Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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912. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the specific measures being explored to enhance access to finance, innovation supports, and market diversification for SMEs in light of global economic uncertainty (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14223/25]

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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913. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development ; his plans to scale up enterprise hubs, digital infrastructure, and rural SME supports to ensure local businesses can grow and create sustainable employment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14224/25]

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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914. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his views on the vital role SMEs play in local economies; if the Government is committed to accelerating these supports; if so, the timeline envisaged for implementation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14225/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 912 to 914, inclusive, together.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the Irish economy, and the supports provided by Government recognise their importance. Such enterprises operate across every sector, often supporting larger enterprises in their activities. SMEs are also particularly important for rural areas, with many such companies providing employment that is central to the economic wellbeing of their towns and villages. Government has repeatedly responded to economic challenges faced by SMEs in a proactive way, which has helped support this sector navigate many challenges in recent years.

As the Deputy is aware, the main supports for SMEs, including around access to finance, innovation supports, and market diversification, are a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. That Department provides comprehensive information on those supports on their website at: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/supports-for-smes/

My own Department offers a number of supports to SMEs in rural areas.

One of the three themes for the current LEADER programme is economic development and job creation – and over the last number of years, the investment in the rural economy and rural enterprises has seen thousands of rural jobs created or sustained through the programme. The LEADER programme will continue to be a vital support for rural areas in the coming years.

Social Enterprises are an important sub-set of the SME sector, with 4,300 such enterprises employing around 85,000 people throughout the country. My Department is responsible for the National Social Enterprise Policy and, as part of that, have funding schemes to support social enterprise capacity building and has established a hybrid social lending scheme which provides a blend of re-payable loans, grants and capacity building to social enterprises. The third round of this scheme, which is operated through Rethink Ireland, is currently open for applications.

My Department has also driven strong investment in digital infrastructure, remote working hubs and enterprise hubs, all of which help the SME sector and its employees. This includes the provision of 300 Broadband Connection Points, support for the Connected Hubs platform with 369 remote working facilities now registered, and schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund providing opportunities to develop enterprise hubs and other such infrastructure in rural areas.

While, as noted, the main supports for SME’s are provided through the DETE, the supports from my Department, outlined above have helped to build more resilient rural economies and communities, and will continue to help rural communities as they face into new challenges and uncertainties.