The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, has published the 2014 annual results for the Local Enterprise Offices, highlighting that 4012 extra jobs were created by companies supported by the Department of Jobs through the LEOs.

The results were compiled by the Enterprise Ireland Centre of Excellence, using the same systems as applied to the Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland annual results, show that at the end of 2014, total direct employment among the 6,058 LEO client companies stood at 31,326. The results also show:

Speaking as he hosted the Regional Enterprise Forum for the South West region, Minister Bruton said: “In Ireland we have great start-ups – we just don’t have enough of them. Start-up businesses create two thirds of all new jobs in Ireland, and they also offer huge potential to support jobs growth in every town and village in the country. That is why we have placed start-ups and entrepreneurs at the centre of our jobs plans, and put in place very significant new reforms like the creation of the Local Enterprise Offices.

“The LEOs have allowed us to make all the Government supports for start-ups available in one easily accessible place, and have also allowed us to put in place new measures like the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition and the trading online vouchers, which have helped so many start-ups.

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“Today’s annual results show that the new system is performing extremely strongly, with over 4000 extra jobs in supported companies in 2014, and jobs growth in every county of the country. I wish to commend the 31 Heads of LEO and all of their staff on this excellent achievement. I also wish to pay tribute to Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities who have supported the LEOs. The LEOs will continue to be a crucial part of our plans to deliver sustainable full employment, and to accelerate jobs growth in every region of the country”.

Minister for Business and Employment, Ged Nash TD said: “One of the real strengths of the LEOs is their local knowledge, with 31 offices right across the country. The fact that they serve as a first stop shop for start-ups, micro-enterprises and small businesses means that the entrepreneurs that we want to encourage and support have one central place where they can get information and assistance in identifying the supports that are available to them.”

“Business people are busy people and the LEOs offer a range of supports to help them create and sustain jobs in every town and village in Ireland, as is demonstrated by the figures in the annual report. Very importantly, they also offer training and mentoring to entrepreneurs and their staff and I am particularly pleased to see the high take up of training by female entrepreneurs.”

Michael Hanley, Head of Enterprise at LEO Cork North and West, said “as a Head of Enterprise in a LEO I too welcome the announcement of the 2014 LEO jobs performance. This jobs performance reflects the hard work and dedication of all LEO staff across the 31 LEOs. Those of us working at the coal face of client interaction are very aware of the challenges, especially over the last few years, faced by people trying to start-up their own business or grow an existing business and, indeed, of the challenges faced by the State and its Agencies in seeking to continue to support business and drive job creation. I am sure I reflect the views of all LEO staff when I say that it is a privilege to be part of a local success story when a business idea turns into a business plan which then turns into a viable actual business employing local people and contributing to the local economy.

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