Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the degree to which she continues to monitor business openings and opportunities arising from Brexit with a view to maximisation of employment here post Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27403/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that in so far as possible, my Department is seeking to maximise opportunities and minimise risks by ensuring the growth and resilience of Irish enterprise post Brexit. I have said in the past that Brexit does not present many business opportunities but is rather an exercise in damage limitation for businesses.

Nonetheless. we are working across Government to create the best environment for businesses to grow, export and create jobs.

The key elements of this include ensuring that firms have access to finance; that our tax regime is competitive and supportive of enterprise; that we invest in productivity enhancing infrastructure and promote national competitiveness; and that our agencies are appropriately resourced to help business to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that emerge.

We are supporting firms to start exporting, to grow their exports in existing markets and to diversify into new markets and regions. This support has been enhanced through the recruitment of an additional 100 Brexit related staff across the Department and its Agencies.

While the UK is and will remain a major market for Irish companies, expanding the Irish export footprint in markets beyond the UK is a key priority. Our enterprise agencies are now opening new offices around the world to support our companies in competing and thriving in global markets.

Enterprise Ireland’s (EI) strategy is to support Irish exporters to be more innovative, competitive and market diversified.

Ministerial-led Trade Missions support the Government's major drive towards market diversification and I have led on a number of successful trade missions over the past year to help Irish companies to expand into new markets. The majority of trade missions are taking place to the Eurozone, North America and Asia Pacific, which represent the strongest growth opportunities for Irish companies.

It is noteworthy also that EI client companies achieved record levels of exports in 2018 of €23.8bn, against the backdrop of Brexit uncertainty.

In 2018, the Eurozone region, which is a key focus of Enterprise Ireland’s diversification strategy, saw growth of 7.6% to €4.8bn, with Germany, France and the Netherlands each exceeding €1bn in exports.

Exports to North America increased from €3.87bn in 2017 to €4.08bn in 2018, an increase of 5.5%.

Some of the biggest opportunities in relation to Brexit for Ireland is in the investment area.

Ireland is already an attractive location in Europe for foreign direct investment (FDI) and we are well placed to attract investment from multinational companies wanting to locate within the EU and in an English-speaking common law country.

IDA Ireland continues to work closely with international clients, from a range of sectors, to mitigate the potential impact of Brexit and to capitalise on any opportunities for additional Brexit-related foreign direct investment (FDI) in the future.

In doing so, the IDA has targeted both new-name investors and increased investment from companies already located here. This approach has contributed to record results in recent years and should lead to further investment and job creation in the years ahead.

In addition, staff at IDA are working hard to avail of new investment opportunities from non-traditional target markets and the IDA has also restructured its global footprint in response to Brexit, with the UK now being treated as a distinct market.

The results of these efforts have already been positive, with over 80 Brexit-related investments and 5,300 associated jobs won to date.

Our efforts to secure more investment, post-Brexit, will be aided by our membership of the European Union. This ensures that companies considering an investment in Ireland will gain barrier-free access to the EU market.

When taken together with other strengths - such as our pro-enterprise environment and our highly skilled dynamic workforce - these factors will assist Ireland to continue to be an attractive destination for mobile overseas investment post Brexit.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the degree to which she continues to promote, generate and support Irish business at home and abroad in view of ongoing challenges such as Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27404/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government has a new plan - Future Jobs Ireland - to ensure we are preparing now for the jobs of the future. While the economy is performing well with strong employment and unemployment down to 4.4%, we cannot be complacent. In the past we took success for granted and failed to prepare for emerging challenges, trends and opportunities.

Future Jobs Ireland includes ambitious targets and actions to drive this transformation of our economy. These includes funds, policies and initiatives that; enhance productivity, especially among SMEs; promote indigenous entrepreneurship, especially in the regions; encourage clustering and stronger links between domestic and foreign owned firms; and assist businesses to move up the value chain, to protect jobs and to build resilience for the future.

The long-term response to Brexit is for companies across all sectors to become more competitive, more innovative and to diversify their export footprint into more international markets. The agencies under my Department have a wide range of supports available to enable companies to consolidate market share within the UK, and also to become more resilient by broadening their sales to other international markets.

Enterprise Ireland’s results for 2018 show the progress that the Agency have been making in supporting and driving the creation of new enterprises in the indigenous sector at a national and regional level. Client companies assisted by Enterprise Ireland created 18,846 jobs in 2018 and 64% of the jobs created were outside Dublin, with all regions recording increases in employment. There were 215,207 people employed by Enterprise Ireland supported companies in 2018, the highest total employment in the history of the agency and exports also reached a new record of €23.8 billion. Importantly, these EI client firms have extensive links to their local economies around the country and EI client purchases of raw material and services and wages to direct employees exceeded €27 billion in 2018.

Enterprise Ireland’s clients' exports continued to rise for a ninth consecutive year and now stand at €23.8 billion, the highest level in the history of the State. This represents a 6% increase on 2017, and a €10.9 billion increase in exports since 2009.

During 2018, EI progressed with its strategic ambition to expand the Irish export footprint, by growing exports beyond the UK, while consolidating and building upon hard-won UK market positions. The 2018 export figures confirm that EIs clients are exporting more than ever before, to more diversified markets than ever before. Importantly, 417 companies established new overseas presences in 2018.

In the UK, which is and will remain, EI clients' largest market, exports remained strong and increased by 4%, despite the prevailing challenges of volatility and uncertainty. EI progressed with their ambition to reduce overall UK market exposure to one-third by 2020. During 2018 EI achieved a further one per cent reduction in UK market exposure, reducing it to 33%, down more than ten per cent over the years

The Eurozone region, which is a key focus of Enterprise Ireland's diversification strategy, saw growth of 7.6% to €4.8bn, with Germany, France and the Netherlands each exceeding €1bn in exports.

Enterprise Ireland’s focus is to assist client companies to build on the strength of their 2018 performance by supporting them to start, innovate, be competitive and to diversify their global footprint. In delivering on this, new supports have been introduced, others streamlined, a Global Ambition campaign launched and an intensive programme initiated to support companies to take action and plan for Brexit so that they have the resilience necessary to navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by any kind of Brexit.

The UK is the leading exporting destination for Enterprise Ireland supported companies and is the first export destination for many companies. Despite this, Enterprise Ireland supported companies, are increasingly diversifying their global footprint beyond the UK. The proportion of exports to the UK has reduced by 10% over the years, reflecting the success Irish companies are having in substantially increasing and broadening their exports to other international markets.

Enterprise Ireland has a broad range of supports to help companies prepare for Brexit including the Brexit Scorecard, Be Prepared Grant, Advisory Clinics, Agile Innovation Fund, Operational Excellence Offer and Market Discovery Fund. Recently launched EI supports including online Customs Training and Act On Consultancy. In addition, the Local Enterprise Offices recently launched their customs training offering which is available to all companies. Furthermore, the suite of enterprise supports in place cover a range of potential Brexit impacts. These range from liquidity support through short term and longer term loans, to restructuring aid for businesses in severe operating difficulties, including an EU State aid approved Rescue and Restructure Scheme to deal with sudden shocks and an expanded network of overseas offices and in-market supports to help firms diversify markets and to consolidate market share in the UK where appropriate.

The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are located throughout the country and provide a range of supports for the micro and small business sector. The LEOs act as the “first-stop-shop” for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business. The Government agreed to increase funding for the LEOs by 22% in 2019 and this increase is being used to assist micro-enterprises in becoming more competitive and to build resilience against Brexit.

To drive awareness of the importance of preparing for Brexit, a number of regional advisory clinics have been held by Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs around the country.

It is also vital that businesses themselves prepare for Brexit impacts and take actions to mitigate against any adverse effects. Firms that do business with the UK, whether buying goods or exporting products, should in particular, examine their supply chains to determine their vulnerabilities and take appropriate action.