Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans specifically in the Border region to interact with, inform and assure businesses ahead of Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37660/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I fully appreciate the importance of ensuring that Irish businesses, including those located in border regions, are best able to withstand the pressures that Brexit may exert.

In Budget 2017, I was able to provide additional funding to InterTrade Ireland, the Cross Border Body which has specific responsibility for developing Cross Border Trade to enable that body to undertake a range of initiatives for SMEs trading across the border and to help them adapt to the changed circumstances. Assistance will include the provision of factual advice, supports for capability building and the provision of other specialist expertise. These initiatives are now underway.

The 2017 Action Plan for Jobs has also identified a range of actions to facilitate the resilience of Irish businesses in anticipation of Brexit.  Seventeen actions are aimed at promoting market diversification, improving competitiveness, realising opportunities in foreign markets and attracting research and innovation talent to Ireland.  Three actions focus on the specific sectors of agri-food and tourism which is a very important aspect of cross border trade. All twenty actions will be of particular benefit to the border region with one of them (Action 13) focusing on delivering economic growth and jobs through the North-South Council and outreach activities.

The North East/North West Regional Action Plan for Jobs is a key policy response, in the context of Brexit, for supporting employment growth in the Border region. The Plan aims to deliver 28,000 extra jobs in the counties of Cavan, Monaghan, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Louth by 2020. The Plan is stimulating job creation across the region by facilitating collaborative initiatives between the public and private sector.

There has been a substantial improvement in the North East / North West region since the commencement of the Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative in Q1 2015, with 4,700 more people in work in the region by Q1 2017. In addition, the unemployment rate in the region has fallen from 10.2% in Q1 2015 to 7.5 % over the same period, compared to the national rate of 6.7%. The value of the Regional Plans, with all of the key stakeholders involved, means that more than ever, we have a finger on the pulse of each region.

Enterprise Ireland continues to support companies, including their many clients in the border counties, on a one to one basis to enhance their competitiveness and capability and build on their success in existing and new markets. Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Brexit SME Scorecard’, a new interactive online platform which can be used by all Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit, is available on www.prepareforbrexit.ie.  This tool is a starting point for SME management teams looking to develop an action plan to help mitigate risks and leverage opportunities which may arise from Brexit.

Finally I am continuing to look at new ways to support companies to address the Brexit challenge.  In particular work is progressing on a proposed Brexit-related Working Capital Guarantee Scheme and also scoping out the need for a longer term Business Development Loan Scheme which would assist firms in investing for a post-Brexit environment.