Finian McGrath
Question:397. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will support a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on it. [33986/14]
View answerWednesday, 17 September 2014
Questions (397)
Written answers
Support for job creation and retention for the micro-enterprise sector is provided by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). The LEOs are the first-stop-shop front line service assisting in delivering business growth and jobs. They pull together all the players – other Government Departments and Agencies - to support everyone with a good business idea and strengthen the enterprise sector in the local area. The LEOs are the first port of call in terms of advice, direction, training and, in certain circumstances, grant support for anyone who wishes to start or expand a business.
In particular, the LEO can advise him about the Department of Social Protection JobsPlus Scheme, which is an incentive aimed at encouraging and rewarding employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed. Grants of €7,500 and €10,000 are available to qualifying employers to offset wage costs where they engage jobseekers from the Live Register.
The LEOs themselves provide a range of financial and non-financial supports to help enterprises at start-up or during business expansion phases. It should be noted that the LEOs themselves generally only grant assist enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sector, which over time can develop into strong export entities and graduate to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio. However, there are other potential supports available and the LEO staff can advise you appropriately.
For example, any business can use the LEOs as a gateway to accessing finance from Micro Finance Ireland (MFI), which offers support in the form of loans of up to €25,000 to start-up, newly established or growing microenterprises employing less than 10 people with viable business propositions that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by the banks. The Fund available to MFI has a significant entrepreneurship focus and is open to anyone with a viable business proposal. Applications for the Microfinance Fund should be channelled through the local LEO.
For an enterprise located in the Dublin 9 area, the LEO Dublin City would be the relevant Office, contact details for which are as follows: Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, Block 4, Floor 1, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, tel: 01-222 5611/2, email: info@leo.dublincity.ie, website: www.localenterprise.ie/dublincity.
The businessman concerned can also access the new online search tool for SME business supports that was launched last May. The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is a cross-governmental initiative to help Irish start-ups and small businesses navigate the range of Government business supports for which they could be eligible.
By answering the 8 questions in the Tool, a small business will, in one location be able to:
- Find out which of the over 80 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them
- obtain information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit
- identify their nearest Local Enterprise Office where they can discuss the outcomes of the guide further
- download all these filtered results into a document for their further use.
The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is available at: www.localenterprise.ie/smeonlinetool.