Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The LEOs work. They are a resource where people want to start a business, but there is progression in the way a company moves on. The LEOs work with all start-up companies. They also work with sole traders. If one compares the numbers of jobs created by LEOs last year with the results for the year before, there is a probably a reduction in some areas because some of those businesses progressed to being Enterprise Ireland clients. LEOs give advice on progress from the starting point. That is the way the LEOs are set up, so that business can move on to the next stage, which is Enterprise Ireland.

Enterprise Ireland has the resources to deal with companies with more than 15 employees.

If the Deputy is aware of a company that wants to progress further and that is of the view that it is done with the LEOs - in other words, it feels further progress cannot be made - then I believe its role is to go further with Enterprise Ireland. If the company has any problems with doing so, the Deputy can contact us with the details. I admire companies that grow all of the time and that is the whole reason for progression. That is why LEOs like to see companies move out of its remit and on to Enterprise Ireland, which will give advice about skills and anything else in order that companies might progress.