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Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020

Tuesday, 16 June 2020

Questions (431)

James Browne

Question:

431. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to support seasonal food businesses that need support to start takeaway services; her plans to support seasonal businesses that were closed in January and February 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11204/20]

View answer

Written answers

The Local Enterprise Offices are the ‘First Stop Shop’ for anyone seeking information about supports available for businesses. Located in the 31 Local Authorities Offices nationwide, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, Education and Training Boards, the Credit Review Office and Microfinance Ireland. The LEOs can also offer advice and guidance in areas such as Local Authority rates, Public Procurement and other regulations affecting business.

It should be noted that while seasonal food businesses do not qualify for grant support, there are however other supports available to the seasonal food sector. For example seasonal food businesses can benefit from training and development through the "Food Starter Programme" which is now being run remotely and the new e-hub called the "Digital School of Food" with all details available on the LEOs website at www.localenterprise.ie.

The Local Enterprise Office network also runs regular webinars in relation to supports for food businesses and I am including the following YouTube link to ‘Lunch & Learn’ webinar which took place recently. The theme was: Supports for Food & Drink Producers -  https://youtu.be/6c-W5sO3nVc.

I would urge seasonal food producers to talk to their Local Enterprise Offices regarding the supports available as they offer advice, training and mentoring which could be extremely beneficial to a business.

The full range of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and Údarás na Gaeltachta grant supports will be available to firms to help with strategies to innovate, diversify markets and supply chains and to improve competitiveness. For seasonal businesses wishing to have an on-line presence, the Local Enterprise Office trading on-line voucher is designed to assist small businesses with up to 10 employees. It offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 along with training and advice to help your business trade online. It should however be noted that it is a requirement of the scheme that a business be operational for 6 months to be eligible to apply for this scheme.

My colleagues, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD,  have recently established a special Tourism Recovery Taskforce with an Independent Chair, dedicated to spearheading economic recovery for the tourism sector and ancillary activities to prepare recommendations on how best the Irish tourism sector can adapt and recover and to identify priority aims, key enablers and market opportunities for the sector for the period 2020-2023. 

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