Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he plans to provide additional funding to Enterprise Ireland, county enterprise boards and LEADER groups to enhance the indigenous entrepreneur sector. [31097/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recognises that an environment conducive to entrepreneurial activity that harnesses the abundant creativity of Irish entrepreneurs is critical to Ireland's economic future and national prosperity. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), benchmarks Ireland as one of the most entrepreneurial economies in Europe, ranking 3rd highest in the EU. The 2006 GEM report found that over 70% of those surveyed see entrepreneurship to be a good career choice with 44% of Irish adults perceiving good opportunities to establish a new business at present and 50% believing they have the necessary skills to successfully establish and run a new business. Entrepreneurs drive innovation, competitiveness and growth and are at the heart of economic activity and development in local communities and regional economies.

The transformation in Ireland's economic fortunes over the past decade has been little short of remarkable, including the creation of more than 700,000 new jobs. A significant factor in the improvement of Ireland's economic performance is the emergence of a genuine culture of entrepreneurship in Ireland — one which had never really existed before. All the economic signals from our major trading partners suggest the next period will be more testing than the conditions that we have experienced over the past number of years. However, Irish entrepreneurs and small business owners have faced difficult periods in the past and continually prove their resilience and determination. We aim to help entrepreneurs and start-ups by ensuring there is a comprehensive range of financial and non-financial supports provided by the State for entrepreneurs and start-up companies.

Insofar as 2008 is concerned, the Pre-Budget Outlook (PBO), published in October 2007, projected an increase of over €6m for Enterprise Ireland activities which focus on supporting High Potential Start Up companies (HPSUs) with the potential to export, comprehensive funding for R&D, driving growth and innovation capabilities and assisting major projects. In addition, CEB funding will be €32.2m. The funding will enable the CEBs to continue to deliver a wide-range of support programmes to the micro-enterprise sector with considerable success. It should be noted, however, that PBO projections are subject to revision.

Earlier this year, on foot of the recommendations contained in the Enterprise Strategy Group report Ahead of the Curve, Enterprise Ireland established a County Enterprise Board Coordination Unit in Shannon. The objective of this CEBCU is to provide a range of supports to the CEBs, which will ultimately impact on the future development of micro-enterprise. The supports to be provided include strategic, administrative, technical and financial support. Enterprise Ireland is also investigating ways to provide relevant CEB client companies with access to Enterprise Ireland programs designed to help them achieve export sales in new markets.

Last month, Forfás published its report "Towards developing an Entrepreneurship Policy for Ireland". The report sets out a profile of Ireland's entrepreneurial culture and a blueprint to drive increased entrepreneurial activity in Ireland. The Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is the national authority responsible for the administration of LEADER activity in Ireland and I have no function in the matter.