Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

194. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the funding made available to businesses located in County Galway for Brexit preparations through his Department in 2020; the number of businesses which have benefitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44145/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department and its agencies have put a wide range of enterprise measures in place to assist businesses in identifying key risk areas and practical preparatory actions to be taken with regard to Brexit.

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in County Galway offer grants to businesses responding to Brexit challenges including the Technical Assistance for Micro Exporters grant. 5 applications have been approved funding of €2,500 under this grant in 2020. The LEOs are also offering one-to-one Brexit mentoring and training.

The LEOs' social media ‘Countdown Campaign’ got underway in September, marking 100 days to go until January 1st 2021, featuring the ‘change is coming’ message and supported with LEO branded social media cards, website sliders, email signatures and Mailchimp graphics for ezines.

Enterprise Ireland offers an Online Customs Insights Course outlining on key customs concepts, documentation and processes. EI also offers Brexit Advisory Clinics which, taking place nationwide and providing information and practical support through individual meetings across Strategic Sourcing, Financial & Currency Management, Customs Transport & Logistics.

Details of Enterprise Ireland’s financial Brexit supports to companies in Galway is set out below:

EIBrexit Supports Approved to Companies in Galway

Enterprise Ireland also administers some of these specific Brexit supports on behalf of IDA Ireland. IDA Ireland also has a suite of tools that its clients can avail of to assist companies to sustain and grow their businesses for the future.

IDA’s International Marketing Programme, assists companies to expand their marketing efforts to generate new markets and new opportunities. It’s Lean and Agile Programme assists companies in increasing their performance and competitiveness for sustainability and growth of their service or manufacturing site in Ireland.

IDA also offers a Global Sourcing Programme, which assists companies in sourcing their supply chain in Ireland to create more agility and efficiency and decrease over-reliance on the UK market and access. In 2019 a total of €24,794,941 of grants were paid to IDA clients in the Galway region across IDA’s entire suite of the supports.

The Brexit Loan Scheme, which makes working capital lending available to eligible Irish businesses negatively exposed to current or future impacts arising as a result of Brexit is also available to companies. Loans range from €25,000 to €1.5m for terms of up to three years47 eligibility codes, for businesses in Galway, were approved under this Scheme, and 13 loans have been drawn to a value of €3,860,500 as of 30 September 2020.

InterTrade Ireland offer a Brexit Advisory Service and Brexit Planning vouchers which offers 100% financial support up to £2,000/€2,250 (inclusive of VAT) towards professional advice in relation to Brexit matters. In 2020, 14 companies based in Galway have been approved for funding totalling €31,500 to help them prepare for Brexit through ITI’s Brexit Voucher.

I and my Department and its agencies will continue to encourage business to examine their readiness for Brexit and take actions where shortfalls in those plans are evident.