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Small Business Advisory Group members announced printable version

08 Oct 2014: posted by the editor - Business, Ireland

A newly reconstituted group created to provide direct access to Government for SMEs held its first meeting today, under the chairmanship of Minister for Business & Employment Gerald Nash.

Membership of the Advisory Group includes entrepreneurs, nominees from the main business representative bodies, officials from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation as well as from the state enterprise support agencies, Irish Farmers Association and the Credit Review Office.

Commenting at the first meeting of the reformed Group, Minister Nash said: "I welcome the new members to the Group and I am sure that their experiences and skills will be well utilised to improve the lot of our SMEs. Issues such as tax treatment of SMEs, the interaction between multi-national corporations and SMEs and finance for growth continue to be issues of concern. That is why we now have representatives that have extensive experience on these issues represented on the Group."

Mr Nash added: "SMEs continue to play a vital role in the Irish economy. This can be seen from the fact that they represent 99% of business in the economy and provide a 70% share of private sector employment. These figures clearly demonstrate just how important SMEs are to Irish economic life and to the very fabric of our society.

"It is important that all SMEs recognise this Group as the forum that provides them with direct access through me to Government. I would therefore encourage entrepreneurs and small business owners to make contact with members of the Group if they have any issues of concern that they wish to raise."

The terms of reference of the Advisory Group on Small Business is to provide ongoing assistance and advice to the Minister for Business and Employment, Government Departments and Agencies on any issues affecting SMEs. The Group will then prioritise the issues impacting on the growth and development of SMEs and examine possible solutions to be communicated to the relevant Departments, Agencies or Government.

The Advisory Group will facilitate structured and regular dialogue between the Minister for Business & Employment and representatives of the small business sector in Ireland. Among the priority issues that will be looked at by the Group will be Budget 2015 and proposals to support SMEs to be included in the Action Plan for Jobs 2015.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE ADVISORY GROUP ON SMALL BUSINESS

NAME ORGANISATION

Minister Nash Chairman

Mr AJ Noonan Small Firms Association

Mr Mark Fielding Irish Small and Medium Enterprise

Mr Tim Fenn Irish Hotels Federation

Ms Karen Hennessy Crafts Council of Ireland

Mr Joe Kelly National Association of Community Enterprises

Ms Sandra Clarke Irish Tax Institute

Ms Siobhan Finn Cork Innovates

Mr Eoin Costello Startup Ireland

Ms Áine Cuddihy The MiniCake Company

Mr James Murphy Irish Farmers Association

Caroline Curran Paypal

Catherine Collins Credit Review Office

Mr Páraig Hennessy Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Secretariat

Mr Stephen Walsh Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Secretary to the Group

Tags: SME advisary group

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