Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

800. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the uptake of the trading online voucher scheme both in 2017 and since the scheme’s introduction by county; if the scheme is being expanded; if so, if such an expansion will include data protection and cyber security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12664/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department's Trading Online Voucher Scheme is designed to support micro businesses (10 or less employees and less than €2 million turnover per annum) to develop their trading online capability. This is a demand-led scheme, which is funded by my Department, and delivered in every county by the Local Enterprise Office.

By the end of 2017, over 4,100 small businesses had successfully applied for a trading online voucher and over 10,600 businesses in total had benefited through participation in training sessions delivered by the Local Enterprise Offices under the scheme since it began in 2014.

This year I have provided funding to increase the target number of businesses supported from 1,000 per annum to 1,500 in 2018. My Department is currently scoping initiatives to build on the success of the scheme, including the development of a national website and centralised web-based infrastructure for online application to the scheme. 

As part of this, my Department, in collaboration with our partners in the delivery of the scheme, will explore ways in which the scheme can promote awareness of the latest digital trends, including data protection and cyber security, in the context of its primary objectives. My Department has recently provided training to the LEO administrators of the scheme in respect of cyber security for potential applicants.

The following table provides information on the number of applications approved under the scheme by county, from its introduction in 2014 to December 2017: