Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Tánaiste said, some of the local enterprise agencies are quite good but some of them are not so good. That is why we see a specific focus being needed on local SMEs and small companies. We believe the greatest potential for growth in the next few years is within our SME sector. SMEs are the priority when it comes to fostering indigenous industries and ensuring job creation. With that in mind, I again ask whether the Tánaiste and his Department will consider the establishment of an Industrial Development Authority, IDA, style agency or similar enterprise agency specifically focused on microbusinesses, workers' co-operatives and small and medium-sized enterprises so they have a body to advise them specifically, help them and advocate for them? The IDA has done a wonderful job, as has Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland, which is often forgotten. The latter agency has done really good work in recent years, creating and sustaining and keeping jobs going.

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