Vol. 553 No. 6
117 Mr. Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the start-up grants available for a person who wishes to commence an electrical contracting business and who wishes to employ people who might be unemployed; and the details of the full ambit of grants that might be available in this regard from the various statutory authorities. [14963/02]
The assistance available for a person wishing to set up a business depends on individual circumstances. Contact should be made with the person's local county or city enterprise board which provides a comprehensive service for people interested in setting up small businesses.
The 35 enterprise boards provide support for the setting up and development of small enterprises on a national basis. They provide a single point of contact and information at local level and support individuals as well as small enterprises and community groups with commercially viable projects.
While the type of project described by the Deputy might not qualify for start-up capital due to the nature of the business and the issue of displacement, other services may be available. Services provided by boards may include the provision of advice and assistance in setting up a business, grant aided training programmes on book-keeping, tax courses, VAT, health and safety, pricing and costing, cashflow forecasting, sales and marketing and employment legislation. In addition, the boards may advise on relevant services available from other agencies.
