Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I can see that she is frustrated but I want to be honest. I have pushed this policy but I must be careful. As a representative of a rural constituency, Deputy Connolly must understand this - social enterprise is brilliant. It creates employment and any profits are put back into the businesses involved. However, I must be careful not to upset the community sector. I have to be fair to my Department and my officials. We have put a lot of work into this in the last several months. We have had a lot of consultations with the community sector, the social enterprise sector and the voluntary sector because I want to get it right. I do not want the community sector to be affected in any way. Deputy Connolly can understand that. Social enterprise is very good because it creates employment in sectors and areas where the private sector will not. I am a believer in social enterprise, but I must put on the record that I support the community sector. There are many areas in this country, such as west Galway, south Galway, west Mayo and south Mayo, where in the absence of the voluntary sector the services it provides would not be provided by the councils, the State, the HSE or anybody else. That is why I have to be careful to get this right, and I intend to do so. We are nearly there. This will be published very shortly.

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