Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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42. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the trading online voucher scheme is being expanded; the number of businesses which have availed of the scheme in County Offaly in 2017 and since its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7254/18]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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81. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the uptake of the trading online voucher scheme by county both in 2017 and since the scheme’s introduction; if the scheme is being expanded; if so, if such an expansion will include data protection and cyber security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7261/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 81 together.

My Department's Trading Online Voucher Scheme is designed to support micro businesses (10 or less employees, less than €2 million turnover) to develop their trading online capability. The scheme pairs training with financial support of up to €2,500 (subject to matched funding), to help small businesses to grow and diversify their markets through trading online. It specifically targets businesses who are not yet trading online or doing so in a very limited away. This is a demand-led scheme, which is funded by my Department, and delivered in every county by the Local Enterprise Office.

By the end of 2017, over 4,100 small businesses had successfully applied for a trading online voucher and over 10,600 businesses in total had benefited through participation in training sessions delivered by the Local Enterprise Offices under the scheme since it began in 2014.

This year I have provided funding to increase the target number of businesses supported from 1,000 per annum to 1,500 in 2018. My Department is currently scoping initiatives to build on the success of the scheme, including the development of a national website and centralised web-based infrastructure for online application to the scheme. 

As part of this, my Department, in collaboration with our partners in the delivery of the scheme, will explore ways in which the scheme can promote awareness of the latest digital trends, including topics such as data protection and cybersecurity, in the context of its primary objective which is to increase the demand for broadband products and services.

The following table provides information on the number of applications approved under the scheme by county, including Offaly, from 2014 to date.