Ms. Louise Ward, Head of Local Enterprise Office gave the members an update on the initiatives and events that the office is involved in during the year:

·         Affiliated to Trinno Inter Reg programme

·         12 Clients are utilising the 14 hot desk facilities available in ‘The Cube’.

·         Hosting this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day in Kilronan Castle in October.

·         GMIT Empower Programme

·         Showcase 2018 in the RDS in Dublin helped fill the order books of local participants

·         Student Enterprise in Elphin

·         Local Enterprise Week – 16 events held in March with 337 participants

·         Lamb Festival – craft and food displays

·         Blas na hEireann Festival in October

·         The ongoing involvement in the Ireland West International Trade centre Rhode Island and the success story of Padraic Cuddy in securing a contract with Amazon for his very successful product - ‘The Field’.

·         3 sites due to be sold at the Ballyboughan Industrial Park in coming months

·         Phase 2 of ‘An Chistin’  - Castlerea Food Hub development with innovation space applications due tomorrow

·         Participated in London Food Basket under Ireland West Food

·         Taste of Lakelands food festival in Ballyleague in October

·         Full Circle – Going North Initiative

·         Creative Ireland Programme

·         New Monksland Innovation Centre

·         Upper Shannon Future Economy Project with Cavan, Leitrim and Longford – 2 graduates to be placed in 2018

·         National launch of Mainstreaming Student Entrepreneurship under EU Erasmus + to take place here on July 6^th

·         Network Ireland – formal Roscommon branch of 27 members

·         Supporting iFactory West

·         Supporting ‘The Field’ at the National Ploughing Championships in September

·         Facilitating Online Trading vouchers

·         Supported 77 jobs in 2017

·         All work targets are measured and evaluated including mentoring, training programmes etc.

The members thanked Ms. Ward for her presentation and the work done by LEO in giving people opportunities to develop their businesses -

·         Members of the Athlone Municipal District approved the Part 8 for Monksland Innovation Centre and hope to see it completed within the next 12 months.

·         Bringing the Local Enterprise Office back under the stewardship of Roscommon County Council was a good move and an example of joined up thinking.

·         It is shameful that the government is not doing the work of bringing jobs to the county like Roscommon County Council are.

·         Hard to get apprentices and workmen as the unemployment figure is down from 20% to 6.1%. Need to encourage more young people to do trades.

·         The LEO is an active office connecting with people and the Rhode Island project is a wonderful concept

·         When will the Part 8 for the Roscommon hub be ready?

·         All of this work is very positive and awards give people confidence

·         GRETB have discussed apprenticeships and the school career guidance need to encourage more students to take this career path.

·         Anyone who has looked for help from LEO have been very happy with the response received.

Ms. Ward thanked the members for their comments and thanked the Management Team of the council for their ongoing support and the staff of the section for their customer service.