Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Micro-Enterprise and Small Business Unit: Discussion with EI, ISME and SFA

3:10 pm

Mr. Richard Murphy:

On the question of whether we would focus just on companies with export potential, the opposite is the case in that we would like to see the new LEOs embracing the wider audience of entrepreneurs. That could cover everything from, say, companies involved in catering, restaurants and retail. By embracing them, they could offer best in class training, customer service management, financial access in terms of accounts and so on. We have a focus that is inherited because of policy and EU rules in that there are certain companies that are eligible for the financial packages, and that will remain in place. Those are companies which, for reasons of state aid rules and displacement, must have the potential to trade internationally. That is only half the budget. The other half, which is for the development of companies, management and capability, should be broadened.

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