Comments by Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Micheál Martin TD at the launch of the Microsoft led European Union Grants Advisor programme

At the Conrad Hotel Dublin, on Tuesday May 2^nd 2006

I am delighted to have been asked here today to launch the European Union Grants Advisor programme, which is being led by Microsoft Ireland.

The primary objective of the programme is to increase awareness amongst companies of the availability of EU funds which can help support the growth and development of small and medium sized enterprises, and to provide a number of supports to companies to enable them to increase access to these funds, and I am told that the programme has already been successfully rolled out in a number of other European countries. I am particularly delighted to see that a consortium, including the Small Firms Association and the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, and a number of leading companies including Microsoft, have agreed to work together to ensure the successful implementation of this programme for the overall benefit of Irish business

There can be little doubt that the European Union project has been – and remains - central to Ireland’s economic well-being and, indeed, to our place in an increasingly competitive world. In particular, the financial transfers effected under the various Structural Funds have contributed, in no small measure, to the upgrading which has taken place in our national infrastructure which, in turn, has underpinned our rapid and sustained growth in the past decade or so.

The European Union is, without any doubt, the best means by which Ireland can continue to meet the challenges of globalisation; challenges which are much too big for any one nation to tackle on its own. I hardly need to highlight, for today’s audience, the benefits of EU membership for an advanced economy such as ours in terms of access to a huge and growing European market place for our goods and services. I firmly believe that the Union - both as currently constituted and in its ambitious plans for the future - can provide real meaning for its citizens, not just in terms of jobs and economic growth, but also in terms of dealing with other issues vital to peoples’ lives.

I would also like to take the opportunity of today’s launch to say a few words about the often discussed ‘Lisbon’ project.

You will probably agree with me that, in general, eyes tend to glaze over whenever the EU's “Lisbon Agenda” is mentioned. As a concept it is not well understood, the results to date have been relatively modest and much still remains to be done to achieve the targets and objectives originally agreed in Lisbon.

Put simply, the Lisbon Agenda sets the framework for the economic and social regeneration of Europe if it is to remain a leading player in the global economy. Key issues for us include the demographic challenge, the gap between the EU and the US in R&D, Europe's poor competitiveness, its relatively inflexible labour markets and its high unemployment – although the latter is not so much of an issue in Ireland at this stage. Clearly, the position in relation to these different areas varies significantly between Member States, and each country needs to develop and implement its own reform programme if the overall goal for the Community is to be achieved.

At the Spring European Council last month, the Member States reaffirmed, once again, their commitment to the Lisbon “agenda” of more growth and more jobs.

We agreed that particular priorities must include more investment in knowledge and innovation, the unlocking of hitherto untapped business potential (especially on the part of SMEs), and the necessity of further increasing employment opportunities.

All this will be against a background of an expanding European Union. Before long, the Union will welcome Bulgaria and Romania in as full members. Accession negotiations have already opened with Turkey and Croatia. Other countries in the Western Balkans have, rightly, been given the perspective and possibility of eventual EU membership. As the EU expands there are, of course, concerns among our citizens about the capacity of the Union to work effectively with thirty or more Member States at widely different levels of economic and social development.

There is now a healthy debate about the ultimate size of the European Union. This is an inevitable and essential component of the broader debate about the future of Europe. It will have to look at the absorptive capacity, both financial and institutional, of the new and expanded Union. It will have to examine whether there are other types of partnership to meet the aspirations of some of our neighbours. It will have to be very clear about the criteria necessary for EU membership and the rigorous application of these criteria in any future accession negotiations.

Attention will, inevitably, return to the debate on the European Constitution. Following rejection of the European Constitution by the French and Dutch people, Europe, as a whole, has been reflecting on the situation. This examination is, I think, likely to intensify in the coming year. However, I believe that from 2007 onwards, we will see a renewed and concerted effort to resolve the difficulties which the proposed European Constitution faced.

Next year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. This will, I hope, contribute to revitalising the debate on the future and direction of Europe. It will enable Europe's leaders to decide how best to move ahead in creating a Europe that can work to meet the ambitions and potential of all of its 450 million citizens.

I can assure you that Ireland will continue to take a full part in that debate, helped by the very close engagement of our people in these issues - not least through the work of the National Forum on Europe. Whatever the outcome, Ireland's rightful place will, I believe, continue to be at the very heart of Europe.

Returning to the subject of today’s launch, I am sure that we would all agree that a lack of information on the resources and supports available to firms – especially small firms – can act as a serious inhibitor to those firms realising their full potential and that, even with a knowledge of what is available, the application process can often be complex and time-consuming and can act as a discouragement for firms who might otherwise seek such assistance. Many, indeed probably most, SMEs are preoccupied with the daily running of their business and may lack the resources necessary to investigate what supports are available, particularly when the supports are international in origin.

I am happy to acknowledge that, having drawn on the success and expertise gained in rolling out the European Union Grants Advisor programme elsewhere, Microsoft, as the lead partner in the programme, has brought together all the other Irish consortium partners to launch this new service in Ireland. They have developed the overall Grants Services model and have invested heavily in the development of the service and will be providing grant consultancy and project management services to all small businesses, which participate in the programme.

Finally, on an occasion such as this, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the invaluable role played by your own Joe Macri in chairing the Small Business Forum which I set up last year to consider the current environment for conducting small business in Ireland. In appointing Joe to chair the Forum I pointed out that, in addition to the considerable experience gained managing Microsoft’s operations in Ireland, Joe had previously been responsible for the company’s Small Business Division in the U.K and that, during that time, he had established Microsoft’s Small Business Strategy working with leading academics, representative bodies and the U.K Government. I had no doubt that Joe was the right man to chair our examination of the small business sector in Ireland and I was delighted that he was willing to make time available to take on the task. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him – and his hard working team – for the comprehensive and challenging report which they have now submitted to me on the subject and which I will be examining very closely over the next few weeks.

It only remains therefore for me to wish you all the best in launching the European Union Grants Advisor programme. I have no doubt that it will be hugely successful and will prove be a positive development for everyone – not least the hard pressed Irish small businessman.

ENDS

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