SMEs targeted in major awareness campaign for government schemes

A renewed effort will be made today to tell small businesses about government schemes that can give them a helping hand.

It is part of the Action Plan for Jobs, and will include a 12-month campaign of advertising and activities involving high profile business figures.

Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton is launching the drive today.

CEO of Glen Dimplex, Sean O'Driscoll, is one of the industry representatives involved, and he has rejected the idea that the drive is a public relations campaign.

"If you go back to this time in 2012, unemployment was 15.1% and rising. Today it's 10.6% and falling. So it's [not] PR.

"This is now about reaching out to the regions, every town and village - and particularly the small and medium enterprises, who are the backbone of these communities."