Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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319. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when the report of the entrepreneurship forum will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2421/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Entrepreneurship is an explicit policy priority for Government and a key area of focus. In May 2013 I established an Entrepreneurship Advisory Forum to draft appropriate policy conclusions and recommendations aimed at supporting entrepreneurship and business start-ups. Membership of the Entrepreneurship Forum consisted of entrepreneurs and academics with representation also from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland. The Forum met six times over the summer and autumn of 2013, and was chaired by entrepreneur and investor Sean O’Sullivan.

The Report was presented to Government today and it will be launched later this week.

The rationale for establishing the Forum was to take suggestions and advice from people who have actually taken the entrepreneurial route, have direct experience of the challenges facing entrepreneurs and can provide a relevant insight into the responses needed in the current economic environment. The set of recommendations put forward by the Forum are a valuable contribution to work currently being undertaken in my Department to develop a National Entrepreneurship Policy Statement.