Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2024
159. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if consideration would be given by his Department to implement regular consultation with small local businesses to target specific challenges and needs that they face, as this would ensure the creation of relevant and effective support measures for said businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40078/24]
View answerMy Department consults with small businesses on a regular basis and through a variety of existing fora. I am acutely aware of the specific challenges these small businesses face and my Department and this Government have continued to introduce relevant and effective measures to support them.
I chair the SME and Entrepreneurship Taskforce, whose membership includes entrepreneurs, business leaders and other individuals uniquely positioned to contribute to a long-term vision for the SME sector.
The SME and Entrepreneurship Growth Plan, developed by that Taskforce, sets out a wide range of recommendations with long-term strategic relevance for SMEs and entrepreneurs, including measures to assist companies to start up, scale up, enhance their digital and green capabilities, and increase export activity.
There has been significant progress on implementation of the priorities, particularly given the challenging economic environment over the past number of years. The Taskforce meets quarterly and brings annual progress reports to government.
The Taskforce priorities for 2024 are as follows: Access to Finance (including funding and insurance), Digital Transformation, Increasing first time exporters & Enhanced assistance for high-potential businesses, SME Management Skills, Reducing the regulatory burden for SMEs & Cost of doing business, Delivery of the National Enterprise Hub, Ireland’s climate ambitions, and Inclusive entrepreneurship.
My Department also hosts the Enterprise Forum to discuss enterprise policy implications arising from emerging national and international challenges, with a particular focus on capturing the views, concerns, and suggestions of the enterprise sector. The Enterprise Forum meets quarterly and includes (amongst others) SME representative bodies.
In addition, there is a structured approach to consulting with retail businesses of all sizes including small businesses, through the Retail Forum. Membership of the Retail Forum includes retailers and retail representative bodies, public sector and academic bodies.
The Government is keenly aware of the impact of rising costs on the retail sector. This issue and others are brought to the attention of the Minister for Business, Employment and Retail regularly by retail representative bodies.
The Retail Forum, chaired by the Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, meets on a quarterly basis. It is a platform where key issues of relevance to the retail sector can be discussed, with a view to identifying practical actions which could be taken by government, or by industry itself, to support the sector with particular emphasis on achieving sustainable jobs growth in the sector.
Current priorities for the Retail Forum include supporting it to deal with the impacts of the rising cost of doing business, retail crime, the responsibilities imposed by EU legislation and the challenges and opportunities arising from the green and digital transitions.
