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Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton T.D., has highlighted the role of small and medium sized enterprises in Ireland’s economic recovery during a speech in Dublin this evening. Speaking at the opening of Tax Assist, a new accountancy and tax advice service for small businesses and taxpayers, Minister Creighton said:

"Our SMEs will be crucial to our economic recovery. For them to succeed, we must remove as many obstacles and costs as possible. Access to competent, competitively priced financial advice is an essential part of this. The World Bank league table on the costs and ease of doing business has us as Number 7 which is good, but we can do even better. We are seventh on the scale of ease of paying taxes. To have an efficient, client orientated tax collecting mechanism is an important priority. Transparency and efficiency in the public service, which supports growth in the economy is also crucial. Entrepreneurs are entitled to have competent and professional services at their disposal. Because of major improvements tax compliance has become the norm"

"It is our own, home-grown businesses that will lead us to strong, domestic growth again. If they cannot grow – Ireland cannot grow. I am proud of the Government’s achievements since coming to office in helping to create an environment in which business can survive and thrive."

The Minister spoke about the importance of the European Union to the Irish SME sector: "In my role as Minister for European Affairs, I am working with the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and my colleagues across Europe to resolve the Euro-zone crisis. The Euro is essential for Irish business. The European Union provides us with direct access to a market of more than 500 million people. We are also working on the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy for growth across the Union which strives to strengthen the European SME sector. The biggest increases in Ireland’s exports have been to EU member states. But we need a greater opening and deepening of the Internal Market, which has to become the natural reference point and basis for a wider global growth on the part of Irish business."

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 Note to editors:

 The full text of Minister Creighton’s speech is available