I propose to take Questions Nos. 620, 621, 624 and 638 together.
The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is managed by my Department and delivered nationwide in partnership with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Enterprise Ireland, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices and Údarás na Gaeltachta. The Scheme offers skills training, mentoring and a grant of up to €2,500 to help small and micro-businesses to develop their ecommerce capability.
The Scheme was launched nationally in mid-2014. By end 2019, some 6,400 small and micro businesses had completed, or were in the process of completing their trading online projects. In addition, 19,000 or so business owners-managers had benefitted from advice and peer-to-peer support through their participation in the information seminars delivered by the Local Enterprise Offices under the Scheme.
On 8 April, in response to Covid-19, funding for the Scheme was increased from €2.3m to €5.6m, and new flexibilities were introduced including reducing the requirement for co-funding from 50% to 10% and allowing businesses to apply for a second voucher of up to €2,500 where they have successfully utilised their first one. Based on sample of Local Enterprise Offices, second vouchers account for 7.5% of approvals and applications.
On 8 June, in response to significant demand for the Scheme, further funding of €14.2m, including an allocation of €0.6m for Údarás na Gaeltachta, was announced bringing the total budget allocation in 2020 to €19.8m.
There has been continuing high demand for the Scheme since 8 June and my Department in liaison with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland will later this week allocate a further 800 vouchers to the Local Enterprise Offices, bringing the total allocation in 2020 to 8,000 vouchers or €19m.
The table below sets out the current position regarding allocations, approvals and applications and is informed by the most up to date information received by my Department from the individual Local Enterprise Offices.
|
Local Enterprise Office
|
Allocation for 2020 as of 8 June
|
Vouchers approved as of 12 June
|
Value of vouchers approved as of 12 June
|
Completed voucher applications not yet approved as of 12 June
|
Draft or incomplete voucher applications on hand as of 12 June
|
|
Carlow
|
98
|
79
|
€178,069
|
79
|
5
|
|
Cavan
|
73
|
43
|
€100,673
|
37
|
15
|
|
Clare
|
170
|
92
|
€230,000
|
12
|
85
|
|
CORK City
|
367
|
103
|
€251,500
|
134
|
197
|
|
CORK NW
|
340
|
106
|
€246,558
|
63
|
163
|
|
CORK South
|
345
|
61
|
€167,829
|
112
|
193
|
|
Donegal
|
255
|
93
|
€225,201
|
74
|
78
|
|
DUB City
|
335
|
183
|
€442,732
|
343
|
0
|
|
DUB South
|
540
|
85
|
€212,500
|
110
|
245
|
|
DLR (DUB)
|
430
|
94
|
€221,641
|
107
|
8
|
|
Fingal (DUB)
|
615
|
199
|
€514,451
|
103
|
171
|
|
Galway
|
215
|
205
|
€486,847
|
73
|
35
|
|
Kerry
|
354
|
51
|
€116,011
|
110
|
109
|
|
Kildare
|
160
|
120
|
€278,605
|
63
|
9
|
|
Kilkenny
|
279
|
88
|
€201,807
|
12
|
6
|
|
Laois
|
70
|
39
|
€89,499
|
34
|
0
|
|
Leitrim
|
70
|
24
|
€57,549
|
18
|
42
|
|
Limerick
|
290
|
79
|
€178,624
|
10
|
98
|
|
Longford
|
75
|
34
|
€81,576
|
8
|
10
|
|
Louth
|
235
|
60
|
€135,331
|
28
|
53
|
|
Mayo
|
110
|
83
|
€189,981
|
20
|
17
|
|
Meath
|
390
|
79
|
€179,885
|
98
|
145
|
|
Monaghan
|
60
|
25
|
€58,539
|
10
|
20
|
|
Offaly
|
80
|
37
|
€86,584
|
5
|
10
|
|
Roscommon
|
67
|
67
|
€153,458
|
18
|
10
|
|
Sligo
|
109
|
60
|
€136,894
|
21
|
9
|
|
Tipperary
|
235
|
121
|
€272,918
|
21
|
57
|
|
Waterford
|
148
|
110
|
€253,539
|
20
|
10
|
|
Westmeath
|
150
|
76
|
€175,030
|
38
|
20
|
|
Wexford
|
205
|
106
|
€238,133
|
98
|
38
|
|
Wicklow
|
170
|
82
|
€199,600
|
102
|
11
|
|
Údarás na Gaeltachta
|
160
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|
Total
|
7,200
|
2,684
|
€6,361,561
|
1,981
|
1,869
|
