Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 177: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to increase the number of business mentors available to small and medium enterprises outside of the current schemes in operation by the State agencies under the aegis of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47178/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Enterprise Ireland runs a range of training programmes, including, inter alia, the Enterprise Ireland Mentor Network, to help Irish businesses develop business leadership, increase skills and enhance management capabilities within companies both large and small.

Under the Mentor Network Programme, new mentors are recruited on a client needs basis. The Network currently has over 170 active mentors. I am informed that the number of new mentors to be added in 2009 will be determined by client demand.

The Enterprise Ireland Mentor Network was set up in 1988, and has provided thousands of Irish companies across the sectors with tailored advice, guidance and support, helping them accelerate growth and build management capability. Enterprise Ireland has published a Best Practice Guide which incorporates elements of International Best Practice and ensures the Mentor service is delivered to a consistently high standard across the Network.

The Mentor Network carries out approximately 300 assignments a year for Enterprise Ireland clients and also for clients of the County Enterprise Boards. Mentors on the Enterprise Ireland Network are successful senior executives, entrepreneurs or owner managers who volunteer to advise clients based on their own business experience.

Each year the service develops in order to be able to assist Irish companies to meet the challenges and opportunities they face. In 2009 the services of the Mentor Network will be expanded to:

First Time Exporter clients of the County Enterprise Boards and Enterprise Ireland under the First Flight programme.

Mentors with significant experience of diverse economic conditions that can advise companies throughout 2009.

Mentors with experience in the high growth markets where new opportunities exist, e.g. Brazil, China, India, Russia and the Gulf States.

Enterprise Ireland is also leveraging the deep experience that exists within the mentor network through utilising the mentors as advisers on the International Selling Programme that will have between 75 and 90 companies participating next year.

Enterprise Ireland also has a number of senior executives in international markets that mentor and advise our client companies.

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 management and capability development or soft support 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. Over 143,000 people have participated on the various Management Development and Mentoring Programmes available from the CEBs since their inception in 1993 to end 2007.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will introduce a new health check scheme for small and medium enterprises similar to that recently introduced in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47179/08]

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The State development agencies under the aegis of my Department such as Enterprise Ireland, the County and City Enterprise Boards and FÁS provide financial and non-financial assistance to small and medium enterprises to assist in their development and growth. Business advice, mentoring and management capability and development programmes are provided as part of this assistance.

The UK health check system referred to by the Deputy is an on-line web based facility which enterprises may use to assist them to identify key areas of potential weakness in their businesses. Where such weaknesses are identified, individuals are generally directed to obtain specific advice and assistance. The UK facility is similar to the European Commission's "Vaccinate Your Business Against Bad Times" available to SMEs in all Member States, including Ireland, through the Commission's "European Portal for SMEs".

In view of the assistance already provided by the State development agencies, I have no plans to introduce a specific on-line web based facility similar to the UK. The agencies are already responding to the challenges presented by the current economic difficulties. The type of assistance from these agencies is kept under review and will be modified to reflect changing needs of enterprise.