Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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127. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures his Department has implemented to encourage entrepreneurial activity; the efforts in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29304/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government’s National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship in Ireland was launched in October 2014 and sets out the Government’s strategic objectives as a facilitator within the Irish entrepreneurship ecosystem, covering the six key elements that impact on entrepreneurs and startups, and signposts the direction that policy will take in the coming years. This Policy Statement represents the first time a Government has published a comprehensive national plan for entrepreneurship in Ireland. The key target contained in the plan is to double the jobs impact of start-ups in Ireland over the next five years. The National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship is the Government’s plan to deliver an ambitious but realistic increase in the numbers of start-ups in Ireland over the next five years. The Government has set out a vision for Ireland to be among the most entrepreneurial nations in the world and to be acknowledged as a world-class environment to start and grow a business. By driving implementation of the actions in the new National Entrepreneurship Policy Statement we will double the jobs impact of start-ups in Ireland over the next five years, from 93,000 currently.

I have established and chair an Implementation Group to drive delivery, oversee implementation and monitor progress on the 94 actions set out in the Policy Statement. This Group will also support my Department in seeking to identify and consider further initiatives to support the entrepreneurship agenda in Ireland.

Membership of this group is drawn from the enterprise development agencies, key central government stakeholders such as the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Finance, and most importantly entrepreneurs themselves.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2015 details a number of the immediate key actions to support the Government's ambition and confirms the commitment to continue to identify new approaches that will enhance and strengthen Ireland's entrepreneurial ecosystem and ultimately create jobs. Key actions are set out to expand reform measures to boost entrepreneurship across all areas of the economy and society.

A number of the key objectives to support entrepreneurship delivered in 2015 include:

- Launch of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs;

- Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2015 competition launched;

- Launch of the Startup Refunds for Entrepreneurs (SURE) scheme;

- Continue to promote LEOs as one stop shops for small business; and

- Develop an action programme of support for pre-investment HPSUs.

All actions related to entrepreneurship within the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 have been delivered on schedule under the quarter one update. The quarter two update has not been finalised yet, but there are no indications to suggest that any related actions are delayed. Considerable work has been undertaken in recent years to support entrepreneurs and startups and the actions identified in the National Entrepreneurship Policy Statement will strengthen existing supports.

No one policy intervention will generate substantial impact on the entrepreneurship ecosystem, but various actions if taken together will combine to create greater synergies. The overarching National Entrepreneurship Statement serves to co-ordinate all areas of Government policy in the area of entrepreneurship to drive these synergies and will deliver on the targets I referred to above.