John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 45: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in view of the recent job loss trends in the small business sector, she will liaise with the county and city enterprise boards in order to initiate a direct marketing campaign with the aim of making small businesses more aware of the services available from CEBs that will help to alleviate business trading problems in time to ensure job levels are kept within small businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24072/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The role of the thirty-five County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) is to provide a source of support for micro-enterprise in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs provide a single point of contact at local level for new and established small businesses. The CEBs can support individuals, firms and community groups provided that the proposed projects have the capacity to achieve commercial viability. The CEBs continue to actively develop indigenous micro-enterprises throughout the regions.

A particular advantage of the CEB structure is their local base which enables them to act as one-stop shops to assist entrepreneurs with business start ups. The local orientation of the CEBs has been extremely effective in harnessing an entrepreneurial culture at local level. The CEBs are very active within their own localities and liaise with a range of community and business interests and in so doing they are able to increase an awareness of their services within their geographical remit. In addition the CEBs have, in recent years, significantly increased their national profile through the development of a generic branding logo, the development of a CEB network website and events such as the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Awards and the National Women's Enterprise Day.

The CEB Central Co-ordination Unit (CCU) was recently established within Enterprise Ireland (in the last quarter of 2007) to provide a level and range of strategic supports to the CEBs. These supports will ultimately enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the CEBs on the future development of micro-enterprise in Ireland. In fulfilling its role the CCU will identify and recommend to my Department procedures, programmes and interventions that will ensure a professional delivery of quality programmes across the CEB network. Potential new initiatives, such as the possibility of a direct marketing campaign, will be evaluated by the Unit in this context if such a need is identified. However all such initiatives will remain subject to the constraints of normal budgetary considerations.