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Small and Medium Enterprises

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 April 2022

Thursday, 7 April 2022

Questions (175)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

175. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which assistances towards small and medium-sized enterprises here continues to equate with those available in other EU and non-EU jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19109/22]

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Written answers

My Department participates in a number of fora at EU and international level that facilitate the sharing of information on SME policies and programmes with other jurisdictions. This international engagement provides my Department with a rich source of international good practice examples to draw from, which directly informs SME policy development in Ireland.

At EU level, my Department is an active participant in the EU SME Envoy Network, which is an SME policy advisory group that promotes SME-friendly regulation and policymaking in all EU countries.

Ireland also participates in the OECD Committee on SMEs and Entrepreneurs, which is a valuable resource of data analysis and peer-learning among OECD member countries.

Furthermore, Ireland is a member of the Small Advanced Economies Initiative, which is a network consisting of seven economies of a comparable size and structure. The initiative provides a forum for senior policymakers to share experiences and discuss issues of mutual concern.

My Department also worked closely with the OECD in 2019 on a comprehensive report to map the entire supports framework for SMEs and entrepreneurs in Ireland, and to benchmark the assistance available against that in other OECD member countries. The resulting OECD Review of SME and Entrepreneurship Policy in Ireland 2019 stated that Ireland “has a strong entrepreneurship support system with an appropriate range of different supports for entrepreneurs in general”. This includes a comprehensive suite of assistance available through a variety of agencies, including the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland.

The 2019 OECD Report also identified a number of opportunities to improve assistance to SMEs and entrepreneurs in such areas as management skills and access to finance. These recommendations directly informed the development of the SME and Entrepreneurship Growth Plan, the implementation of which is currently being led by my Department. A Report will go to Government in Q4 of this year on progress made on implementation, with a focus on ten priority areas identified in the Growth Plan.

This will cover actions taken by Government Departments and Agencies to assist SMEs and entrepreneurs in the following areas: access to finance; digital transformation; increasing first time exporters; enhanced assistance for high-potential businesses; clustering and networks; SME management skills; reducing the regulatory burden on SMEs; delivery of a single portal for business information and assistance; ensuring comprehensive enterprise agency coverage for SMEs; and promoting SME participation in public procurement.

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