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

I thank the Senators for their support. It is much appreciated because Brexit is a serious challenge to this country. By working together, we will face up to and deal with this challenge, as we have dealt with other challenges in the past.

Senator Davitt raised the matter of our carbon footprint. Ireland has a small domestic economy but exports a substantial amount of our produce. We have to do that in order for companies to be able to create jobs. Enterprise Ireland has a range of supports in place to help client companies address environmental issues. There is a strong awareness of changing requirements and the need to help our companies to adapt to these changes and continue to sell on the global market. Future Jobs Ireland is the whole-of-Government approach to dealing with the challenges of the future, including in technology. One of the pillars of Future Jobs Ireland is helping companies to transition to the low-carbon economy.

Senator Mac Lochlainn raised the take-up of Brexit supports. He will be pleased to hear that take-up of these supports has increased. The Brexit loan scheme is the working capital facility that companies can avail of. Pressures on liquidity arising from customs and duties will probably create the most pressing need among companies in a no-deal Brexit. Their cashflow will come under pressure and the Brexit loan scheme is available to help safeguard their liquidity. Some 199 loans have progressed to sanction at bank level and €44 million has been provided under the scheme. I encourage companies that have not applied to the loan scheme to apply today in order that they have funding available if their cashflow comes under pressure. It will not cost them anything if they do not use it. They should have this funding in the background. I have been saying that for some time. I understand that companies are afraid to take on additional commitments and borrowings in the face of the uncertainties of Brexit. However, this scheme operates like an insurance policy. Companies should apply to ensure they have funding available if their overdraft comes under pressure.

There is €50 million available under the future growth loan scheme in which there is particular interest because 296 loans have progressed to sanction at bank level. A total of 216 Enterprise Ireland Be Prepared grants have been approved and 194 companies have been approved for funding under the Enterprise Ireland market discovery fund. InterTradeIreland and the local enterprise offices also offer a range of supports, as does Enterprise Ireland. I have not heard any complaints about the supports that are available. If somebody has an issue with them or if they have suggestions on how we can improve them in any way, they should tell us because we want to help businesses.

We have been held numerous Brexit meetings and more than 100 seminars around the country. Over the summer months, I visited Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal and Dundalk in County Louth. These Border counties will be most impacted. We had a meeting in Dundalk about three weeks ago with 300 people present. Last Friday, I attended a Bank of Ireland Brexit seminar in Cootehill, one of a series of such seminars the bank is holding across the country. It was a good meeting with very good speakers, which was attended by about 150 people.

We are setting out for businesses the steps they need to take. We launched the get ready for Brexit initiative some weeks ago, which sets out nine steps that businesses need to take. Some are simple and will not cost money and the whole process can be completed in half an hour. Businesses should take time out to do this. Anyone who cannot make sense of the process can get a voucher for up to €2,250 from InterTradeIreland and use it to pay somebody to assess the risks facing his or her company. That support is available and people should use it. The local enterprise offices also have supports and people should visit their LEO and get the necessary advice. The local enterprise offices and Enterprise Ireland have been rolling out training on customs. Those who are unsure of customs procedures and documentation should attend one of the training sessions being rolled out. Enterprise Ireland's website features an online training course on customs. For companies with significant exports, the clear customs course, an intensive training course being organising through Skillnet Ireland, is being rolled out across the country. Businesses can also avail of grant aid to either employ or part-pay somebody €6,000, up to a maximum of ten staff members. There are a range of supports available and I implore companies to use them.There has been an increased take-up of supports, because as we get closer to 31 October, the likelihood of a no deal becomes greater. We have been working with companies and we will continue to do that.

Certification and standards were mentioned. Sometimes, it is hard for companies to know exactly what is required of them. The agencies are all available to help. People should pick up the phone and ring them. They are there to help and they will tell people what they need to do. There is work involved. People need to look at their supply chains, where they are getting their goods and where they will get them certified. Many products were certified in the UK and that would not be the case any longer in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Products have to be certified in an EU country. That is something people need to consider. Those are the things that are available in the information provided. People should go to gov.ie/brexitwebsite and they will find everything they need to know.

I referred earlier to the measures that were introduced in the budget in the event of a no-deal Brexit. They include €42 million under the rescue and restructuring scheme. Those supports are available to firms with liquidity or insolvency problems that need to put a complete restructuring plan in place to adjust to whatever the new reality is in a hard Brexit, with equity or loans up to €10 million. Examples of the type of companies we are targeting there include construction products, an engineering business dependent on the UK whose business collapses overnight, or a food processing business that is a large employer in the regions for whom the introduction of tariffs, for example, could result in the closure of the market and there is a need to radically restructure while meeting existing contractual obligations. Many such companies are key to rural economies in terms of a route to market for farmers. Those are the kinds of companies we will be looking at under the rescue and restructuring scheme.

A €45 million transition fund is also available to help businesses adapt to short-term shocks such as disruption to supply chains, loss of market or to adjust their business model, as needed, and change to the new trading reality that a no deal would present. It will be especially important for businesses that find they can no longer access the UK market and they need short-term support as they win new markets and adjust products and services such as engineering sub-suppliers.

There is a €10 million transformation fund, comprising €5 million from my Department and another €5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to help companies that need to completely change. We supported a company recently that has been working with Enterprise Ireland which changed its processes. Cheddar cheese is especially popular in the UK and the company has moved from producing cheddar to mozzarella. The funds we are putting in place now make sure that companies get the support they need in the event of an unexpected shock. If companies are working with Enterprise Ireland, which they should be, they should be identifying potential shocks and preparing for them. The transformation fund is intended in the event of a hard Brexit and when companies need support they will get it from day one. All of the supports that have been announced in the budget have been approved for state aid by the EU.

Microfinance Ireland has €5 million and the local enterprise offices, LEOs, also have €5 million so between them, they should be able to give supports to any business whether it is a hairdresser or a haulier. They do not have to be exporting. Either body can give support to any business. Each body can give up to €50,000, which is up to €100,000 in total for companies. We must be clear. We will be supporting companies that are vulnerable but viable. Enterprise Ireland are the experts. It will work with companies on a case-by-case basis.

We have also increased the funding to InterTradeIreland to help companies on both sides of the Border. It will play a big role in supporting businesses north of the Border because such businesses, if impacted by Brexit, could have consequences for people living south of the Border because there is a lot of cross movement and people moving over and back and working on either side of the Border.

I think I have covered all the questions. We have invested in Dublin Port. We invested in more staff in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and in Revenue. We have emailed 220,000 companies through the Companies Registration Office to tell them what they need to do and giving them the links to the Brexit supports.

Senator Humphreys referred to the staff in my Department. They have been working extremely hard. A huge amount of work, effort and time has gone into making sure that we have the right support available for Brexit. I acknowledge their work and thank them for it.