Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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87. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment his views on the policy of Enterprise Ireland that companies producing hemp-based products cannot be supported by grants; if he will request Enterprise Ireland to review this policy given the Programme for Government commitment to fully explore the potential for growing fibre crops such as hemp, considering whether these crops have a viable market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41332/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise Ireland is currently not in a position to support companies active in the area of cannabis-based products. Enterprise Ireland’s position is based on the fact that, while EU regulations permit a threshold of 0.2% of THC in hemp products, products containing any trace of THC are considered as a controlled drug in Ireland under the Misuse of Drugs Orders. In other words, there is no lower limit of THC permissible under national legislation.

Therefore, products which can contain even minimal levels of THC pose reputational risk to Enterprise Ireland as the agency is not in a position to verify which companies, products and extraction methods meet the legal requirement in Ireland to contain 0.00% levels of THC.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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88. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the reason a company (details supplied) did not receive a grant from Enterprise Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41333/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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AgriBioTech Partners trading as Floreo Botanicals have been engaging with their Local Enterprise Office in Offaly.  I also understand that Floreo Botanicals is a Botanicals Company and they use many plants in their products including Flax, Nettle, German Chamomile and Hemp.   

Hemp is a cannabis-based product and for the purposes of Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Office support, companies using cannabis-based products cannot be approved for grants to businesses. 

The policy is based on legislation, that products containing any trace of THC are considered as a controlled drug in Ireland under the Misuse of Drugs Orders.  Currently there is no lower limit of THC permissible under national legislation.  The Local Enterprise Offices are not in a position to verify which companies, products and extraction methods meet the legal requirements in Ireland to contain 0.00% and this poses a reputational risk to Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices.