Small firms criticise new body

Invest Northern Ireland, the new umbrella economic development agency, has come under fire from one of the largest business bodies in the North for not representing the views of small firms.

The Federation of Small Business in Northern Ireland is "highly critical" that the board of the new economic agency, which will bring all the North's development bodies under one roof for the first time, has no representation from the small business sector.

The current board of Invest Northern Ireland features seven key business and industrial leaders, including its chairman Prof Fabian Monds, the former head of the Industrial Research and Technology Unit.

However, Mr Bill Jeffrey, vice-chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses said the organisation was disappointed that there was no high profile figures from the small business sector on the board.

"We believe the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has missed the opportunity to elicit the views and opinions of the small business sector.

"We would have hoped that Invest Northern Ireland would have better represented what the Minister for Enterprise, Sir Reg Empey, has himself referred to as the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy," Mr Jeffrey said.

"Over 98.7 per cent of all businesses in Northern Ireland can be classified as small businesses. We would not only hope but demand that the small business sector is strongly represented should there be further directors appointed to the board of Invest Northern Ireland," Mr Jeffrey added.

The new agency is expected to have a staff of more than 600 and a budget in excess of £200 million sterling (€316 million).

Among Invest Northern Ireland's board members are Dr Patrick Haren, group chief executive of the Viridian Group, and Mr Gilbert Little, a leading telecoms entrepreneur. The Northern Secretary of the Irish National Teachers Association, Mr Frank Bunting and Dr Alan McClure, chief executive of Perfecseal, the US-owned medical packaging group will also sit on the board.

Ms Teresa Townsley, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and managing partner of MTF is also on the board. The remaining board members include Mr Bill McGinnis, chairman of the McAvoy Group and Mr Derek Shaw, who has international food processing and textile businesses.