Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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56. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the environmental aid scheme is funded exclusively by the Exchequer or the European Union funding programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10345/22]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s Agencies, as part of their funding offers, support investment in energy efficiency and environmental projects in their client companies, in compliance with the conditions of the Environmental State Aid Scheme agreed for Ireland 2014-2020 and recently extended to 2023. The legal basis for the Scheme is the enabling legislation of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. These projects are funded through the annual vote of my Department.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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57. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if SMEs with a significant energy use that are not clients of Enterprise Ireland or the IDA are eligible to apply for the environmental aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10346/22]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s Agencies, as part of their funding offers, support investment in energy efficiency and environmental projects in their client companies, in compliance with the conditions of the Environmental State Aid Scheme agreed for Ireland 2014-2020 and recently extended to 2023. The legal basis for the Scheme is the enabling legislation of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. These projects are funded through the annual vote of my Department.

My Department has recently been awarded funding under the EU's National Recovery and Resilience Fund to grant aid projects to accelerate decarbonisation of the enterprise sector. The details of the fund and how it will operate are currently being finalised and it is expected to launch mid-year.

This initiative will have two components:

1. The Climate Enterprise Action Fund which will provide incentives for the early stages of the carbon transition pathway for microenterprises and SMEs. It will include assistance to undertake feasibility studies and to develop detailed decarbonisation plans.

2. The Carbon Reduction Fund which is for investment in carbon measurement and abatement technologies for manufacturing enterprises (indigenous- and foreign-owned). The programme will also assist with capital investment and promote capacity building with a focus on abating their high CO2 emissions.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) also have funding available to assist businesses and SME’s in their energy efficiency and environmental projects. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland also run programmes to assist enterprises in their energy efficiency journey, including the EXEED grant and the SSRH schemes.