Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 April 2018
119. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the specific programmes to assist small and medium-sized enterprises that face particular difficulties due to Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16996/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is continuing to work hard to help Irish businesses across the country to withstand the challenges and avail of the opportunities posed by Brexit. The long-term response to Brexit is for companies to become more competitive, more innovative, and to diversify their export footprint into more markets.
In response to Brexit, EI has introduced a range of new supports, streamlined others, and launched a Global Ambition communications campaign.
For client companies, being prepared is crucial to ensuring resilience to emerging challenges. To promote awareness, and supported by a national Prepare For Brexit campaign, EI has:
- Developed and launched the Brexit SME Scorecard, an interactive online platform which can be used by all Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit under six business pillars. To date over 2,000 companies have utilised this Scorecard.
- Designed and launched a €5k Be Prepared Grant that helps to support the costs of SME clients to prepare a plan to mitigate risks and optimise opportunities arising from Brexit.
- Held a number of Brexit Advisory Clinics to encourage companies to examine their potential exposure to Brexit.
In 2018 EI is:
- Continuing to run regional Brexit Advisory Clinics to support companies to take immediate action to address their potential exposure.
- Providing an independent consultant to companies through the Act On Programme. This consultant will assist companies to identify specific actions they can take over a short period to address some of the risks and opportunities caused by Brexit.
To support the eight Regional Action Plans, and as part of the Government’s strategic response to Brexit, additional funding of up to €60m is being rolled out by EI over the next 4 years. The Fund will support collaborative projects that will boost the regions by supporting enterprise and creating jobs. Twenty-one successful applicants representing all regions of the country have secured up to €30.5m for their projects in the first competitive call. The second call was launched earlier this week.
The Local Enterprise Offices are supporting their clients by providing information, training and mentoring on Brexit related issues as well as advice on other sources of support. A suite of LEO Brexit supports are available to micro and small businesses through the 31 LEOs nationwide.
InterTrade Ireland (ITI), has also been very active in assisting businesses address the challenges that Brexit may present for future cross-border commerce. A series of information and awareness raising events have been underway in towns across both North and South over recent months. ITI is also rolling out a ‘Start to Plan’ readiness voucher scheme, which enables companies to purchase specialist advice in areas such as customs, tax, tariff and non-tariff barriers, legal and labour mobility issues.
My Department has also launched a Brexit Loan Scheme. The Scheme makes a fund of up to €300 million available to eligible Irish businesses. Finance provided under the scheme is easier to access, more competitively priced, and offered at more favourable terms than other lending for such businesses.
