Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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81. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way his Department is supporting businesses, particularly SMEs, to address gaps in their cybersecurity infrastructure and encourage take-up of very high-capacity broadband connectivity as part of Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan and funded by the European Union; if there is dedicated funding for both provided by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47383/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Driving the digital transformation of enterprise, and in particular among SMEs is a central objective of the National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework. Digital technologies have the power to transform small businesses, opening up new opportunities, increasing productivity and efficiency, and building resilience.

In line with the National Digital Strategy, in June I launched the Digital Transition Fund alongside Grow Digital, which focus on driving the uptake of digital technologies among businesses in Ireland. This €85m fund is part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will run to 2026, drawing on the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to help SMEs at all stages of their digital journey.

Under Grow Digital, my Department held a series of workshops for businesses around the country, offering practical advice to businesses considering digitalisation. Work is also under way on the development of a new, web-based Digital Portal, which will offer information to all businesses on how they can approach their digital transition and the supports available to assist them in the process. I expect this will be launched in 2023.

My Department is also allocating funding towards the establishment of a national network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs). The initiative is co-funded by the EU under the Digital Europe Programme. The EDIHs will provide access to technical expertise and experimentation, so that organisations can “test before invest”, as well as innovation services, financing advice, and the training and skills development necessary for successful digital transformation. These Hubs will specifically target emerging technology awareness and capacity-building, enhancing the uptake and deployment of Artificial Intelligence, high performance computing, and cybersecurity. Ireland will have four hubs in the network, and they are set to be operational by the end of 2022.

The need for robust cybersecurity is called out in the National Digital Strategy, as a prerequisite for a successful Digital transition. This requires a systemic approach, as set out in the National Cybersecurity Strategy. In terms of individual SMEs, we would advise that businesses always engage with trusted software and cloud providers, and promote awareness of cybersecurity issues among staff on an ongoing basis.

Policy and funding responsibility for both cyber security and high-speed broadband rests with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, who may be able to provide more detail on those specific areas.