John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The report will be launched today. It is a good document which contains inputs, ideas and recommendations which will make a valuable contribution to the development of the Government's national entrepreneurship policy statement which the Minister will shortly bring to the Government for consideration and approval. Many of the forum's recommendations fall within the responsibility of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and will be immediately assessed. Some of the 69 recommendations contained in the report are good. Others fall within the remit of other Departments. The Minister is consulting the Ministers concerned.

A feasibility and operational assessment is required to facilitate informed decision-making on the recommendations and their suitability for inclusion in the forthcoming national entrepreneurship policy statement. The Action Plan for Jobs 2013 is about entrepreneurship, in respect of which new local enterprise offices, LEO, are being established. Many of the recommendations, including those in relation to mentoring pools of talent, encouragement of developments in third level colleges and collaboration, are well suited to the roll-out of the local enterprise offices in each county. Many of these recommendations will not impact financially on the State and will be assessed by the Minister.

I thank Mr. Sean O'Sullivan and the forum for their outstanding report. Many of its recommendations which have been arrived at from a thinking outside the box perspective apply across government and will be closely monitored and assessed. Those that can be implemented will be implemented quickly.

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