Minister Jerry Buttimer opens the Seventh National Social Enterprise Conference takes place in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
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From: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
- Published on: 20 November 2025
- Last updated on: 27 November 2025
- the Conference, hosted by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, is an annual highlight in the social enterprise calendar
- it is an opportunity for social enterprises, and the organisations that support them, to consider insights on the sector, to share best practice, and to network with their peers
Minister Jerry Buttimer, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities, today (Thursday, 20 November 2025), provided the welcome address at Ireland's Seventh National Social Enterprise Conference, to a gathering of more than 500 delegates, in person and online, from across the social enterprise sector. The conference took place at the Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
The theme of the conference was ‘Trading for Impact’. The annual conference is a unique opportunity that provides networking opportunities, information dissemination, sharing of best practice and the opportunity to contribute to policy implementation and future policy development. The MC for the event was Kim MacKenzie-Doyle, CEO of social enterprise ‘the Big Idea’.
Opening the Conference, Minister Buttimer said:
"The work social enterprises deliver throughout Ireland is important to so many communities. They are tangibly helping to address many of the key social issues affecting society while providing employment, opportunities and making a positive impact in people’s lives. I have witnessed the tremendous contribution and impact social enterprises are making in our communities. I firmly believe this sector can have an even more significant role in our society, economy and environment and look forward to supporting them to do so.”
The Minister Continued:
“Where we go from here depends on how effectively we can collectively deliver on Trading for Impact’s ambitious vision for the future. We must be innovative and inclusive, but also practical and effective. Partnership is key to the realisation of our collective ambition for the social enterprise sector. My department will continue to actively engage across government, local authorities and state agencies to make sure social enterprise is kept to the forefront with regard to policies and programmes, social procurement or access to services.”
Key Speakers at the Conference:
- Minister Jerry Buttimer
- Bairbre Nic Aongusa, Assistant Secretary at DRCDG, Head of Community Development
- Richard Bruton (Chairperson at SERI)
- Gerry O'Grady (LEO Centre of Excellence, Enterprise Ireland)
- Steven Egan (InterTradeIreland)
- Margaret Larkin (DLDC, representing LDCN)
- Siobhán Cafferty (CEO Simpliified)
- Peter Williams (Clare County Council)
- Anthony Burrowes (Sisk)
- Debbie Tierney (Triest Press)
- Dr. Helen Johnston (NESC)
- Colin Jess (Social Enterprise Northern Ireland)
- Charlie Fisher (Development Trusts NI)
- Maeve Monaghan (NOW Group)
- Seán Mullan (Third Space)
- Clare Allen (Rethink Ireland)
- Anne Graham (Western Development Commission)
- Helen Nolan (Spraoi agus Spórt)
- Máirín Ó Cuireáin (LDCN)
Notes
Social Enterprises
Social enterprises are businesses whose core objective is to achieve a social, societal, or environmental impact. Like other businesses, social enterprises pursue their objectives by trading in goods and services on an ongoing basis. However, surpluses generated by social enterprises are re-invested into achieving the core social objectives.
They frequently work to support disadvantaged groups such as the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, travellers, etc., or to address issues such as food poverty, social housing, or environmental matters.
National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027
Trading for Impact: National Social Enterprise Policy 2024 -2027 was launched by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys on July 24, 2024. The purpose of the policy is to help cultivate and sustain strong and impactful social enterprises in Ireland to enrich the social, environmental, and economic well-being of people living in our communities
A partnership approach was adopted in the development of this policy, with ongoing engagement and consultation with all relevant stakeholders being key principles throughout its development process. This included an open national public consultation.
The policy outlines five key objectives:
- Building Awareness of Social Enterprise
- Growing and Sustaining Social Enterprise
- Supporting the Green Transition
- National and International Engagement
- Impact Measurement
National Social Enterprise Conference 2025
The holding of an annual Social Enterprise Conference is one of the commitments made in Trading for Impact National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027 to allow stakeholders to share best practice, inform policy implementation and future social enterprise policy development. Administration and organisation of the conference was carried out on behalf of DRCDG by a consortium of social enterprise representative bodies that includes Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI), the Irish Social Enterprise Network (ISEN), the Local Development Company Network (LDCN), and the Wheel.