Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegates, all of whom I know and have met many times over the years. Having served on an enterprise board for a number of years in a county that boasted of having a very successful board, I am pleased to welcome the delegates to hear their presentation. Many very successful businesses that have operated in my county, Galway, over the years got a start from the county enterprise board and grew large from being very small acorns. We are now in very difficult times so it is urgent to get the local enterprise offices up and running. The concepts of the one-stop shop and closer working relationships between Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities are very much to be welcomed.

I agree with the delegation that the icing on the cake would be to have the element of democratic accountability included. We will certainly talk to the Minister to determine whether there is an opportunity to have some element of representation or democratic accountability included in the legislation that is framed.

As Deputy Collins rightly stated, there is real urgency. In communities, small towns and villages, there is a feeling that small business has been neglected and that nothing is really being done to support and assist small businesses. In all our actions, we must do everything possible to ensure that whatever structure we put in place delivers the desired outcomes, supports small businesses and encourages entrepreneurs who have good ideas and the potential to create and grow employment.

The submission states 250,000 businesses employ fewer than ten people. If all those businesses could create one extra job, imagine what it would do for our economy. There are many people with ideas. There are considerable opportunities to grow small businesses if finance becomes available. There are considerable opportunities to create new start-up companies. We must consider manufacturing seriously because this is where the growth will be in the future. Many of the success stories of previous decades, in addition to existing manufacturing facilities, were started with help from the city and county enterprise boards.

I wish the delegates well. We will do everything possible to support their view on having democratic accountability embodied in the new local enterprise offices. We will try to tease out how that might actually work. I appreciate the delegates' submission and wish them continued success.