Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have raised previously with the Minister and her colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, my ongoing concern about the mismatch between the resources being deployed by the Government to help small and medium enterprises prepare for Brexit and what these companies are seeing on the ground. I am sure the Minister is aware of a recent study undertaken by Allied Irish Banks which suggested that only 6% of small and medium enterprises had a Brexit plan. In the context of all the money being spent on this issue, does the Minister accept the 6% figure highlighted in the survey is correct? Does it reflect her understanding of the position? If she believes the findings of the AIB survey are correct, will she explain how the money is being spent such that it does not appear to be resulting in small and medium enterprises getting ready for Brexit?