Dáil debates

Wednesday, 9 October 2019

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Local Enterprise Offices

10:10 am

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have to emphasise the importance of the 31 local enterprise offices around the country, which have played a significant role in our economic recovery. Some 98% of enterprises in the country are SMEs and they employ nearly 70% of the working population, a figure which is even higher for microenterprises. What is important about the regions that they drive job creation, not just in counties and regions, but in every community. We continue to support the LEOs and I believe there has been a 30% increase in their funding since I became Minister of State in 2016. That will continue and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has already referred to the loans announced yesterday in budget 2020 for Microfinance Ireland and a further €5 million in grants for the LEOs.

We are monitoring the situation closely. In preparation for Brexit, we have had a lot of meetings throughout the country and mentoring is going on all the time with the LEO companies. It is interesting to note the number of microenterprises that have gone from being a LEO enterprise to being an Enterprise Ireland company. The LEOs are extremely important because they create jobs in every county. Last year, they created 3,700 net jobs and I believe that with the funding in place this year through the €2.5 million LEO competitive fund, this will attract more entrepreneurship and more start-ups to compete for that funding and to build on that success.

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