Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the specific programmes to assist small and medium enterprises that face particular difficulties due to Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16996/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is continuing to work hard to help Irish businesses across the country to withstand the challenges and avail of the opportunities posed by Brexit. The long-term response to Brexit is for companies to become more competitive, more innovative, and to diversify their export footprint into more markets.

In response to Brexit, EI has introduced a range of new supports, streamlined others, and launched a Global Ambition communications campaign.

For client companies, being prepared is crucial to ensuring resilience to emerging challenges. To promote awareness, and supported by a national Prepare For Brexit campaign, EI has:

- Developed and launched the Brexit SME Scorecard, an interactive online platform which can be used by all Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit under six business pillars. To date over 2,000 companies have utilised this Scorecard.

- Designed and launched a €5k Be Prepared Grant that helps to support the costs of SME clients to prepare a plan to mitigate risks and optimise opportunities arising from Brexit.

- Held a number of Brexit Advisory Clinics to encourage companies to examine their potential exposure to Brexit.

In 2018 EI is:

- Continuing to run regional Brexit Advisory Clinics to support companies to take immediate action to address their potential exposure.

- Providing an independent consultant to companies through the Act On Programme. This consultant will assist companies to identify specific actions they can take over a short period to address some of the risks and opportunities caused by Brexit.

To support the eight Regional Action Plans, and as part of the Government’s strategic response to Brexit, additional funding of up to €60m is being rolled out by EI over the next 4 years. The Fund will support collaborative projects that will boost the regions by supporting enterprise and creating jobs. Twenty-one successful applicants representing all regions of the country have secured up to €30.5m for their projects in the first competitive call.  The second call was launched earlier this week.

The Local Enterprise Offices are supporting their clients by providing information, training and mentoring on Brexit related issues as well as advice on other sources of support. The suite of LEO Brexit supports available to micro and small businesses through the 31 LEOs nationwide include.

InterTrade Ireland (ITI), has also been very active in assisting businesses address the challenges that Brexit may present for future cross-border commerce.  A series of information and awareness raising events have been underway in towns across both North and South over recent months. ITI is also rolling out a ‘Start to Plan’ readiness voucher scheme, which enables companies to purchase specialist advice in areas such as customs, tax, tariff and non-tariff barriers, legal and labour mobility issues. 

My Department has also launched a Brexit Loan Scheme. The Scheme makes a fund of up to €300 million available to eligible Irish businesses. Finance provided under the scheme is easier to access, more competitively priced, and offered at more favourable terms than other lending for such businesses.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the specific programmes that will be introduced to assist enterprises and businesses that are heavily or totally dependent on the British market for exports in view of the challenges that have already occurred and the further difficulties that will arise from Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16997/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I, as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, am acutely aware that many Irish exporters are highly reliant on the UK as their primary export destination. My Department is central to the Government wide effort to prepare Irish enterprises and our wider business ecosystem for Brexit. Steps already taken include Budget 2018 (and 2017), our Trade and Investment Strategy published in March 2017 and through the Action Plan for Jobs 2017 and 2018. 

“Building Stronger Business” sets out work underway, and planned, by Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) and its Agencies in response to Brexit, including supports available to companies, to help them prepare for Brexit. It also describes our research programme designed to inform that response. This Paper focuses on businesses given that they are already dealing with the consequences of the Brexit referendum result. The Government is responding with supports to help make companies more resilient in the face of changes to come because of Brexit but also because of broader global challenges. We are focusing on deepening national and firm level competitiveness, fostering product, service and process innovation within companies and working with businesses to diversify their trade with the world.

The following is a list of supports available to Irish enterprises, especially those who are highly dependent on the UK market as the destination for their exports. These supports will help alleviate the impact of Brexit on their businesses:

€300m Brexit Loan Scheme

In March 2018, the Government launched a new Brexit Loan Scheme for eligible businesses with up to 499 employees. Loan amounts range from €25,000 up to €1.5m, for terms of up to 3 years and a maximum interest rate of 4%. The Scheme will provide much-needed finance to eligible business impacted by the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. It will make a real difference to firms, enabling them to adapt, change and innovate. This, in turn, will help them to become more competitive, a fundamental trait in any resilient business.

SME Scorecard Online Tool

Any business can quickly self-diagnose whether they are ready for Brexit. This Enterprise Ireland (EI) scorecard is a first step in developing a robust Brexit plan. It will help to stimulate thinking about the key areas that may be impacted in your business and to self-assess your level of preparedness. www.prepareforbrexit.ie

Awareness Sessions & Advisory Clinics

There are a range of awareness sessions and Advisory Clinics being convened by EI, InterTrade Ireland (ITI) and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to provide information and support to companies all around the country on actions to address exposure to Brexit. The key focus of advisory clinics are Financial and Currency Management, Strategic Sourcing and Customs, Transport and Logistics.

Be Prepared Grant

For businesses that need external support in planning for Brexit, Enterprise Ireland offers up to €5,000 to assist client companies develop a plan.

EI Market Discovery Fund

Diversifying to new markets is one option for many businesses in preparing for Brexit. EI supports businesses to research viable and sustainable new market entry strategies.

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs)

Brexit supports from LEOs in every county include:

LEO Brexit Mentor Programme: supporting Owner/Managers identify key Brexit exposures and develop robust strategies to address issues and maximise potential opportunities.

Technical Assistance for Micro-Exporters (TAME): Financial assistance to support market diversification in qualifying businesses to develop new and export market opportunities.

Lean for Micro: helping businesses adopt LEAN business practices to increase competitiveness.

LEO Innovation and Investment Fund (LIIF): Support for innovative developments in micro-enterprises by getting them investor ready.

InterTradeIreland (ITI) Brexit ‘Start to Plan’ Vouchers

ITI provides a Brexit Advisory Service to help businesses with practical advice, support and information on Brexit related issues. ITI also provides vouchers to enable companies to get professional advice on Brexit, including likely tariffs, currency management, regulatory and customs issues and movement of labour, goods and services.

FDI Brexit Supports

IDA Ireland offers support to client companies as they grow and diversify their Irish footprint. The IDA offers practical assistance, such as information and advice on Brexit risks and opportunities, and financial assistance across R&D, training, employment and capital investment.

Health and Safety Authority (HSA)

The HSA’s Chemicals Helpdesk provides a support service for Irish chemical companies and SMEs on meeting legislative duties and ensuring they can source chemicals and sell in the EU.

Certification, Standards and Metrology

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) provides advice on how best to ensure businesses are certified to appropriate standards to access markets.

A number of Brexit alleviation supports are also available from Government Agencies outside of my Department that are involved in specific business sectors:

Tourism and Hospitality

Fáilte Ireland offers a suite of supports for hospitality and tourism businesses, including an online Brexit Readiness Check, to assess Brexit risks and to respond to current challenges.

Bord Bia Brexit Barometer

Bord Bia’s Brexit Barometer is designed to help businesses assess their readiness for Brexit and also provides information on supply chain, currency, customs and international market diversification opportunities.

My Department is leading on a range of Brexit research projects, which will provide an extensive evidence base and valuable analysis to inform and guide Ireland’s position within the EU-27. The Department’s actions are set out in more detail in the publication Building Stronger Business: Responding to Brexit.