Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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One of the drawbacks of speaking last is that one runs out of time and nobody remains to listen. As they say, that is politics. They will say that they are in their offices.

First and foremost, I welcome the fact that it is local enterprise week. It is a very positive time for businesses. I also wish to acknowledge the 31 local enterprise offices, LEOs, across the 31 local authorities that do enormous work on enterprise. The LEOs are very positive in respect of promoting entrepreneurship, fostering business, encouraging start-ups, assisting microbusinesses, medium businesses and small enterprises. It is most important work. I believe that the local enterprise offices have been in place for approximately 14 years, certainly a good number of years, during which time they have gone from strength to strength, which is positive. LEOs provide advice and information and support local business start-ups. They help to increase job potential in all communities, as well as developing and supporting existing businesses. That is also positive. LEOs support businesses and innovation in order to develop, expand and further develop their markets. That is another important aspect.

Speaking of LEOs, I had thought that I would be speaking to Leo, that is, the Tánaiste today, who is ultimately the Minister with responsibility for this area but I do understand that he is attending an online link-up as part of the promotion of local enterprise week. I wish the Tánaiste and his Department well with those link-ups today. They are an important aspect of his work and Ministry. I am particularly pleased that he is engaging online with new and young entrepreneurs this morning, as local enterprise week is launched.

This Commencement matter concerns microenterprise, and the important aspects of developing small to medium enterprises that have a green agenda. It is possible to have sustainable industry, business and development, while also having profitable business, development and enterprises. The task for all of us is to deliver that synergy, fusion and merging, not of conflict, but the merging of those important competing and compatible interests. First, I would like to hear more about the pilot schemes. It will be important that those pilot schemes are put in place right across the country and not just in the south east. I am aware that there are some operating in the midlands, as well as other parts of the country.

I will finish by stating that green entrepreneurship has the potential to be a catalyst for positive change. That synergy of sustainability and profitability is extremely important. There is a new generation of environmentally-conscious people who want to see business done in a different and sustainable way. As someone from a rural constituency himself, the Minister of State will be aware of the importance of agri-enterprise and artisan food enterprise, and the synergy that can be achieved between sustainability and profitability. I will leave it at that. At some point in the future, the Tánaiste should come to the House to discuss this issue. He made many pronouncements last week about the startling unemployment figures. We must start again, in many places, in respect of building new jobs. I would appreciate it if the Tánaiste could organise and schedule himself to come to the Seanad to debate the issue of enterprise.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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First, the Tánaiste sends his apologies to the House. He is attending a virtual event this morning as part of local enterprise week. I attended a virtual event this morning with the LEO in Donegal, "Spring Back, Step Forward", which focused on building resilience in the companies it supports.

It is an opportune time for the Senator to raise this issue this morning. The local enterprise week is a huge opportunity for small and microenterprises to learn about the variety of programmes and initiatives that are there for them, many of which are targeted at helping companies to respond and adjust their business models as a result of the twin challenges of Covid-19 and the post-Brexit environment, as well as the global challenge of climate change.Over the next week or so local enterprise offices will host more than 200 online learning and networking events for SMEs. The "making it happen" theme focusses on key areas for small business survival, recovery, growth and opportunity. Common themes include diversification, sustainability, resilience, the green economy, competitiveness, internationalisation and digitalisation.

I am pleased to report the LEO’s "green for micro” initiative is being extended nationwide and was officially launched today to mark the start of local enterprise week. It is now a mainstream programme which is being rolled out by the LEO network nationwide and will provide small businesses with tailored expert advice on how to drive sustainability in their operations.

Sustainability is often quite a theoretical concept and many small businesses simply do not know where to start. Therefore, under this initiative, qualifying enterprises will access two days of intensive mentoring, including a sustainability audit and action plan, designed to help green the business and practical guidance on how to make businesses more sustainable. It does not just make sense from an environmental perspective, it also makes business sense. The primary objective of the green for micro programme is to help prepare small businesses for the low carbon, more resource efficient economy of the future. The programme is free to participants and is available to companies with up to ten employees, as is generally the case with LEO programmes.

Greening the economy and climate change actions give rise to economic opportunities while posing cost and other challenges for business. Many businesses will require support to make investments to decarbonise as the level of regulation increases. This programme is making a contribution towards those aims. Our enterprise agencies have integrated these objectives into their strategies and programmes. IDA Ireland has used its new strategy for 2020 to 2024 to integrate decarbonisation objectives fully across its clients and other relevant stakeholders. Enterprise Ireland will expand its green start, green plus and environmental aid programmes to a larger cohort of its clients and will have an increased emphasis on decarbonisation. Enterprise Ireland is also working towards the launch of a €10 million green enterprise fund in the coming weeks. My Department is also developing a one-stop shop online tool which will help inform and guide SMEs which wish to begin their decarbonisation journey, calculate their carbon footprint and access information on the Government programmes to assist them. This is due to be launched next July.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State and welcome today's announcement that the green for micro scheme will be extended around the country. Green ventures at community level should be promoted in line with sustainable development. The old proverb comes to mind that great oak trees from little acorns grow. That is true. Great enterprise starts with simple thoughts and loads of enthusiasm and energy. We must continuously and imaginatively support small enterprises in our communities for there lies the future in terms of sustainable rural Ireland and in terms of jobs and the economy in towns and villages.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Responding to climate change can seem like an enormous, insurmountable challenge. However, like any business response, it begins with breaking it down into small actionable steps. The programme for Government commits to a 7% average yearly reduction in the overall greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade combined with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill which commits us in law to move to a climate resilient and climate neutral economy by 2050.We are determined and we are working towards this. This is a step to help our small and microbusinesses on their journey as they move towards a more green operation.

The Government is very supportive of small and microbusiness. We established the SME task force, made up of key stakeholders from a Government or State perspective, people who have made and created jobs, captains of industry and entrepreneurs. There are now objectives the Government is prioritising and working through with the implementation group to ensure small businesses have the support they require. I agree wholeheartedly with Senator Boyhan that we need these small indigenous businesses in urban and rural areas throughout the country to support much-needed jobs. As a Minister of State in the Department, I am determined to ensure the right policies are there to support our small and microenterprises.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. We are ending on a positive note.