Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Brexit loan scheme amounts to €300 million. Obviously these small businesses are critical as we go through the next couple of years, regardless of what happens. Perhaps the Brexit situation might not happen but if it does this is a core area of the economy that we must strongly support. I note that the bulk of the funding is coming through the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, but the Minister mentioned, and it is referred to in the Estimates, that there would be resources there for SMEs, that is, companies that have less than 500 employees. The Department is providing €23 million of the initial seed fund and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is providing €9 million. What targets does the Minister have for that to shore up what is perhaps the most important area of our indigenous economic performance?

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