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