Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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352. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 288 of 9 June 2020, if a further reply will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13085/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Trading Online Voucher scheme is delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) on behalf of the former Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment as part of the national digital strategy.  On 8 April, the then Government announced amendments to the scheme, to address the challenges posed by Covid 19, intended to boost the numbers of businesses seeking to engage in online trading.  The support is available to cover 90% (previously 50%) of the costs of an online initiative and recipients can claim, under certain circumstances,  up to €5,000 in two vouchers worth €2,500 each. 

There has been an unprecedented demand for the TOV Scheme with up to five years level of applications since the outbreak of Covid 19 and therefore, due to extremely high volumes of applications, the LEOs may not be able to process applications within their normal turnaround times.

In relation to the specific case raised by the Deputy, under the prescribed terms of the scheme, approved by the then Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, retrospective expenditure is ineligible and expenditure incurred prior to receiving Voucher approval is not supported under the scheme's terms of conditions.

Nevertheless, the LEO is eager to work with the particular business in terms of any future planned expenditure and would encourage the promoters to work with one of the LEO approved mentors to draft a digital plan, which it would be happy to consider for grant support under a new TOV application.