Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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527. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of progress of the national policy on social enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27875/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Rural Development includes a commitment to develop and publish a National Policy on Social Enterprise, which will encompass the full range of activity in the sector.  

In July 2017, my Department established a research partnership with the Social Finance Foundation for the purpose of carrying out targeted research and stakeholder engagement with the social enterprise sector to inform the development of the National Policy. 

To support this work a Steering Group was established, comprised of representatives of Government Departments, social enterprise practitioners and representatives of the sector, to oversee the conduct of the research.  In addition, a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process took place, involving regional workshops and an extensive online survey of social enterprises, all conducted in late 2017. 

The research outputs from this project are currently being finalised, and my Department has now begun the process of preparing the draft policy. My Department will undertake further consultation with relevant stakeholders in developing the policy. 

I anticipate that the National Policy on Social Enterprise will be published in the Autumn following this further consultation process.