John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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60. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how he is supporting Irish exporters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21585/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The government's White Paper on Enterprise sets out an ambitious vision for Ireland’s enterprise policy, seeking to secure a sustainable, innovative and high-productivity economy. To achieve sustainable, diversified growth and enhanced economic resilience, it is vital that the Irish-owned enterprise sector fulfils its potential to scale and succeed on global markets. As an agency of my Department, Enterprise Ireland (EI), is responsible for helping prospective and emerging exporters to build company scale and expand their reach. EI aid to exporting SMEs includes direct financial assistance through grants, loans, and equity investments; Market Research and export development assistance; funding and mentoring for Innovation and Research; and facilitating international trade missions, trade event programmes, buyer visits, and market access opportunities, which are instrumental when growing and scaling internationally.

EI's Strategy for 2025-2029 sets out a number of initiatives to create resilient, internationally focused Irish enterprises, and ambitious targets are set for export growth and market diversification of the EI client base. This includes growing the total value of exports reported by EI client companies on an annual basis and driving diversification. Companies, supported by EI, exported goods and services worth €34.6 billion in 2023, the highest level on record. The impact of this activity by EI client companies can be seen in the €39.3 billion spent in the Irish economy in 2023 which includes approximately €11.7 billion spent on payroll.The White Paper sets a target of 2,000 new exporters by 2030. To help achieve this, Enterprise Ireland, in collaboration with the Local Enterprise Offices, has introduced the 'Get Exporting' export accelerator to support companies at every stage of their journey to achieve new export sales. This programme is focused on providing businesses with the tools and knowledge needed for export success.

Enterprise Ireland Market Advisors, based in 42 offices around the world, provide EI client companies with the local knowledge and connections necessary to grow their export sales. EI’s Market Research Centre supports businesses with extensive market data, in-depth market analysis and tailored insights, so they can take a strategic approach to decisions and gain a competitive edge. EI also offer a range of market access grants to assist companies that are starting out on their export journey. These include the Digital Marketing Capability grant, the Evolve strategic planning grant, the Market Discovery Fund, and the Strategic Marketing Review.I am very conscious of the current and emerging uncertainties for business in global markets. In this context, Enterprise Ireland is proactively engaging with client companies, on a one-to-one basis, as they continue to explore mitigation strategies to navigate these challenges, and to assess what opportunities may arise.