merrion street

Jimmy Deenihan TD., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will this morning launch "From Niche to Mainstream - Advancing Social Entrepreneurship", a symposium on social entrepreneurship in IT Tralee.

Social enterprise development can achieve outcomes that the State and the private sector are ill-equipped or unwilling to achieve. Social enterprise can support economic empowerment and self-determination in marginalised and excluded communities. Opportunities for social enterprises include community, retail and care services, tourism and heritage products, leisure and sports services, and energy production.

This Symposium has the following three objectives: to facilitate, recognise and showcase the emergence, development and value of social entrepreneurship as a force for local, regional and national renewal; to develop a network of mutual organizations/stakeholders and secure their involvement in the establishment of a Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and to launch the Irish Association of Social Care Educators (IASCE) Social Entrepreneurship Awards.

Speaking ahead of the launch Minister Deenihan commented “We must not underestimate the challenges involved in developing our social enterprise sector. Launching a business, any business, has always been tough. Growing one that is financially viable and achieves sustainable social impact is even tougher. This event therefore is a welcome one, and a powerful example of how higher education can support and champion the growth of the social enterprise sector.”