Hynes defends council’s role in attracting enterprise

Anton McNulty

Mayo County Council and the IDA have a ‘positive working relationship’ according to the Council’s Chief Executive who commented that they hope to announce good news in the ‘not too distant future’.
Chief Executive Peter Hynes made the comments at last week’s monthly meeting of Mayo County Council after Westport councillor Peter Flynn questioned if the Council were trying to copy the work of the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, instead of looking after key infrastructure in the county.
His comments followed a presentation by John Magee of the Mayo Local Enterprise Office who explained that in the past year the Local Enterprise Office paid out €475,353 in grants to small micro-enterprises and €239,120 in training and mentoring.
Cllr Flynn commented that while his experience of the enterprise office were positive he felt the council should concentrate on delivering the infrastructure to support business.
“One area I struggle sometimes in terms of enterprise is the role of Mayo County Council versus the role of the IDA. At times we have to make sure we are not the IDA and let the IDA do their job and we as the council do our job as a local authority.  
“We have to make sure the key infrastructure, the roads, footpaths and lighting, is something we have to continue to get right. We should have all our energy in making sure that [good] quality of life is to the fore and not get caught up in thinking we are the IDA or Enterprise Ireland or anything else,” he said.

First point of call
Mr Magee later replied that the Local Enterprise Office is often the first point of call for small businesses in Mayo before they go to Enterprise Ireland. He denied they were undermining the role of the IDA and claimed the state agency was ‘appreciative of the work we are doing’.
He was supported by Mr Hynes who said that the Council and the IDA often work collaboratively in delivering employment to the county.
“We have in the past five or six years developed a relationship where we work collaboratively [with the IDA]. Many firms who have come through this county in the last four or five years, we would be part of their itinerary. In one in particular we have put a lot of work into it and hope to see good news out of it in the not too distant future.
“We would have been the main drivers of the local liaison once the IDA made the introduction. We have a very good positive working relationship with the IDA and we are an asset and a resource which they use occasionally, not in all cases, and occasionally we use them,” he said.
Mr Hynes also referenced an article in The Irish Times about a couple who left life commuting to and from Dublin to settle and work from their home in Ballinrobe. He said it was a parable of what they are trying to promote through the Local Enterprise Office.
“It goes to the heart of why we need to change the narrative which until recently was from the Dublin perspective of why would you be mad enough to move to Mayo. The narrative needs to be why would you be mad enough not to try and do business anywhere other than in Mayo,” added Mr Hynes.