1040. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the additional measures being considered to improve access to affordable long-term finance for indigenous SMEs seeking to scale, increase exports or invest in productivity improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60631/26]

My Department plays a central role in supporting the scaling of indigenous Irish enterprises, with a strong focus on export growth, productivity and international competitiveness.

Enterprise Ireland has established a dedicated Scaling Finance team to help high-growth companies prepare for investment and connect with international investors through targeted investor engagement initiatives, roadshows and networking opportunities.

Enterprise Ireland’s new Investment Strategy has expanded the range of equity investments available to client companies, with investments now ranging from €100,000 to €2 million. This multistage investment approach enables larger funding rounds and improves access to long-term growth capital for scaling companies.

To enhance access to debt finance, the Government has approved an expansion of the Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme (GSLS) and an extension of the Scheme until 30 June 2029, with the expanded Scheme expected to launch in autumn 2026. This represents a further measure to improve access to affordable long-term finance for indigenous SMEs seeking to scale, increase competitiveness and invest in productivity improvements. Under the expanded Scheme, eligible SMEs will be able to access loans of between €25,000 and €3 million, with terms of up to 10 years and loans of up to €500,000 available on an unsecured basis through participating finance providers.

More broadly, my Department is examining additional policy measures to increase the availability of long-term finance for Irish firms. This includes exploring actions to encourage greater participation by pension funds and other institutional investors in enterprise financing, a key commitment under the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity.

Encouraging greater levels of private investment also requires an attractive and competitive tax environment. To support this objective, an independent review of taxation measures affecting entrepreneurs, investors and scaling businesses has been commissioned, with a view to informing future policy options.

This Government will continue to build on this strong suite of supports to ensure Irish companies can scale successfully and compete globally.