Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The thirty-five County & City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) are the principal initial point of contact for people seeking support in setting up a new business. Their role is to provide support to micro-enterprise in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs provide both financial and non-financial assistance.

The forms of financial assistance which are available, subject to certain restrictions, include Capital Grants, Employment Grants and Feasibility Study Grants.

Capital grants are available at up to a maximum of 50% of the cost of capital and other investment or €75,000, whichever is the lesser; a portion of the grant in excess of 40% (in the BMW Region) or 35% (in the S&E Region) to be in refundable form.

Employment grants are available in exceptional circumstances at a level of up €7,500 per new job at a maximum of 10 new jobs per project.

Feasibility study grants are available up to a maximum of 60% (in the BMW Region) or 50% (in the S&E Region) of the cost of a feasibility study and business plan subject to an overall limit of €6,350 (in the BMW Region) or €5,100 (in the S&E Region).

Non-financial assistance from the CEBs covers a wide range of competitively priced "soft support" Programmes. These include Start-Your-Own-Business Programmes, Management Capability and Development courses, Sales and Marketing courses, IT Skills training as well as the successful Mentoring Programme offered by most CEBs. Through the availability of an appropriate suite of both financial and non-financial supports the CEBs are central in assisting people to set up their own business as well as assisting existing small businesses to expand and grow.

I am confident that the current level of financial assistance available from the CEBs, to any individual intending to set up a new businesses, is appropriate and that, in particular, the range and quality of "soft supports" on offer is highly valuable to any potential entrepreneur the significance of which should not be underestimated.

I have made available over €22 million in 2007 to the CEB network to directly assist micro-enterprise in Ireland in both the start-up and the expansions phases. This is a significant level of state intervention and is separate to the interventions available from other State agencies, including Enterprise Ireland, who also have a role to play, albeit at different levels, in assisting entrepreneurial activity in Ireland.

I have also made available over €21m through the Community Enterprise Scheme for investment in community based business infrastructure. A first call for proposals issued recently and applications are presently being assessed by Enterprise Ireland.

Enterprise Ireland also manage the Seed and Venture Capital Scheme which provides an injection of €175m to support private venture capital funds investing in start-up and early stage companies. It is expected to leverage a further €1bn for investment.

Support of High Potential Start-Up companies is one of the key activities of Enterprise Ireland. These are start-up companies that have the potential to grow relatively quickly and build internationally. Enterprise Ireland assisted 150 such companies over the last two years.