Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and would firstly advise that the young person in question makes contact in the first instance with their Local Enterprise Office in Tipperary to discuss the potential for support and advice for their business idea.

As you are aware, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) promote entrepreneurship, foster business start-ups, and develop existing micro and small businesses to drive job creation by providing accessible, high-quality supports.

The LEOs provide training and advisory programmes to small businesses, as well as acting as a ‘first stop shop’ for all firms to direct them to assistance available from Government Departments and agencies.

Subject to certain eligibility criteria, the LEOs can offer direct grant aid to businesses operating in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors following the business lifecycle of Pre-Start, Start and Grow. However, it should be noted that they cannot provide direct grant-aid to sectors such as retail, personal services, local professional services, construction/local building services, as it may give rise to the displacement of existing businesses in the locality.

The LEOs also provide high-quality business and management development programmes including the successful Start your Own Business Programme which assists entreprenuers in assessing the viability of their business idea and helps them decide if they should proceed or take a step back. Whether it is a new start up or growing an existing business there is something suitable for anyone exploring self-employment as an option or for those who are currently operating a business.