Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is something that gets raised with me all of the time. The Government recognises that domestically traded sectors account for a significant number of firms in Ireland and, more importantly, for a high proportion of employment across the retail, construction, hospitality, leisure, and many other sectors. They contribute to the economies and social fabric of towns and villages across Ireland and help create jobs in every single region. Government policy has ensured a competitive business environment for all firms based on a world-class economic infrastructure, a competitive tax regime, supports for start-ups, scaling, and investment, and strong institutions that provide access to skills and research and development.

To further improve our assistance for businesses, as part of budget 2024, the Government announced a new national enterprise hub. This will have a dedicated website and phone line with a hub adviser to help businesses to access State supports. Any business, including those referenced in the Deputy's question, can call it for direct help in navigating the comprehensive suite of supports that are on offer to business throughout Ireland.

Since their establishment in 2014, the local enterprise offices, LEOs, have acted as a first-stop shop for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own businesses. The LEOs have dramatically expanded their reach over the past number of years and the White Paper on Enterprise sets out a pathway for the LEOs to enhance their advisory services for these domestically traded sectors through the training, development and mentoring supports that are available to all enterprises. Furthermore, the local enterprise offices can help small businesses to improve productivity and reduce energy use and carbon emissions through the digital start and energy efficiency grant schemes. However, there are significant challenges to providing direct grant supports to domestically trading firms. These include the need to avoid excessive displacement or funding activity that would have taken place anyway and ensuring that we do not raise barriers to entry for entrepreneurs and new firms by supporting incumbents, thereby reducing competition and innovation for consumers. In the budget that was agreed just this week, we have set aside almost €10 million extra for the local enterprise office network so that these offices can support as broad a range of businesses as possible.

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