Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the preparations that have been made to protect Irish businesses in the case that there is no agreement on Brexit between the EU and the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34993/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government’s Brexit Readiness Action Plan sets out a broad range of changes that will occur from 31 December 2020, regardless of the outcome of ongoing EU-UK negotiations. It provides clear and concise advice on steps to be taken now by businesses and individuals in order to prepare for the end of the Transition Period.

Enterprise measures in place include a €20 million ‘Ready for Customs’ support scheme (part of the Government’s €5 billion July Stimulus package). Enterprise Ireland's ‘Ready for Customs’ scheme is available to help businesses recruit and build staff expertise in customs declarations and provide for related investment in relevant ICT. This financial incentive of up to €9,000 will help businesses meet the challenge that will become very real on 1st January next.

Enterprise Ireland are running an on-line Customs Insights course and also a new Brexit Readiness Checker to produce a report assessing a company’s readiness for Brexit.

Skillnet Ireland offers a free online customs training programme, ‘Clear Customs’, to support the customs intermediary sector and businesses that moves goods frequently to, from, or through Great Britain.

The Local Enterprise Offices are running one-to-one Brexit mentoring and training “Prepare Your Business for Customs” workshops, and will continue to offer their grants to business responding to Brexit challenges including the Technical Assistance for Micro Exporters grant of €2,500 and LEAN for Micro grants to assist productivity improvements.

The €2 billion Credit Guarantee Scheme, launched recently, is the largest guarantee scheme that has ever been provided for Irish businesses to date to ensure there is financing available for Irish businesses as they reboot and rebuild both through Covid-19 and Brexit.

We have provided further funding to MFI to ensure it can meet the needs of microenterprises that can not avail of bank funding over the coming period.

We have expanded the SBCI Future Growth Loan Scheme up to €800m in lending.

Information is also available from the National Standards Authority of Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority, IDA Ireland, Revenue, Skillnet Ireland, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, Bord Bia and Fáilte Ireland and full details on the wide range of Brexit supports are available at:

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