171. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the additional measures he is considering to address the soaring cost of doing business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45437/26]

192. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the initiatives he is taking on the cost of doing business, especially for the SME sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45435/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 192 together.

The Government recognises that the cost of doing business has been a significant issue for firms in recent years, driven by wider inflationary pressures. The Government continues to actively monitor cost developments across all sectors of the economy. The Small Business Unit was established in my department last year, fulfilling a Programme for Government commitment. There are a number of tools this unit and my department will use to enable its work.

First, through the rigorous implementation of the SME Test. The SME Test tasks policy makers to consider the impact that any new policy, legislation, or regulation, may have on SMEs, and to mitigate against those impacts where appropriate.

Secondly, access to grants and support programmes have been simplified through the launch of the National Enterprise Hub (NEH). The NEH is hosted and operated by Enterprise Ireland (EI) and has over 250 different supports for businesses from 32 Departments and agencies. Since launching in 2024, the NEH has handled over 15,000 enquiries. Monthly volumes have grown steadily, with 940 queries received in May alone, representing a 33% increase on the same period last year. The average response time has consistently remained under 24 hours. The Hub’s website has also attracted significant interest, with over 300,000 visits to date.

Third, the Small Business Unit has responsibility for the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). We are ensuring the LEOs are properly resourced to help small businesses. A review of the full suite of LEO supports is currently underway while my Department and EI have completed a review of applications for all LEO grant schemes to reduce the number of questions and simplify requirements.

The Cost of Business Advisory Forum was established in June 2025 as part of the current Programme for Government’s commitment to reduce business costs and alleviating regulatory burdens. The Forum is a tripartite collaboration, of enterprise representative bodies from a range of sectors including SMEs, retail, tourism, agrifood, exports, professional services and multinational firms, and senior representatives from Government departments, State agencies and Economic regulators.

The Forum’s primary objective has been to examine key cost drivers and regulatory frameworks, such as energy costs, insurance and legal costs, water and wastewater service, infrastructure and planning, tax administration and regulatory compliance and assess the impact of rising costs and regulatory pressures on businesses in Ireland.

The Forum's consultative phase has now concluded, this independent report and its recommendations are being finalised and will be presented to Government in the coming weeks. These recommendations are considered to address issues that merit a changed approach, and those steps that can be taken to mitigate these issues to ensure businesses navigating today’s economic landscape remain competitive and resilient.