Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Tóibín says we are not allocating sufficient resources. The seed and venture capital scheme has €175 million of Exchequer funding. The NPRF will spend approximately €850 million, which will be available for investment in the Irish SME sector. The IDA has an allocation of €86 million for 2013. Its targets are set out in its Horizon 2020 programme. We have allocated €120 million to Enterprise Ireland. It has clear targets to support high potential start-ups. There are innovation programmes, new technology centres and spending on technology transfer within our universities. There is €69.5 million for enterprise supports. There are Graduates for International Growth, additional Lean programmes and engagement with 300 first time exporting companies. Local enterprise offices have been established at local level.

If Deputy Tóibín wishes to critique the Government's allocation of resources on each of those specific processes I would like to give more time to hammer it out with him and see where Sinn Féin thinks we should allocate more resources and taxpayers' money in creating jobs.

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