293. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the supports, grant schemes, advisory services or other assistance available to sole traders and small business owners who experience an unexpected downturn in trading activity resulting in short-term cashflow difficulties as outlined in correspondence (details supplied); whether consideration is being given to additional supports for otherwise viable small businesses facing temporary financial pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54463/26]

For small businesses in the Wicklow area looking for support, I would recommend contacting the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) at the Wicklow County Campus, Clermont House, Rathnew. The LEOs are located within the 31 Local Authorities and offer productivity, and mentoring supports to small businesses in any sector.

The LEOs provide advice to small businesses, and the LEO mentors are well versed in the range of business supports available and can assist in steering a business towards the most suitable supports.

More generally, I would refer anyone looking for assistance with their business to explore the supports available through Government on the National Enterprise Hub (NEH). The NEH was established as a signposting service to simplify access to information on grants and supports for businesses.

The NEH is an all-of-Government signposting service for businesses that brings together multiple agencies and Government departments under one roof. The Hub was designed to help businesses navigate and access a wide range of Government supports. It is staffed with trained advisors within Enterprise Ireland who can assess the specific needs of a business and connect them with the most appropriate supports or agencies. The NEH now includes over 250 different supports for businesses from 32 Government bodies.