Consultation Launched On National Social Enterprise Policy

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Mr Michael Ring, has published the draft National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland for public consultation, seeking the views of stakeholders and the public to inform policy.

The strategy is part of a suite of policy initiatives which will complement the 'Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sectors in Ireland' and the forthcoming 'National Volunteering Strategy' which are also being developed by the Department.

Launching the consultation, Minister Ring said: "Social enterprises make a valuable contribution to the economic and social progress of Ireland through the creation of jobs and the delivery of a range of goods and services in areas such as homecare, employment activation, hospitality, catering, retail, environmental services, and social housing to name but a few.

"However, social enterprises in Ireland have not yet reached their full potential for a number of reasons, including the absence of a clear national policy framework to support their development. A lack of understanding of what social enterprises are, and what they do, has also contributed to a general lack of awareness of social enterprise in Ireland which has made the collection of reliable data on their social and economic impact difficult."

The draft policy focuses on three key objectives:

• Building Awareness of Social Enterprise

• Growing and Strengthening Social Enterprise

• Achieving Better Policy Alignment

The closing date for submissions is Tuesday 14 May, and the responses will inform the preparation of the official National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland.



(JG/MH)