Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2026
288. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his position on ring-fencing dedicated funds of the existing Pre-Seed Start-Up Fund (PSSF) at Enterprise Ireland to provide convertible loan notes to technology professionals displaced by recent multinational redundancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47203/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department remains fully committed to supporting early-stage entrepreneurship and would strongly welcome applications from individuals with significant industry experience who are seeking to establish innovative, scalable businesses capable of creating employment in Ireland and competing successfully in international markets.
The New Frontiers programme, Enterprise Ireland’s national entrepreneurship development programme, remains a cornerstone of Ireland’s early-stage entrepreneurship infrastructure. Delivered across 13 locations nationwide through institutes of technology and technological universities, New Frontiers provides a structured and supportive environment in which to transition into entrepreneurship. Open to skilled individuals with early-stage, innovative business ideas, it enables participants to test ideas, build commercial capability, and de-risk the early stages of business creation before seeking investment.
Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) operates as an open, continuously available support for all eligible early-stage startups. Promoters apply when their business is ready and meets the established criteria. Ringfencing funding for a specific cohort would be inconsistent with the programmes open and competitive framework and could raise concerns regarding selectivity and equal access. Maintaining a non-cohort-specific approach is important to ensure fairness, transparency, and alignment with Enterprise Ireland’s established investment principles. On that basis, it is not proposed to create a dedicated PSSF allocation for a specific group; however, eligible promoters from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply through the standard process.
In addition, the recently announced new Startup Ireland National Accelerator will have a ‘Talent Accelerator’ programme for people who have domain experience and would like to explore a new startup idea.
