William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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20. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the financial supports he will put in place to assist SMEs reduce their greenhouse emissions in line with Government targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32784/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Thank you Deputy for asking this important question.

Our targets in these areas are to reduce industrial emissions by 35% by 2030, and in commercial buildings by 45% by 2030.

Since becoming Minister of this Department I have been focused on supporting small businesses, as they are the backbone of our economy and provide much valued employment. In assisting SMEs to become more sustainable, we are also helping them to lower their energy costs and become more competitive. The Government has a range of financial and advisory supports available to businesses to assist them to decarbonise.

As a first step businesses can get help to identify where can they make energy savings. Through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) Support Scheme for Energy Audits, SMEs can access a €2,000 voucher to cover the cost of a professional energy audit, to identify where energy is being used inefficiently and highlight opportunities to cut costs and reduce emissions. Most audits are fully funded and carried out by SEAI-registered experts. Similarly, Enterprise Ireland’s Climate Action Voucher offers up to €1,800 to fund two days of independent consultancy to help companies to identify and act on energy-saving opportunities.

The Climate Action Programme from Fáilte Ireland meanwhile is fully subsidised and gives SMEs in the Tourism Sector access to a dedicated expert advisor who will work with them on a one-to-one basis to assess their current operations and create a tailored, practical action plan. This will enable the SME to get clear, unbiased guidance on how to reduce emissions, improve energy use, and explore available funding opportunities — all designed around the specific needs of their business.

Once businesses know what areas they want to invest in, there are further supports available to fund energy efficient equipment and building retrofits. The Local Enterprise Offices offer the Energy Efficiency Grant which can be used to invest in items such as new energy efficient equipment, smart controls or heat recovery systems. Recognising the importance of this support, I announced a series of revisions to its terms last year, including raising the grant rate to 75% and the maximum investment ceiling to €10,000. This led to a marked increase in its uptake, and by the end of 2024, 289 small businesses had availed of grants with a total value of €2.28 million. That strong demand has continued into 2025. So far this year alone 296 small businesses have availed of grants worth €2.45 million in total.

The SEAI’s Business Energy Upgrades Scheme which opened for applications late last year, assists the business, agricultural, public body, or non-profit sectors to introduce energy efficient and renewable measures into their buildings. There has been a strong uptake of this Scheme so far with 102 applications approved totalling €2.39m in grant funding.

Finally, there are also loans available to SMEs to fund sustainability measures. The €500 million Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme (GSLS) delivered by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland has unlocked significant funding to enable SMEs, including farmers, fishers and mid-caps to avail of long-term finance at a lower cost to expand, diversify, improve productivity and invest in energy efficiency and sustainability. As of 31 December 2024, 1,427 loans were approved totalling €313 million.

Lastly Deputy you may wish to know that we are aware from recent market research undertaken on behalf of my Department, that sustainability is an important day-to-day issue for businesses, and that many have already taken steps to become so.

I am keen to support businesses to be sustainable and am confident that this package of supports in place is effective and will assist SMEs to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.