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

I was very pleased that the programme for Government committed to the delivery of a national SME growth plan that will map out an ambitious strategic blueprint for SMEs and entrepreneurs beyond the period of Covid-19. The SME growth task force, which was established last September, is reviewing policy across four sub-groups: entrepreneurship; productivity, digitalisation and competitiveness; internationalisation; and clustering and business networks. The latter sub-group is examining how to strengthen the connections and interdependence between local businesses and multinational companies.

Our regional enterprise plans are focused on region-specific enterprise development and opportunities, and provide a mechanism for joined-up responses at a regional level, including networking and clustering initiatives. In that regard, Enterprise Ireland's Powering the Regions programme provides for nine regional specific plans to grow and sustain jobs and to expand the reach of Enterprise Ireland's client base in every county and region. The programme also supports the scaling of companies into the regions and the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, into the food sector.

Enterprise Ireland's regional technology cluster fund provides a platform for engagement between enterprise and the institutes of technology and technological universities to drive productivity and competitiveness in and across the regions. The clustering activity will enable institutes of technology and the technology universities to connect and engage with SMEs and multinational corporations in a strategic way on common areas of interest.

My Department supports joint agency initiatives, such as the global sourcing initiative between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, which aims to create business opportunities for Irish-owned companies with multinationals based in Ireland and raises awareness of the innovative capabilities of Irish SMEs across a range of sectors.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Under the enterprise centres scheme, the regional enterprise development fund and the Border enterprise development fund, my Department has provided over €180 million in funding across every region. Affordable shared remote and co-working spaces for businesses across the country are supported under each of these funds. The SME growth plan, including these initiatives, will be part of our national economic plan, which is currently being developed by the Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment.

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