Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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381. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans to provide a replacement for the growth and sustainability loan scheme after it expires on 30 June 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51703/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The €500 million Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme, jointly developed by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is underpinned by a partial guarantee from the European Investment Bank Group and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (the SBCI). SBCI also operate the Scheme.

This scheme offers long-term loans ranging from €25,000 to €3 million, with terms of up to 10 years, to SMEs, farmers, fishers, and small mid-caps. Loans of up to €500,000 are available on an unsecured basis, making finance more accessible for SMEs.

A minimum of 30% of the scheme’s lending is targeted at environmental sustainability and climate action, with the remainder supporting productivity and competitiveness. Loans for climate-related purposes also benefit from an additional interest rate discount.

To date, 1,930 loans have been approved, totalling €432 million.

While the scheme remains open until June 2026 or until fully subscribed, some participating banks have paused new applications due to high demand and substantial pipelines of existing applications. Specifically, Bank of Ireland and PTSB are not currently accepting new applications as they process their existing pipeline, which is expected to bring them close to their allocation limits. AIB has paused applications for the growth element of the scheme but continues to accept applications for green and climate-related loans.

Non-bank lenders Finance Ireland and Close Brothers remain active participants and continue to accept new applications under the scheme.

Given the high demand, officials in the Department and Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are negotiating with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland and the European Investment Banking Group to both extend the duration and expand the capacity of the Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme to ensure continued access to finance for viable businesses. I plan to bring proposals to Government in the next three months.

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment remains committed to supporting Irish enterprises through targeted financial instruments that promote sustainability, competitiveness, and long-term resilience.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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382. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the next meeting of the new Cost of Business Advisory Forum will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51704/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The next meeting of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum has been provisionally scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 12th November 2025. Due to logistical reasons, however, it may be necessary for this date to be revised but this will be finalised in due course.

The next meeting will focus on the theme of Regulation and Planning: Regulatory Burden and Infrastructural Delivery. The approach agreed by the Forum is that members are afforded an opportunity to make written submissions to the Secretariat in advance and that these, in turn, are used to inform and guide the discussion at the next meeting.

The next session will be the fifth meeting of this Forum and it is proposed that a final report will be prepared and presented to the Government in early-2026.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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383. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the uptake of the small companies administrative rescue process for businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51705/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process, known as SCARP, has been designed to allow viable small and micro companies experiencing temporary financial problems to restructure with the agreement of creditors.

The Process has limited court involvement where creditors are engaged and are positively disposed to a rescue plan. It mirrors elements of examinership but in a simplified administrative context, thus reducing court involvement and making it potentially more cost efficient and capable of conclusion within a shorter period of time, and is therefore more suitable for the needs of smaller businesses.

In order to be eligible to avail of SCARP, the company must be a small or micro company as defined by the Companies Act 2014. A small or micro company is one which meets two of the following three conditions:

(a) No more than 50 employees.

(b) Turnover must not exceed €15 million.

(c) Balance sheet must not exceed €7.5 million.

From its commencement in December 2021, the uptake of SCARP has been gradually increasing, with approximately 100 companies having availed of the process to date. 2023 saw a 50% rise in SCARP notifications compared to the first year of operation and the numbers for 2024 were on a par with 2023 and the same is true for 2025 to date.

SCARP has been well-received by industry practitioners, small business representatives and experts in the field of insolvency who have welcomed its introduction, It has succeeded in assisting viable businesses to avoid liquidation and preserve employment. Reports have indicated that SCARP has saved over 1000 jobs to end 2024.

It is also important to note that the number of small companies that has utilised SCARP has outnumbered those companies that opted for examinerships during 2022, 2023 and 2024.