Efforts to reform enterprise boards

ENTERPRISE Minister Batt O’Keeffe has proposed swingeing changes to the 35 county enterprise boards (CEB) in an attempt to fully exploit cost-cutting plans.

Speaking at the North Cork Enterprise Board in Mallow, the senior cabinet member said the move was unavoidable in “the context of the recommendations of the McCarthy report” and the ongoing financial crisis.

Under proposals to be brought before Government in the coming weeks, Mr O’Keeffe has called for a detailed restructuring of the 35 separate bodies.

These plans include:

- Reductions in costs caused by separate auditing and staff recruitment from each CEB.

- A “rebalancing of staff complements”.

- Reducing administrative and overhead costs.

- And whether some of the 35 CEBs should either be merged or cut entirely.

“The performance of the small business sector is an important contributor to the overall quality of life and standard of living in this country,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

“CEBs play a crucial role in supporting entrepreneurship and in supporting growth and productivity in micro-enterprise.

“Their local focus and agile ability to respond quickly to local needs is a key aspect of the service which they provide.

“[But] in the context of the recommendations of the McCarthy report and continuing pressures on the public finances and staffing resources, I am evaluating the appropriateness of the current structures of the 35 CEBs,” he said.

The minister has also raised questions over the value of having separate legal structures for all CEBs in terms of staff levels, resource maximisation, general corporate governance issues and the creation of national standards across the networks.

He said “the time is now right” to examine the existing system.