Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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161. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he plans extending the closing date for making claims under the trading online voucher scheme in view of the fact that some suppliers of these services are under pressure to complete all the required work by this date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39443/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is managed by my Department and delivered nationwide in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Enterprise Ireland, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices and Údarás na Gaeltachta. The Scheme offers advice and peer-to-peer support 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.

In response to Covid-19, funding for the Scheme in 2020 was increased from €2.3m to €39.8m, and new flexibilities were introduced including reducing the requirement for co-funding and allowing businesses to apply for a second voucher where they have successfully utilised their first one.

Successful applicants have four months to complete their projects from the date of approval. Local Enterprise Offices may offer an extension for drawdown where there is reasonable expectation that to do so would see the applicant complete their project and drawdown in full.