Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The agencies within my remit have an extensive range of supports available to enable companies to prepare for Brexit. For 2019 I am allocating an extra €8 million to the enterprise agencies and regulatory bodies under my Department for various Brexit supports, as well as to continue driving export diversification. I am allocating an additional €5 million for the local enterprise offices, which will include a specific measure for customs training for importers and exporters. I am providing an additional €1 million for InterTradeIreland to step up business preparedness actions.

On the effectiveness of the supports, a recent survey of 2,400 Enterprise Ireland clients found that 85% were taking Brexit-related actions. The figure is up from 38% this time last year, a positive indication that companies are undertaking Brexit preparedness actions. It is important to note that companies are choosing from the full suite of supports available from the agencies. Among Enterprise Ireland clients, in the first six months of this year alone, 43% of the 1,600 most exposed firms received grant aid. Similarly, the number of firms using the Enterprise Ireland Brexit scorecard is at nearly 3,000. Enterprise Ireland is working to ensure businesses will start to take Brexit-related actions and avail of supports which suit their requirements to help them to be more competitive, innovative or grow exports. In that regard, I am happy with the cumulative uptake of such supports.

The focus is on increasing the numbers that have completed Brexit scenario planning. For those with a plan, the focus is on working through implementation actions and building capability in the areas of customs and tariffs, the supply chain, regulation and standards and employee movement issues. In addition, I have recently met the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, and the three participating pillar banks to discuss the €300 million Brexit working capital loan scheme. To date, 224 firms have been approved by the SBCI in the agrifood, retail and distribution, manufacturing, hospitality and transport sectors. To date, 38 loans to the value of €8.5 million have been sanctioned at bank level. As part of budget 2019, I also announced a new €300 million future growth loan scheme, to come into effect from early 2019, to provide loans for up to ten years.

We continue to engage with businesses to step up the preparedness of companies using a range of communications channels — print, social media, online toolkits, radio and advisory clinics. The next Enterprise Ireland Brexit advisory clinic will be held in Dundalk.

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