The two parties in this Government came to office with a single, overriding objective. That objective was economic recovery. But economic recovery was never an end in itself. It was – and is – about repairing the lives of our fellow men and women, a quarter of a million of whom lost their jobs in the worst of the crisis.
It was – and is – about ensuring that young people leaving school or graduating from college have an opportunity to work, and contribute, and make a life in their own country.
It was – and is – about helping small business owners – people who provide jobs in every corner of Ireland – to continue to trade, and now to grow and employ more people.
We are now making solid progress on that objective, with increasing signs of a sustainable and broadly based recovery in the economy, and a major improvement in the numbers employed. There are more than 70,000 more people at work today, than this time three years ago.
But we have more to do, to consolidate the gains that have been made so far, and most importantly, to ensure that recovery in the economy translates into jobs for the many who are still out of work.
As a Government, we recognise that small businesses are essential to economic recovery, and essential to sustaining momentum in that recovery.
That is why we have been working, unstintingly, to create the right conditions, first for economic stability, and now for growth, that underpins small and micro businesses.
And we have been working, too, through the Action Plan for Jobs, to drill down into what small businesses and start-ups need. This work has produced initiatives such as the Microenterprise Loan Fund and Credit Guarantee Schemes, that have allowed businesses to work their way through the recession. And on the other side, through Pathways to Work, we are taking a practical, labour market-focussed approach to what jobseekers need to shorten their journey back to work.
With today’s launch of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), we are ensuring that the full range of state supports for all small business can be easily accessed in one place and at a local level.
These 31 Local Enterprise Offices will now operate through the local government system – merging the expertise and capacity of the 35 City and County Enterprise Boards with the business development services of the Local Authorities.
LEOs will ensure a much sharper focus on the promotion of business activity at local level, enhancing enterprise and jobs growth. As well as providing general business advice and information, they will provide financial support for start-ups and business development.
LEOs will also provide access to specialist expertise in Enterprise Ireland for businesses in a particular sector, or with innovation and export potential. In that way, they can be a ladder for high-potential small businesses, looking to make the leap into a bigger market.
If we are going to grow jobs in every corner of Ireland – and not only the large urban centres – then we need to support small businesses, and local entrepreneurship. LEOs have a key role to play in fostering regional economic growth, and ensuring that the gains of the recovery are felt in villages, suburbs and towns around the country.
From micro-businesses to the next Irish multinational, we want to support those who are creating jobs. The rollout of LEOs is one more step on the road back to full employment.