Are Dublin Enterprise Boards ripping people off for SYOB courses?

Barack Obama

I've done some research on Start Your Own Business courses in the Dublin region and the surrounding counties and I'm astounded with the variation in costs for these courses. Here are the fees as published on each CEB website -
Dublin City CEB - €150
DLR CEB - €200
Fingal CEB - €200
South Dublin CEB - €100
Kildare CEB - €80 (€40 if on the live register)
Meath CEB - €80 (€40 if on the live register)
Wicklow CEB - €80
Louth CEB - €100

To take a course in Dublin it will cost between €100 and €200. By comparison, to take one in a surrounding county it would only cost between €40 to €100. My own CEB (Dublin City) charge €150 for the course when the training is held in Mansion House, which they get for free from Dublin City Council, and FAS even carry out a portion of the training!

I'm very annoyed about this. Are these agencies trying to make money out of people at a time when they cannot afford it? It's common knowledge that these quangos have huge budgets, most of which is wasted on internal administration. The sooner these agencies are abolished\integrated, the better.

fishy21

i did the one in mansion house last year, i think it was pretty good value for 200. Theres not much course you'd get for that. All the course was done by a previously employee of fas.

bon ami

Would quality have anything to do with it. i.e. people delivering the course.