Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I compliment the IDA. Following some work in Cork, a number of global companies came to the area. Recently, there were two announcements in Ballincollig. The companies were appreciative of the IDA's work in bringing them to Ireland, getting them set up, helping them with their skills requirements and attracting the right people. The IDA is doing a great job, although it probably needs a larger budget. There should also be a greater roll-out of properties, but I am sure that is on the way.

The Minister knows I have been interested in mentoring since the day I arrived in Dáil Éireann. The committee published a report on it in 2013, which recommended the establishment of a database of mentors in Enterprise Ireland, local enterprise offices, LEOs, etc. Hopefully, we will reach the stage of having an interconnected database from which people will be able to choose mentors and mentors will be able to communicate with one another and through which we will have a better understanding of what mentors deliver and the jobs they create. The technology to do this can be found on the shelf and is not expensive. This recommendation was included in the Action Plan for Jobs, so I am wondering how it stands.

Regarding some of Deputy Calleary's comments on community start-ups, I am sure he knows that Leader companies also have money for start-ups. They will roll out their funding in January. This does not fall under the remit of the Minister's Department, but that of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

We have worked on a series of events entitled "Start, Grow and Promote Your Business" around Cork North-West. A fundamental issue for an entrepreneur who is setting up a business is the enterprise allowance of €188 per week. To get it, one must be on social welfare. If a person has been made redundant and is claiming non-means-tested social welfare payments for nine months, he or she can transfer to the enterprise allowance. This is having an impact on the ground. Local enterprise development groups run feasibility studies and start-up programmes, which are beneficial to start-ups. While funding can pose a difficulty, the soft supports - giving people advice, mentoring and so on - are the main help for start-ups. I have often said this. There is a lot of soft support. Colleges are also doing a great deal of work in this regard through their No Frontier programmes and specialised female entrepreneurship programmes. Some of these are linked to types of finance - for example, small grants. We need a portal to see everything that is available, as it is difficult to go through it all.

I am concerned about the food industry, which is our fastest-growing sector. One of the greatest gaps in the sector is technical leadership training, which is not provided by Enterprise Ireland's leadership training because it does not qualify. I have with me a framework that I can discuss with the Minister later. It explains where the many gaps are in an agrifood business that is scaling and what is being provided by the State. Quite a few agencies provide the same service. One needs certification to export food.

As such, if there is one request, it is to look at this and to get Enterprise Ireland involved. Enterprise Ireland has a framework to deliver and laws under which it has to operate. This is something we could implement very quickly which would have a huge impact on the ground because, internationally, no one is doing this at the moment. There are people who are interested in doing it and it is certainly something we could look at.

I compliment Microfinance Ireland. I have been doing some work with it in some of the programmes I have been doing in north Cork. It is extremely helpful and doing great work on the ground. I am glad that is rolling out well. I do not know if it is possible, but if it is I ask that the €25,000 be increased in certain cases. Up to €50,000 might be beneficial for some people.