14/02/2015

MFI Aims To Support 1,000 Jobs This Year

Microfinance Ireland (MFI) is aiming to support 1,000 jobs in 2015 through providing finance to micro-enterprises who have been unable to secure funding elsewhere.

Since its inception in October 2012, more than 1,000 jobs have been supported by Microfinance Ireland through its lending to businesses which have 10 employees or less and a turnover of less than €2m per annum.

The Government provided funding of €10m as part of the Action Plan for Jobs to enable Microfinance Ireland provide loan finance to micro-enterprises who have not been able to access loans elsewhere.

Minister for Business and Employment and Labour TD Ged Nash TD said: "Government initiatives like Microfinance Ireland are now bearing real fruit, impacting on real jobs and providing real hope for business people and their families who are entrepreneurs. These people create jobs – not just take them up.

"I am particularly pleased to see that 75% of the micro-enterprises surveyed by Microfinance Ireland say they plan to hire new staff this year. Small and medium size businesses really are the engine of our economy and this level of confidence among Microfinance Ireland's clients bodes well for our targets to return to full employment by 2018."

(CD/IT)

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