Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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20. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if usage data relating to the National Enterprise Hub is able to demonstrate the more popular or accessible business supports; the means by which this data is being used to inform the decision making process in relation to the development of new business supports and the expansion of existing business supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50589/25]

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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27. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there are statistics relating to the usage of the newly launched National Enterprise Hub; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50460/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 27 together.

I thank the Deputy for this question.

I was pleased to launch the National Enterprise Hub in July last year. This all of government initiative is staffed by expertly trained advisors. The Hub was designed to help businesses navigate and access a wide range of government supports.

At launch, the NEH provided guidance on 180 supports from 19 government departments and agencies. Since then, the service has grown significantly and now offers information on over 250 supports from 32 different Government bodies. These resources are available through the online portal at www.NEH gov.ie, or by speaking directly with one of the advisors who can access the specific needs of a business and connect them with the most appropriate supports or agencies.

The NEH was established with five primary goals, to improve access to supports, reduce friction for business owners, engage with businesses not currently availing of supports, drive a pipeline of engagement for all partner agencies and capture insights to information policy development.

Through the NEH, the Government is committed to reducing barriers and enhancing access to supports for all business owners. The Hub continues to evolve, with ongoing improvements to services and the way data is captured and utilised.

Since launching last year, the NEH has handled over 7,500 enquiries. Monthly volumes have grown steadily, with over 700 queries received in August alone, more than double the number recorded in January. In August the most searched categories were Fund your start-up, Get help with cashflow, and Get support to expand. The top individual supports in August were LEO Mentoring, LEO Business Advice and the Micro Finance Start up Loan.

This data not only highlights areas of greatest interest but also provides valuable insights into the evolving needs of Irish businesses.

To ensure the NEH remains current with the most up to date information, my department chairs a coordination group with representatives from across the Government Department and agencies. This group meets quarterly and is tasked with reviewing and updated NEH content on a monthly basis. Additionally, Enterprise Ireland’s NEH team chairs a monthly operations meeting to address practical matters relating to updates and planning.

My Department is also working on how to improve the NEH further with a greater emphasis on simplification.

Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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21. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to establish a national start-up campus modelled on the successful French 'Station F'; if a well-supported and ready-to-go site in Sandyford would meet the criteria as a potential location for such a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50691/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The establishment of Start-up Ireland is a key priority under the Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity.

Delivered by Enterprise Ireland, on behalf of my Department, it aims to support 1,000 new startups between 2025 and 2029 by helping founders to start, connect, and scale. The initiative will address the challenges, identified by a recent OECD report on the Irish start-up ecosystem, by providing for more integrated supports and coordinated pathways for entrepreneurs, and by targeting specific funding gaps.

This new central coordinating approach will enhance alignment and collaboration across the national start-up ecosystem, creating a more cohesive and founder-first ecosystem. Start-up Ireland will also oversee the rollout of a new National Accelerator Programme, succeeding the NDRC, and will act as a national focal point for policy, investment, and ecosystem development, aligning with European and global best practices.

The recent OECD report 'Supporting start-up globalisation in Ireland through incubation and acceleration' also recommended that Ireland promotes a flagship national entrepreneurship campus. This recommendation is reflected in the Programme for Government commitment to consider the development of a national start-up hub for entrepreneurs to engage with all Government Departments and agencies, fast-track the start-up process, and collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs.

As part of Start Up Ireland, Enterprise Ireland is considering the development a National Start-up Hub and this process is well advanced. I would encourage all interested stakeholders to engage directly with Enterprise Ireland.