ISME the small firms lobby group is lobbying the new Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Ms Harney for full social partnership status. The organisation is also seeking places on a series of industry groups, including FAS. ISME met the Minister yesterday to press its case and presented her with a submission on what it believes should be this Government's priorities. ISME chief executive Mr Frank Mulcahy said last night that the Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats had committed themselves to according the organisation full partnership status and ISME was now asking for this commitment to be delivered upon.

Mr Mulcahy said small business was not represented on a range of boards, including the county enterprise boards, FAS sectoral training committees and other industrial policy-making bodies.

It is understood that ISME is the first business organisation which the Minister has met. ISME's submission includes a call for Forfas to be scrapped. It is the umbrella body for IDA Ireland and Forbairt. "It serves no use or function that could not be done, and indeed should be done by the Department of Enterprise and Employment," the submission sayss. "It is a waste of taxpayers money."

ISME also wants the Trade Baord, Forbairt and the Services to Industry Division of FAS to be integrated to allow what it calls "a total industry approach". It argues that support would be forthcoming on the basis of industry needs rather than agency mandate. ISME also takes a swipe at the banks, saying they have reported collective profits of over £1 billion, or nearly £3 million a day. "The bulk of these profits were derived from the competitive SME sector," it says.

ISME says small firms are required to pay an interest rate 30 per cent higher than the large "blue chip" companies, irrespective of their profitability. The organisation has asked the Minister to call in the banks and persuade them to put aside £20 million, or 1.5 per cent of their profits to fund a subsidised loan scheme.