Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
217. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the implementation of the cross-governmental small and medium enterprise access to finance online tool, as per action 221 of the Action Plan for Jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13175/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, I announced in Budget 2014 that the Government is developing a comprehensive communication strategy to increase awareness of the full suite of developmental business supports, totalling approximately €2bn, which is available from State bodies and agencies.
To date, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to make information available to SMEs on the part of Government Departments and State agencies, including
- Engagement with industry and representative bodies through the SME Funding Consultation Committee;
- The Department of Finance's quarterly SME newsletter;
- Publication on my Department's website of a 'SME funding matrix';
- Targeted communication strategies by individual agencies directly to their clients;
- Various guidance documents and support material.
In spite of the work done by relevant Government Departments and agencies, all parties accept that a challenge remains around SMEs' awareness and understanding of Government supports. The most recent SME credit demand survey found that there was a low level of awareness of certain initiatives. It was against this background that the SME State Bodies Group was tasked with drafting a communication strategy.
As per Action 221 of the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, an online tool is currently being developed which will help small businesses to navigate through the range of Government supports available to them. Set to be launched in Q2 2014, upon answering a short number of questions an Irish business will be able to access a list of potential supports for their company and relevant contact information. The guide will be available on the new Local Enterprise Office website when that goes live. Government officials are currently showcasing the online guide in test mode with small businesses at a series of "Taking Care of Business" roadshows in Limerick, Galway and Cork.
