Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD; Minister of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD and Minister of State for Public Service Reform and the OPW, Brian Hayes TD, have officially launched the South Dublin Local Enterprise Office (LEO).

The South Dublin LEO is part of a network of 31 LEOs which will deliver an improved system of local enterprise supports to start-ups and small businesses across the country – with more staff, more funding, and more services being provided.

The announcement means that, from today, people thinking of starting or expanding a business in every part of South Dublin will be able to access the full range of State supports provided by different Government bodies – for example South Dublin County Council, Enterprise Ireland, Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, the Credit Review Office, training bodies – in one easily accessible location within the local authority.

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The Minister also helped to launch the Supporting SMEs Online Tool, a new cross-governmental guide to help small businesses know which of the over 80 Government supports could possibly fit their business. By answering the eight questions in the Supporting SMEs Online Tool, a small business will, in one location, be able to:

• Find out which of the over 80 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them.

• Get information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit.

• Be told their nearest Local Enterprise Office to discuss the outcomes of the guide further.

• Be able to download all these filtered results into a document for their further use.

The establishment of the LEOs will mean that all categories of business – including sole traders, micro businesses and small and medium sized companies – will have access to Government supports and advice.

Previously some businesses – for example, companies who were too large to access CEB supports, but were not exporting and therefore did not qualify for Enterprise Ireland supports – fell through the cracks between different agencies.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, said: "A key part of our Action Plan for Jobs is supporting job-creation across every region of the country.

"In the past year we have seen major progress on this, with employment now growing in all regions, but we must now build on and accelerate that, and this year we are putting in place a range of measures to deliver on that.

"The LEOs will deliver more services and better services to the start-ups and small businesses across the country that we rely on to create the jobs we need. Today is a good day for business and job-creation in Dublin."

(CD/JP)