Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the availability of funds, only last weekend I saw advertising from Enterprise Ireland encouraging SMEs to access the Agile Innovation fund. This fund is designed to support SMEs make the necessary changes to get ready for Brexit. I emphasise that the responsibility for making those changes sits first with those who run and own these companies. We will do as much as we can but I am concerned that the scale of the challenges approaching all of us as Brexit develops in whatever shape it may take has to be broadly understood by those involved in running small and medium-sized businesses. We have opened the fund to support them in their work and we will, as announced in the budget, put in place an additional fund which is aimed at Irish agriculture in particular. The Taoiseach addressed the IFA on Tuesday night to ensure its members of our understanding of their difficulties as well as the opportunities available, and our desire to support its members and Irish farming in responding to the grave challenges that could develop.

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