Homespun business driving Ireland’s economic revival

Ireland's 160,000 family businesses employ 938,000 people, generating around 50% of the nation’s wealth. John Daly talks to industry experts who explain the sector's vital economic role

Skillnet Ireland and SFA promoting MentorsWork: Paul Healy, CEO of Skillnet Ireland; Sven Spollen-Behrens, director of SFA; and Sonya Murphy-Lyons, founder and director of Mezzo Music Academy at the Mezzo Music Academy in Dublin.

In Ireland, there are more than 160,000 family businesses employing 938,000 people, generating around 50% of the nation’s wealth.

These companies are particularly important in keeping local economies alive. Many of them service and support the multinational corporations, which are so critical to Ireland’s position as a leading economy within the EU. Without the bedrock of family businesses, the Irish economy simply could not function.