Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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522. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will undertake a review of enterprise and grant supports to ensure they are accessible to sole traders, family-run businesses, and employers operating in non-traditional or flexible work models, particularly in regional towns like Dungarvan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23401/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), based within the 31 Local Authorities, are the first stop shop for local businesses in Ireland. In the first instance LEOs provide a signposting service for all government supports available to all small businesses including sole-traders and family-run businesses and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under agreed protocols e.g. Revenue, Micro Finance Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, LEADER, and Enterprise Ireland.

LEOs provide training and advice on entrepreneurship and helping businesses to start, grow and deal with the challenges of running a business. LEOs support job creation and provide accessible high-quality supports for small businesses. Aside from business supports, LEOs contribute to the development of economic strategies such as the Local Economic and Community Plans and ensure that an enterprise perspective is brought to bear on various Local Authority and regional plans and frameworks.

The Local Enterprise Office Policy Statement outlines how LEOs will adapt to contribute to the implementation of five of the priorities of the White Paper on Enterprise – decarbonisation, digitalisation, increasing exporters, enabling the locally traded sector to thrive, and stepping up enterprise innovation.

Action 4 of the Policy Statement commits to a review of all existing LEO schemes, with consideration to be given to the eligibility criteria, and where identified, that schemes will be simplified and rationalised to ease the administrative burden on small businesses. This action also commits that any new programmes introduced will be based on common eligibility criteria to ensure consistency across the LEO network of supports offered and to make navigation easier for businesses

Local Enterprise Offices act as a catalyst for economic development by driving collaboration with the broader enterprise ecosystem at the local level. A full review of the supports offered through the Local Enterprise Offices will commence later this year with the evaluation informing future changes and improvements to LEO schemes.