Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports available to enterprises in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50520/26]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I recommend that any small business owner looking to avail of government supports to first explore the National Enterprise Hub (NEH), which was established as a signposting service to improve access to supports and reduce friction for business owners.

The NEH helps businesses navigate and access over 250 government supports available 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 will help diagnose the needs of the individual business and directing them to the appropriate available supports or put them in direct contact with the relevant agency.

This service has proven to be a key resource for businesses to identify and find supports available to them and has become the first stop shop for business owners across the country. I would encourage every business owner in Kerry to visit the NEH website and explore the supports that may be available to them.

The NEH is hosted and operated by Enterprise Ireland and has handled over 14,000 enquiries since launching in July 2024. Monthly volumes have grown steadily, with 940 queries received in May 2026 alone.

Furthermore, I would recommend small businesses based in Kerry contact their Local Enterprise Office (LEO) located in Tralee. The LEO offers direct grant assistance to small businesses, with priority given to enterprises in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors who have the potential to develop into exporting entities and graduate to Enterprise Ireland’s portfolio.

The LEOs also offer consultancy and grants to small businesses of all sectors in the areas of LEAN, Green and Digital to digitalise, decarbonise and streamline a business. In addition, small businesses of all sectors can avail of training and mentoring programmes offered by the LEOs which are administered by experts well-versed in the range of supports to aid business owners across their business journey.

The LEOs can also assist businesses owners with applications to Micro-finance Ireland (MFI), which is a not-for-profit lender that offers small business for commercially viable proposals. MFI loans can be used to help fund start-up costs, working capital or business expansion and by applying through their Local Enterprise Office, clients can avail of a 1% reduction in the interest rate charged.