Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Martin Kenny talked about the co-operative movement. The Deputy needs to focus on the local enterprise offices, LEOs, which play an important role throughout the country in assisting companies to start up and entrepreneurs. In County Leitrim last year, they created 39 new jobs. I visited the LEO office in Carrick-on-Shannon at Leitrim County Council and I have seen for myself at first hand what it offers and the assistance it gives to help micro-enterprises, such as manufacturing companies and people with ideas up there. The Deputy himself can see the success of that in the brewing companies, the distillery companies and the food sector companies that have started off in that area. Small micro-enterprises are extremely important for regional areas where one will not get FDI. We can bring FDI companies into Ireland to have a look at counties such as Leitrim but in the end, where they want to set up is a decision for the company itself.

I take on board what Deputy Martin Kenny is saying but I ask him to acknowledge the work that is being done in Leitrim by the local enterprise offices, EI and IDA Ireland. The local enterprise offices have 101 clients participating in the mentoring programme.

See this speech in context