Work of the Enterprise Development Unit

Areas of Public Policy

The Unit has regular meetings/contact with industry representative bodies and company management, other Government Departments and State Agencies, in relation to areas of policy (including EU developments) that impact on the competitiveness of firms and sectors.

Serving the Political System

The expression "Serving the Political System" is used to describe the work done to assist Ministers in carrying out their parliamentary and other functions arising from their Office. Speech and briefing material for use by the Minister or other Ministers of State, and for Parliamentary Questions and Topical Issue Debates, as well as replies to Representations etc, are prepared.

• Speeches, as well as press releases, by the Minister and the Ministers of State in this Department
• Parliamentary Questions, and for the full text of the Official Report of the Parliamentary Debates of the Houses of the Oireachtas (both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann)

Early Warning System for Companies in Difficulty

The Unit coordinates and oversees the system in co-operation with the State development agencies. The system operates through notification by companies of proposed redundancies or difficulties to the Department and / or its State Agencies. The aim is to ensure, as far as possible, that information is available on companies in difficulty, and to enable Agencies to assess what, if any, corrective action might be appropriate.

Co-ordination

Integrating responses from the Sections within the Division on a range of matters including Annual Reports, Management Information Reports (MIRs), Draft Government Memos, PQs, FOI Section 15/16 Publications, and Financial Estimates.

Classes of records held

The following are the classes of records held:

• Early Warning System
• Section Administration
• Task Forces
• General Co-ordination for Division
• SMI - Quality Customer Services / Users Charter
• Serving Political System
• Company Information / Development
• Sectoral Policy
• Information Society
• International Organisations
• Legislation
• Policy