Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh chuile duine go dtí an seisiún deireadh ó thaobh phlé ar chomhlachtaí beaga agus meánmhéide na tíre. The witnesses are all welcome to this third session in our review and analysis of small and medium enterprises in Ireland. The committee intends to draw up a White Paper that will pull together all the key strands of thinking in this area to help create a coherent strategy on the development and growth of SMEs in Ireland. Rural and regional area are very important. Small and medium enterprises are the key factor in sustaining rural areas because they give people a job. The support provided by the organisations represented today is vital in helping people remain in rural Ireland. While achieving growth in our cities is good, it is not in their best interests, by a long shot, to focus on them and allow rural Ireland to decline and decay. The witnesses' work is critical and their feedback to the committee is essential for the creation of a national uniform strategy for small and medium enterprises. They have already made valuable written contributions, which we have collated. The information they will share with the committee will add to that body of work. We hope to publish the report towards the end of January or in early February.