Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I and my officials in the Department are very alert to these issues, and we have to be in the context of Brexit. This is an enormous challenge for business and one of the greatest challenges Irish businesses have ever faced. We want businesses to get involved with supports that are there at present.

As I have already said, we have filed a rescue and restructure scheme under the state aid rules, but that is another initiative that is well under way. A number of other countries have done this and I reassure the Deputy that we are working with like-minded countries in relation to the challenges posed by Brexit.

My officials are actively having the kind of discussions the Deputy mentioned should the need arise to put the case on state aid rules as I have outlined it. We are very alert to the issues. I encourage all businesses to get involved with the supports that are there, to work with Enterprise Ireland and to engage with the agencies. There are various supports, including the €5,000 be prepared grant to begin the process for smaller businesses, which could be taken up more than it is at present. A new hub for businesses will be provided next year, which will also give some financial support to help them continue the process of preparing. The Deputy is right that we need to see more companies examining precisely what the impact of Brexit will be on their businesses. More and more companies are engaging on the issues and preparing their own plans to deal with the challenges they face, especially those companies that have a high dependency on the UK market.

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