Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

78. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures he is taking to support the tyre sales industry in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49709/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) based within the 31 Local Authorities continue to be the first stop shop for local businesses in Ireland. In the first instance LEOs provide a signposting service for all government supports available to all small businesses and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies.

The LEO Policy Statement 2024 -2030 commits to contributing to the White Paper priority of enabling the locally traded sector to thrive and steps have been taken to open LEO services up to more small businesses across all sectors of the economy.

LEOs provide training and advice on entrepreneurship and helping businesses to start, grow and deal with the challenges of running a business. To assist small businesses to become more productive and competitive, the LEOs provide consultancy and grants, in the areas of Lean, Green, and Digital, to small businesses across all sectors. These supports focus on enhancing productivity and improving competitiveness in small businesses. I would recommend that any small business owner contact their Local Enterprise Office and ask to speak to a Business Advisor about the supports available to them.

I also encourage any business owners looking to avail of government support to consult the National Enterprise Hub (NEH). The NEH is an all-of-government free service, staffed by expertly trained advisers and is focused on helping business owners access a range of government supports.

To directly support retail and locally trading enterprises my Department introduced the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) and Power Up grant schemes, which paid out over €400 million to businesses across the country in 2024. Included in this was a second ICOB payment and €4,000 Power Up grant to businesses in the retail sector