As part of a nationwide Brexit roadshow, Enterprise Ireland will host a ‘Prepare for Brexit’ forum at Thomond Park in Limerick on Thursday.
Launching the event, Minister of State for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen said, “The majority of companies, large and small, will be affected by Brexit. The message is simple – prepare now and be fully equipped to meet both the challenges and the opportunities arising from Brexit. The UK continues to be Ireland’s main trading partner and the aim is to uphold these strong trade relations while also preparing Irish companies to look at new opportunities and expand their reach in international markets.
“Time is of the essence for Irish companies in the Mid-West to prepare for Brexit. The Brexit SME Scorecard aims to highlight to individual companies and businesses some of the key operational areas that may be exposed and help them to begin preparing a strategy to deal with these challenges.”
Part of Enterprise Ireland’s #PrepareforBrexit campaign, the Limerick event features speakers from SMEs, large companies and innovative start-ups, including Frank Keane, General Manager, Vitalograph, Clodagh Cavanagh, Managing Director, Abbey Machinery and Niamh Treacy, Financial Accountant, Woodco Energy Ireland along with members of Enterprise Ireland’s Global Team and Brexit Unit, moderated by RTE broadcaster Brian O’Connell. Designed to encourage SMEs to prepare for a hard Brexit, the event provides a platform for robust discussion, information sharing and practical advice around the key issues facing Irish companies.
Central to the roadshow is Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Brexit SME Scorecard’, a new interactive online platform which can be used by all Irish companies to self-assess their exposure to Brexit under six business pillars. Based on answers supplied by the user, the Scorecard generates an immediate report which contains suggested actions and resources, and information on events for companies to attend, to prepare for Brexit. The platform can be accessed at www.prepareforbrexit.ie
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.