Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I repeat my request that he make a particular appeal to the finance houses to support small and medium sized enterprises, because they are not doing so adequately at the moment. I am very glad that the Minister mentioned workspaces and enterprise centres. For years, I have been tabling parliamentary questions to the Minister’s predecessors in regard to the need to adequately support local authorities or voluntary organisations in developing workspaces. In the two counties I represent, we have seen the growth of firms that went into a small workspace in the enterprise sector. Some of them are multinational firms today. Adequate supports should be provided to local authorities to at least acquire sites, develop them and put the accommodation in place.

There is a great return for the Exchequer on such an investment. Local authorities, like those in Cavan and Monaghan, have a fairly small rates base. They do not have the funding to support all the enterprises that we would wish to support as local authorities and public representatives.

The schemes that are in place at present, supported by Enterprise Ireland and other agencies, are not adequate to ensure that we develop more workspace and enterprise centres in our towns and villages. There is a demand for that workspace. I have received a number of inquiries in my county town of Cavan where there are small enterprises that need larger spaces but cannot afford to develop the space themselves. There is no space available, unfortunately. It is an area that I would like to see addressed.

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