I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 57 together.
The Small Firms Investment in Energy Efficiency scheme was announced in Budget 2023. The objective of the scheme is to support capital investment by businesses to reduce carbon emissions based on energy efficiency projects. The rationale of the scheme would be to support companies to reduce their carbon emissions and overall energy costs by accelerating the adoption of low carbon technologies or processes.
Taking into account national policy and in consultation with the LEO network, Enterprise Ireland is developing guidelines and eligibility criteria for the rollout of the new programme by each of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices. A budget of €2m has been allocated nationally and it is planned to launch the scheme in Q1 2023.