needed enterprise space and can play a catalytic role in encouraging the development of new local businesses. Micro enterprises and small businesses constitute an important source of economic activity and employment. Therefore, it is important to ensure that our enterprises have the right conditions and the right incentives to enable them to be successful."

The Enterprise Centre forms part of an integrated development on one site. The site also accommodates various community projects including the City of Dublin VEC Youth Reach, North Side Counselling, North Side Partnership, Near FM Community Radio, St. Michael's House Day Care Centre, St. Michael's House Training Employment Unit and Bunratty crèche.

(CL)