Representation and Lobbying

In addition to its services to members, one of ISME's major roles is to continually raise a wide range of issues relating to business competitiveness directly with Government Departments, Institutions and the Media.

ISME's Lobbying

• ISME successfully lobbied for an increase in the turnover threshold amount, which small businesses are required to be audited, increased from €1.5m to €7.3m.
• The Association was instrumental in the introduction of the Bank Switching Code, which allows small businesses to change banks in a faster and more efficient manner.
• ISME lobbied successfully for the increase in thresholds and an extension of both the Business Expansion Scheme (BES) and the Seed Capital Scheme (SCS)
• The Association secured an increase on the thresholds for VAT on a cash receipts basis from €625k to €1m.
• ISME was Instrumental in the Minister for Finance's decision to remove the €50,000 threshold on Research & Development (2004 Budget).
• ISME encouraged the Government to allow Owner /Managers the right to self manage their pension funds after retirement.
• The Association succeeded in getting the Competition Authority to conduct an in-depth review of the banking sector to establish charging/lending policies to SMEs.
• ISME committed the Tanaiste to introduce the Personal Injuries Assessment Board to tackle the insurance crisis and reduce premium by some 30 %.

ISME's Campaigning

• Established dispute resolution procedures for its members with the Revenue Commissioners, Eircom and other State Bodies,
• Helped inject €100m into Health Boards to alleviate late payments to suppliers and secure a political commitment to introduce late payment legislation.
• Prevented the Government from removing the protection Monopolies and Merges Legislation from SMEs.
• Restored the standard PAYE allowance to the children of proprietary directors.

ISME's 2009 Submissions

We are updating this link, please revisit 30/11/2009, thank you.

ISME's 2008 Submissions

• Submission on the Pensions Green Paper
• Submission to the Garda Siochana on Business Watch Schemes
• Submission on Waste Management (Batteries & Accumulators) Regulations 2008
• Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Small Business & Enterprise on the Temporary Workers Directive
• Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee for European affairs on the Lisbon Treaty
• Submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Scrutiny on the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers
• Submission on the European Small Business Act
• Submission on the Postal Sector Liberalisation
• Submission to NCA on the Guidelines for the Retail Sector Price Discounts and Related Matters

Pictures

Minister Mary Hanafin & Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME (Jun 2008)



J.J. Killian, Chairman, ISME, John O'Donoghue, T.D, Ceann Comhairle, Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME. (Feb 2008)



Pictured above 22nd September 2006 at a meeting to discuss improving SME access to government procurement contracts were Frederic Grasset, Ambassador of France to Ireland, with Mrs Christine Lagarde, Ministre deleguee au Commerce Exterieur, Minister for Foreign Trade, and Mark Fielding ISME Chief Executive. The French government is seeking the support of ISME in introducing proposals at European level that would improve the access for SMEs to public procurement contracts throughout Europe.