Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 28: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the supports he will put in place to support businesses in crisis. [11323/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government's commitment to supporting business is evident from the range of initiatives outlined in the Action Plan for Jobs launched two weeks ago. The Plan tackles the issue of access to finance through a range of measures, such as the introduction of a microfinance fund to provide loans of up to €25,000 to micro-enterprises and the roll-out of the temporary partial credit guarantee scheme. At a most practical level my Department and Enterprise Ireland (EI) will be working closely with the banking sector to assist them in achieving a cultural shift in lending practices towards those companies and sectors that are crucial to economic growth.

In the area of procurement, the Plan includes practical measures such as the strengthening of EI's engagement between SMEs and procuring authorities and a new initiative to encourage contracting authorities to consider more innovative solutions to their procurement needs. EI will also have a crucial role in delivering many of the initiatives in the Action Plan for Jobs through delivering supports to drive sales and marketing capabilities, building Leadership and Management Capabilities, embedding Competitiveness Improvements, and providing financial supports. Under the Action Plan for Jobs, the micro-enterprise supports in Ireland will also be reshaped to put in place an improved enterprise support structure for small businesses throughout Ireland. EI will work with the Local Authorities to establish a new network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in each Local Authority, which will combine the enterprise support service of the previous CEBs and the business support work of the Business Support Units in the Local Authorities.

Good progress has also been made by my Department and its Agencies in reducing administrative burdens on business, with a reduction of over 23% already having been achieved. Work is continuing to identify new areas where administrative burdens on business can be reduced. I am also very encouraged by recent developments in the private sector such as the initiative launched by Chartered Accountants Ireland, which sees the its voluntary advice service extended nationwide. www.charteredaccountants.ie

I am confident that these types of private sector initiatives combined with the focus that this Government has brought to bear on the issues that are of particular concern for business, will yield real benefit to individual enterprises and the economy as a whole in the short to medium term.