Tag Archives: Clare Local Enterprise Office

Deputy English praises the hard work of Clare LEO for supportive role THE “determination of the indigenous SME sector to succeed in the Mid-West” has been praised by a Minister of State on a visit to Clare. Damien English, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, met with the Clare Local Enterprise Office (LEO), as part of a series of nationwide visits to meet the LEO teams and engage with some of their client companies. Minister English said, “The Local Enterprise Office in Clare have worked hard with businesses across the county over the past 18 months and have continued to offer exceptional services such as mentoring, training, upskilling and financial supports during the pandemic. “I am grateful to Padraic McElwee and the LEO team for helping local firms stay afloat and protecting local job opportunities, and especially for their commitment in assisting businesses to make the transition to online trading. “People have shown that by ‘Looking for Local’ …

  UPGRADING works costing an estimated €5,000 were completed in Clare Crusaders’ Barefield clinic to ensure it has a high standard of compliance with Covid-19 infection control procedures. Walls and floors were cleaned and repainted during extension renovations following the closure of the clinic last March due to Covid-19 restrictions. Clinic manager, Councillor Ann Norton confirmed a lot of improvement works have been completed to ensure the place is clean, tidy and health, and to ensure safety measures are up to a high standard for the return of parents and children. While the clinic has applied for a number of re-start grants to help defray the cost of complying with Covid-19 regulations, Councillor Norton admitted the absence of any official sanction is extremely “frustrating”. “Irrespective of whether we are a charity, we still operate as a business and our staff pay PAYE, PRSI, USC and yet we getting nothing back for providing what is a free service. “There is very …

A NEW service for supporting Clare businesses has become operational in Ennis this week with hopes high that it will “harness innovation, grow businesses and create jobs locally.” The new Clare Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is based at Clare County Council’s headquarters, Áras Contae an Chláir and represents a major restructuring of state support for businesses which was previously delivered by county and city enterprise boards. Combining the resources of the Clare County Enterprise Board and Clare County Council’s business support unit, the Clare LEO is one of 31 LEOs around Ireland that is tasked with delivering services and support to businesses within a framework set by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and overseen by Enterprise Ireland. Mayor of Clare Councillor Joe Arkins said the Clare LEO will act as a “first-stop-shop” for small businesses throughout the county. He added, “I look forward to the newly operational LEO playing a leading role in stimulating enterprise development in Clare. …