Programme to support female entrepreneurs must be expanded and receive more funding

A programme to assist start-up female entrepreneurs must be expanded to urban areas and receive more funding to support women in the workforce, said Fine Gael Senator Maria Byrne.

Senator Byrne, who was speaking on National Women’s Enterprise Day, said, “Women must be encouraged and empowered to follow their ambitions in the workplace and should be supported when it comes to developing and growing a business if they choose to do so.

“Today, National Women’s Enterprise Day, is a fantastic way to promote female entrepreneurship and to discuss the challenges arising for women in business and the supports that are available.

“The Acorns programme is open to women based in rural Ireland who are at an advanced stage of starting a new business or who want to develop a recently-established existing venture. Its aim is to provide women with the knowledge, support and networking opportunities to meet and exceed their current aspirations.

“An allocation of €244,000 was provided for the scheme in 2022, and up to 50 new early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural areas will be selected for the six-month programme which will run from October 2022 to April 2023.

“The scheme, which is in its eighth year, has been incredibly successful. 200 female entrepreneurs who have previously successfully completed the cycle are still involved in the ACORNS Community.

“Great progress has been made by participants in previous years, with many reporting increased sales, exports and job creation.

“I believe this programme should be expanded to women in urban areas like Limerick city and more funding should be provided to ensure more women can take part.  It is my view that the Local Enterprise Office Network would be best suited to promote an ACORN style programme for budding women entrepreneurs in our urban areas and additional exchequer funding should be considered to allow them to do so.

“Government is delivering on its gender equality objectives, including the work by Balance for Better Business which was established by the Government to improve gender balance in senior leadership in Ireland.

“The Women in Business strategy, launched by Enterprise Ireland in 2020, has a particular focus on increasing the number of women in management and leadership positions in Irish companies.

“One of its objectives is increasing the number of women becoming entrepreneurs and women involved in high potential start-ups .

“We know that more can and should be done when it comes to addressing the obstacles that women face when it comes to their participation in the workforce and progressing to senior roles in business.

“That’s why I believe programmes like Acorns should be broadened and expanded to support more women,” Senator Byrne concluded.