Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 28: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to implement a programme of affirmative action and other support for businesses and enterprises with particular focus on redressing the imbalance in gender, regional, rural and social participation and start-ups operating in the Irish language; the mechanisms of proposed plans; the dates on which these will be effected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15627/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The County and City Enterprise Boards are the principal government agencies at local level with responsibility for enterprise promotion and micro business development. The key objectives of the Boards are to stimulate and promote local enterprise culture and entrepreneurship and to assist new business start-ups and the expansion and growth of existing small business.

The Enterprise Boards pursue these objectives by providing a number of crucial services to businesses and individuals across a diverse range of sectors, including a business information service, business mentoring, business consultancy, business training programmes, and various business networking opportunities. Financial assistance may, subject to some conditions, also be offered to assist with business start-up or business expansion.

The fact that the Boards operate at the local level throughout the country means that their interventions are targeted at assisting businesses, and those who are planning to establish businesses, in local communities including those in rural areas. In this way, the CEBs are making a significant contribution to ensuring balanced regional development.

Women, who are currently under-represented in the labour force and in business ownership, are significant beneficiaries of the interventions delivered by the CEBs representing, for example, some 60% of participants on CEB organised training events. In addition to their mainstream activities, the CEBs also provide some dedicated interventions aimed at women such as their support for Women in Business networks that operate throughout the country.

Enterprise supports in the Gaeltacht areas are provided by Údarás na Gaeltachta, which comes under the aegis of my colleague, Minister Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.