John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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12. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if usage data relating to the National Enterprise Hub is able to demonstrate the more popular or accessible business supports; if such information will help shape future supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32944/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his question on the National Enterprise Hub which was established on 10 July 2024 and since then, the NEH has handled more than 6,000 inquiries from businesses. Monthly numbers have increased consistently and 773 were received in May alone. The primary goal of the NEH is to improve access to Government supports for businesses. We also want to simplify access and reach businesses that have never availed of the many different supports on offer. While my Department leads on the NEH overall, it is run by Enterprise Ireland, EI, and it is very much a whole of Government approach. The NEH has expanded considerably in the last year and now offers information and support on more than 250 Government supports from 30 different Government bodies. The NEH continues to undergo developments to refine and improve its services and to enhance the manner in which data is captured and used to ensure it is providing useful insights that can be used to inform policy.

In terms of the most popular supports, the top three most searched categories in May this year were, as the Deputy might expect; grants and funding; loans, training and programmes; and advice and mentoring. The top inquiries received by the NEH team in May were: fund your start-up; become more digital; and get support to expand. They relate to scaling up, digitalisation and AI and seed funding for start-ups. The top individual supports were the local enterprise office, LEO, supports start your own business; the grow digital voucher; LEO and EI feasibility studies; Micro Finance Ireland loans; the LEO energy efficiency grant and the revenue start-up relief for entrepreneurs. SOLAS micro-qualifications, the SBCI growth and sustainability loan scheme, social protection job plus and Skillnet Ireland networking also featured as popular supports.

I am learning every day of all the different schemes and supports that are there so something like this that pulls all of that together and gives it to the business community is essential.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for the update. I fully agree with her. When the Minister of State shares that information, she is essentially giving an insight into what is happening in the market. However, if a business owner sits in front of a computer and is looking for information, they do not necessarily know what they are navigating for. We need to be sharing that detail on the website's home page and using it as an interactive piece. I appreciate this is very early days - it was only established last July - but it has been hugely welcome. The level of engagement is important to share but also the outcome on queries and where the obstacles were is also important. Business people learn from each other in networks, hotels and whatever else on a daily basis and there should be an element of that brought in here as well.

On the grants, this is a constant, evolving and moving piece. We need to not just share that information but give that element of opportunity for businesses to share their sense of the market. As the Minister of State said, that can feed up in many different ways into what our policy can be.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. As I said at the outset, the National Enterprise Hub not only gives the information but it is collecting the data too which gives the Government a laser sharp focus on the type of policy, grant aid and supports we need to offer to get to the critical crux of what businesses need to support, grow and scale.

The figures I gave out on the inquiries it has had so far are incredible. There have been 6,000 since it began and in May alone, there were over 700 inquiries. The hub brings together information and resources on more than 250 Government supports and 30 different Government bodies and State agencies. That is always the challenge for business people, especially the small and medium sector that may not have a HR section or does not have a section dedicated to going after where funds are or where they can be availed of. That is always the feedback we would all get. Having that one stop shop, which is the hope and intention of what the enterprise hub is, gives them that one place they can go. It is across 30 Government bodies. That kind of coherence and collective information is critically important.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. She might not believe this but sometimes, I get feedback that the grant systems are too good to be true. When you get an applicant that has gone through the likes of an energy efficiency grant, how seamless it is and how easy it is to apply and get the payment, that feedback needs to get out there more. We will see an increase in that regard. No one can doubt what progress has been made from a Government perspective in this space over time, whether it be sick pay or living wage, but overall prioritising the viability of business. That is the message we need to get out.

There is a narrative that we may not have been as pro-enterprise as we are but this is very much an instrument and tool we need to use to our advantage. It is working but it needs to be maximised and invested in more to ensure there is a level of engagement with it rather than just pushing information out on particular grants. It should be showing what is the top line in terms of what the engagement has been so people are learning from it.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In my short few months in the Department, the Minister, Deputy Burke, has been relentless on the theme of lighter, faster and simpler with what the Deputy is talking about and providing opportunities for businesses to apply for those grants and make it easier and quicker and not as onerous or burdensome. As we all know and we hear it at meetings ourselves, business people ask is it worth the effort. There is a huge effort being made on the Minister's part to get all of the right people around the table and have the forums for those messages to come across, not just to us, the policy makers, but to the officials too who are helping us pull together these grant applications.

The Minister, Deputy Burke, has been relentless on the message of simpler, faster and lighter on not just the burdens of regulation but also on the theme of providing supports to businesses to assist them to scale up and grow.