Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know a suite of schemes was announced yesterday. I read the Minister's press release and I was in the Dáil Chamber for the budget speech. What I want to know is what element of these proposals will be loans, what will be grants and what will be equity. My reading of the schemes is that, particularly for the smaller businesses, there will be support for microenterprise and for Microfinance Ireland of €5 million and an emergency Brexit fund for microenterprise of €5 million. Both of those are either loans or repayable grants but there are no grants for small businesses that get into trouble. Businesses out there are averse to taking on any more debt and they do not have the capacity to take on any more debt . My understanding is that there was no grant aid for these people in the Minister's announcement yesterday. I seek clarification in that regard.

The Minister talks about her Department providing support for businesses. Why is it that just 1%, or 531, businesses out of more than 90,000 that Revenue identified as having traded with the UK in 2018 have participated in the Brexit customs training? We are not prepared enough. I want to know what the Department is going to do to increase that preparedness.

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