Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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999. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost of trebling funding for the trading online vouchers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4924/20]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is designed to support small and micro businesses, i.e. businesses with 10 or less employees and less than €2 million in annual turnover, to develop their e-commerce capability. The Scheme offers a financial incentive of up to €2,500 along with training, mentoring and network support. The Scheme is funded by my Department and administered nationwide through the Local Enterprise Office network.   

The Scheme is demand-led and as such the take-up, level of financial assistance per business in terms of redeemed voucher costs, and thus total cost to the Exchequer will vary from year to year. When the Deputy's question was originally submitted the Trading Online Voucher Scheme had a budget in 2020 of €2.3m. The cost of trebling that budget allocation is €6.9m.  

In order to support small and micro-businesses during the course of the coronavirus pandemic an additional €3.3m has been provided to the Scheme in 2020, bringing the total budget to €5.6m. In addition new flexibilities to the Scheme have been introduced, including reducing the requirement for co-funding from 50% to 10%, allowing businesses to apply for a second voucher of up to €2,500 where they have successfully utilised their first one; and allowing subscriptions to low-cost online retailing platform solutions to quickly establish a retailing presence online.