Sinn Féin election candidate Cllr Thérèse Ruane this week joined Mary Lou Mc Donald, Sinn Féin vice president, at the launch of Sinn Fein’s proposals to support existing and potential entrepreneurs.
At the launch Cllr Ruane outlined how the proposals would benefit budding entrepreneurs and existing businesses that may be struggling, and ensure that badly needed jobs are protected and created in this county and beyond.
“Irish people make good entrepreneurs,” Cllr Ruane said. “People in this State are nearly twice as likely to set up their own business as their European counterparts. But this does not mean it is easy for would-be entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into businesses. The lack of social protection for the self employed whose businesses fail, the difficulty in accessing start up finance, and the lack of support in dealing with matters such as regulatory compliance and business management deter many people from taking the leap. As an enterprise development officer, supporting women to set up their own businesses, I see first hand the barriers that many people face in setting up their own enterprises. It’s time to support entrepreneurs in creating new jobs. We need to make self-employment a real option for those who are unemployed.
“A recession can prove to be a good time for a would-be entrepreneur to turn his or her idea into a business – but proactive objective lead State support is needed,” she added. “We want a specific redundancy to entrepreneurship scheme to assist workers recently unemployed to establish their own business. Early intervention, particularly for skilled workers and professionals, is critical if we are to tackle the increase in the number of long-term unemployed. Sinn Féin wants to see many more young people and women becoming entrepreneurs. We also want to see more entrepreneurs setting up co-operatives and social enterprises. We would also reduce the costs of doing business through a cap on utility prices, including electricity and gas, for a minimum of three years. The indigenous economy can and must play a central role in economic recovery. Small businesses are a critical part of the local indigenous economy, and therefore those who have the ideas to set up new businesses must receive the support and access the finance that they need to create and maintain jobs.”
