Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

No. In the White Paper on Enterprise we have a strict focus on digitalisation, decarbonisation and innovation. We have a target in our plan to get basic digital intensity to 90% of all SMEs by 2030. There is a huge amount of work under way to achieve that. We have put together a very significant funding package of €58 million for the digital transition fund. We have also choreographed interaction with the tertiary education sector in order to innovate and get a new way of working. Small companies can get vouchers and work with tertiary education to hive off new opportunities and new ways of doing their business.

Second, we are working through the climate action toolkit on decarbonisation. We have seen approximately 12,400 companies get their own tailored plan. We are working with the new decarbonisation fund, which we have put €300 million into, and that has resulted in a dramatic change in some areas. We have a lot of work to do in some sectors. Cement, for example, accounts for 40% of all emissions, so we have a lot of work to do in that sector in regard to the decarbonisation map that has been published.

In terms of innovation, it is important that we have a strong take-up from companies using data analytics, cloud computing and AI, which are going to provide a great opportunity for so many SMEs in the future. Dr. Patricia Scanlon is working on the AI advisory council which has six separate subgroups. A number of reports have been published by the Department on that. We are very much tailoring support to SMEs in order to innovate and improve productivity and ensure there is a strong bedrock for research and innovation. In addition, we are tailoring our tax code to support that and trying to make the administration capacity side more lean, which will be important. I have strong views in that regard, which I am working on in the current budgetary context.