Enterprise Boards dissolving gets underway

Fine Gael Meath West TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Jobs Committee, Damien English, has said that dissolving the City and County Enterprise Boards and replacing them with Local Enterprise Offices will help more businesses get off the ground. The reform is a key plank of the Action Plan for Jobs and will help to foster and support local enterprises. "Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Irish economy, and the Government wants to ensure they can access the support, information and advice that they need, at a convenient local level. We are essentially establishing a 'one-stop-shop' for small businesses in each local authority. This will mean that local knowledge can be combined with the expertise of Enterprise Ireland to give businesses the best possible start. "We can expect very swift progress on this. Early next month, a Centre of Excellence will be established in Enterprise Ireland for micro and small business supports. From January, Local Enterprise Offices will be set up in local authorities, providing local businesses with the expertise they need. "The aim of this reform is very straight forward; we want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to set up new businesses, and we want to make sure they survive. Small businesses employ over a third of all people working in Ireland today, which underlines just how important they will be in tackling our unemployment problem. "We are also aiming to increase the number of start-ups by women, and we want to increase exports by the micro and small business sector. Ireland's strong reputation as an exporting nation is well defined; so we are ensuring that small businesses get help and advice on how to enter export markets across Europe and further afield. "Supports for small businesses will now be delivered locally, across the country. This will ensure businesses have access to the best possible rang of supports at all stages of their development. We have been tasked with completely rebuilding the economy and reforming the way we do business on both a small and large scale. I am confident that this new network of Local Enterprise Offices will help harness innovation, grow businesses and create jobs." Fine Gael Meath West TD, Ray Butler, has encouraged businesses across Meath to make their views known on reforms to the supports provided to micro enterprises and the small business sector. Deputy Butler was speaking after the Government approved the drafting of legislation to dissolve City and County Enterprise Boards, which will be replaced by Local Enterprise Offices across the country. "I think this is a very positive reform in the context of small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. The Government wants to make sure local businesses have the necessary supports they need to get off the ground and make their enterprises a success. But we also want the views of those at the coalface, and for that reason a four week consultation period has been launched to get the views of businesspeople. "By dissolving the City and County Enterprise Boards, we are creating a 'one-stop-shop' at local level to provide businesses with the information, support and advice they need. The new Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), which will be launched from January, will combine the expertise of Enterprise Ireland with local knowledge on the ground. "A key step in this process will be the establishment, next month, of a Centre of Excellence in Enterprise Ireland for micro and small business supports. This will guide each of the LEOs, and will harness the knowledge of Enterprise Ireland on a range business aspects, such as exports, which currently may be lacking at local level. Staff from the existing Enterprise Boards will remain either in the local authority or in Enterprise Ireland, to ensure their expertise is not lost.