One of the leading mouthpieces for the small business community has called for a three-year minimum wage freeze to allow SMEs more time to continue their recovery and gain further certainty on labour costs.

Real reform on capital gains tax for entrepreneurs in next October’s budget needs to be one of the follow-on policies from yesterday’s package of programmes, which were broadly viewed as being friendly to the small business community.

The Small Firms Association has warned that a new initiative between Local Enterprise Offices and Microfinance Ireland aimed at providing credit to businesses is severely limited by a requirement that has "neutered" the finance fund to date.

Small firms need to make far greater use of equity financing to offset lower levels of bank lending and grow their business.

A government-supported equity finance scheme for entrepreneurs, combined with a reform of capital gains tax (CGT) and a reduction in the rate of PRSI are included in the Small Firms Association (SFA) pre-budget submission.

There was a broad welcome yesterday for the recommendations by the Entrepreneurship Forum for the support and growth of micro and small business over the coming years, firmly shifting the onus onto Government to make things a reality.

The Small Firms Association is calling for the establishment of a strategic investment bank in order to support small and medium enterprises across the country.

The head of the Small Firms Association, AJ Noonan, says a state investment bank is crucial to creating 20,000 jobs in 2014.

Some of the largest business lobby groups have been accused of being contradictory with their wish lists for next month’s budget.

Small businesses are key to economic recovery, the Small Firms Association claims.

The Small Firms Association has published its pre-budget submission which outlines the group's wish list for Budget 2014.

Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton has assuaged SME fears over a perceived threat of mandatory trade union recognition and collective bargaining rules for their sector.

Only a quarter of people aged under 25 are working in Ireland, down from half before the recession.

The Government will be presented with a series of policy recommendations regarding the black economy, which is denying the State an estimated €5bn tax take per year, within the next six months.

The Small Firms’ Association has said European intervention might be needed to tackle the ‘black’ economy, saying the problem is only increasing and is robbing as much as €6bn per annum from the exchequer.

Measures are needed to support small firms to tackle Ireland’s unemployment rate, it was claimed.

Small businesses in Ireland will generate 20,000 jobs in 2013 with the right environment, the chairman of the Small Firms’ Association, AJ Noonan predicts.

Small business associations cautiously welcomed the government proposals to stimulate small businesses, but they said the elimination of redundancy rebate was a backwards step.

The Small Firms Association have welcomed the fact that the Government has not increased the direct cost of employment to employers, but expressed concern at the elimination of the employer redundancy rebate.

It’s now a question of what James Reilly knew and when about the plans for a primary care centre in Balbriggan in his own constituency.

Embattled Health Minister James Reilly has said he utterly rejects acting unethically amid revelations an associate of his owns a site controversially chosen for a new primary care centre.

Embattled Health Minister Dr James Reilly was today facing fresh demands to resign following revelations he is an associate of the owner of a site controversially chosen for a new primary care centre.

Warring health ministers James Reilly and Roisin Shortall attempted peace talks last night.