Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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69. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to review Enterprise 2025 with respect to forecasts outlined for employment and export levels, in view of the fact it was published in November 2015 in advance of the June 2016 Brexit referendum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22959/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise 2025 sets a roadmap for longer term enterprise development. Its development was informed by global drivers of change including globalisation, demographic, geo-political volatility and technological advances. The Action Plan for Jobs 2017 which I lead across Government and was published earlier this year sets ambitious targets and actions to be delivered as part of Enterprise 2025.

I have commenced a Review of Enterprise 2025 to ensure that our policy framework and priorities are robust and remain current in the uncertain environment 

Our vision for Ireland is to be the best place to succeed in business, delivering sustainable full employment and higher standards of living for all. Enterprise 2025 sets out actions that focus on building competitive advantage, ensuring a supportive business environment and attracting further investment.  It seeks to realise a significant uplift in the performance of enterprises in terms of innovation, export potential and productivity.  The potential set out in Enterprise 2025 for employment, exports, productivity and growth is ambitious, and even more so in today’s environment.

In March this year, I and my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade brought to Government and published our new trade and investment strategy, 'Ireland Connected: Trading and Investing in a Dynamic World'. The critical importance of intensifying our well-established markets in the UK and the US and diversifying into other global markets is at the heart of our Strategy. Targets for Enterprise Ireland include that 80% of export growth be in markets outside the UK, exports to the Eurozone be increased by 50% and a target of 60% growth in food and drink exports in Asia, North America and Africa.

My review will be informed by potential future growth scenarios and my objective to complete later this year is to determine the extent to which the policy priorities set out are robust and to adjust as necessary. The fundamentals of our enterprise policy are likely to remain valid, although this timely review will help to identify additional actions that may now be needed.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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70. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way in which she will support SMEs to prepare for the impact of Brexit; if recent statistics show that those impacts are now under way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22953/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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My Department and its agencies are fully engaged in preparing for Brexit. Enterprise Ireland’s (EI) #PrepareforBrexit communications campaign featuring the ‘Brexit SME Scorecard’ was launched in March.  The Scorecard is an interactive online platform which can be used by all Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit. 

A recent survey of SMEs commissioned by my Department on Brexit impacts, and published on my Department’s website, indicated that 49% of companies had experienced no impact on their business from Brexit, and a further 15% had experienced minimal impact. However, when asked to look forward over the next 18 months the percentage expecting no Brexit impact drops to 26%, with 17% expecting a significant impact.

EI has introduced a ‘Be Prepared Grant’ which offers up to €5,000 for exporting client companies to conduct further research and use external expertise to develop a Brexit Action Plan.

The Local Enterprise Office and Inter Trade Ireland are offering a range of Brexit focused supports to companies, including those engaged in cross-border trade with Northern Ireland.

Based on significant analysis and stakeholder consultation my Department is currently working on further measures targeted at identified needs of companies around working capital and business development.