Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed because Wicklow has one of the very good local enterprise offices, which I visited recently. It is the one stop shop we have established, one of 31 across the country. That would be their first port of call. It is exceptionally well run and managed and would help the individual within the Bray Chamber of Commerce.

At national level, all three of us are involved in the taking care of business initiative to support access, and one of those events is taking place today in Dublin. The local enterprise office is the first port of call. It is a first stop shop where people can get access to all of that information.

We have developed and put in place protocols with the Revenue Commissioners, the Company Registration Office, and the Department of Social Protection if people are accessing the back-to-work allowance.

There are two websites also - the local enterprise office one which has all the supports that are available; and one of my Department's websites named businessregulation.ie. Those two websites give easy access to the relevant information but the local enterprise office is the first port of call.

The Deputy also asked about the process of setting up an operating company, which is being streamlined by the new Companies Bill which is at an advanced stage in its passage through the Oireachtas. It will greatly simplify matters by providing for a single founding statement, single director companies, lower audit thresholds and it will dispense with the need for a physical AGM.

The Companies Registration Office has reduced the time for registering a company from 15 to seven days. It is thus delivering an improved service.

We are also introducing an integrated licensing application service, so companies requiring licences can go to one portal. That system will be up and running in the course of the coming year.

My ambition is to make the process of starting a business as simple and clear as possible. The first-stop-shop is the high street location but behind that we are also making a lot of changes to adjust the system and make it more business-friendly, putting us in the position as one of the best places in Europe, or indeed the World, in which to start and grow a business.

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