261. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the key measures taken to support the SME sector since January 2025; his priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53460/26]

264. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the key measures taken to boost Ireland's competitiveness since January 2025; his priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53463/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 264 together.

Ireland currently holds a strong competitive position globally. This is reflected in our current position as the 7th most competitive country in the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings. However, there are still significant challenges and it is important that we do not take our strengths for granted. In recognition of this the Government has taken an active approach to boosting competitiveness, including providing significant support to SMEs.

The Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity - a Programme for Government commitment - was published on the 10th of September 2025. The delivery of this Action Plan was expedited in response to challenging international economic developments. This Action Plan reflects a whole-of-government approach to the domestic drivers of competitiveness and focuses on areas that are firmly within our national control. Its development was informed by extensive consultation across Government Departments and with external stakeholders. In particular, officials from my department undertook a series of bilateral engagements with key Government partners, including in the areas of infrastructure, housing, research and innovation. Each of the 85 actions is assigned a specific owner and has a timeline for implementation. Just under half of the actions are due for delivery in 2026 – the remaining actions were delivered in 2025 or are scheduled for delivery across 2027 to 2030. The overarching objective of the Action Plan is to maintain and improve Ireland's position as a competitive and productive economy capable of withstanding shocks, building on our strengths and developing our indigenous enterprise base while continuing to attract investment and talent from abroad.

In addition, the Cost of Business Advisory Forum was established in June 2025. The Forum brings together key representative bodies across enterprise, industry, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and agri-food sectors, alongside senior officials across Government departments, regulators, and State agencies. The Forum has met regularly over the last eight months with each meeting devoted to a distinct thematic area of concern to businesses such as energy and security of supply, insurance costs, planning and infrastructure regulations, water services costs, legal costs, reporting and compliance regulations as well as banking, payments, and financial services.

Through the Forum, representatives across different sectors – including SMEs – reiterated the real world impacts of sustained and increasing cost pressures and regulatory demands on day to day operations, investment capacity, and competitiveness, particularly for smaller enterprises. At its most recent meeting (22 April), Forum members discussed the final report and its recommendations, and members stressed the importance of presenting a report that will articulate both immediate practical actions and longer-term policy considerations, which are measurable and impactful in reducing operational costs and the regulatory burden on SME’s.

I attended the last meeting of the Forum alongside Minister Dillon and Minister Smyth, and noted the significant work that has been completed. The final report, informed by extensive stakeholder input and cross government collaboration is expected to be presented to Government shortly and it will play a key role in shaping future approaches to supporting a competitive, resilient, and sustainable enterprise environment.

I am also pleased to inform that the Small Business Unit was established in my department last year, fulfilling another Programme for Government commitment. The Unit has been tasked with ensuring that the needs and issues of small businesses have a dedicated focus and are recognised and acknowledged across Government. 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 and has over 250 different supports for businesses from 32 Departments and agencies. 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.

I assure you that the Government and my Department are fully committed to supporting SMEs and strengthening competitiveness, and to implementing the relevant Programme for Government commitments in an effective and timely manner.