Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A report commissioned by the European Commission estimated that traditional enterprises with a strong online presence grow twice as fast, export twice as much and employ twice as many people as those who do not. In Ireland, Irish consumers spend almost €4 billion per annum online and yet the proportion of SMEs trading online is estimated to be as low as 23%.

One of the key objectives of the forthcoming national digital strategy will be to address this challenge, and get some 2,000 small businesses trading online. As a first step, I intend to pilot a voucher scheme that will provide upfront funding for small businesses to help them develop an online trading platform. The proposal will support, in the first instance, an independent evaluation of the business’s online needs and capacity and identify what steps will be taken for that business to commence trading online. The voucher will be based on a competitive process and will be awarded to businesses which show a significant potential for developing a capability to trade online. It will support businesses where digital adoption has traditionally been weak and where the prospect for real gains in competitiveness and growth is established.

Working with Mr. David Puttnam, whom I have appointed as Ireland’s digital champion, I intend to engage with industry service providers with a view to assisting small businesses in realising the full benefit of this initiative. I am aware that the commercial sector has been actively working with the business community on a variety of online initiatives and I look forward to working together to help Irish businesses gain competitive advantage by maximising online opportunities for trade.

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