Results 61-80 of 5,844 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question. It is a priority for the Government to narrow the employment gap to which the Deputy refers. Working to enable people with disabilities to pursue freely chosen employment is an important personal priority for me. The forthcoming national disability strategy will include employment as an important consideration as one of its five key pillars. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: Narrowing that employment gap for people with disabilities is a Government priority. The Minister, Deputy Burke, the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and I are very much focused on this. The forthcoming national disability strategy, which will be published in the coming months, is really important in respect of employment. That strategy is a whole-of-government framework and relates to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: Our enterprise agencies are already active in this space. Our local enterprise offices offer tailored supports for entrepreneurs with disabilities. Enterprise Ireland has an open door mentoring programme, which provides mentoring and capability supports, while IDA Ireland connects companies with talent from under-represented groups, including those with disabilities. I hear what the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: Thank you Deputy for asking this important question. Our targets in these areas are to reduce industrial emissions by 35% by 2030, and in commercial buildings by 45% by 2030. Since becoming Minister of this Department I have been focused on supporting small businesses, as they are the backbone of our economy and provide much valued employment. In assisting SMEs to become more sustainable,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government has adopted a proactive approach to supporting Irish and international businesses across multiple crises over the last number of years. It is important to acknowledge the challenges that firms have faced, including recruiting suitable staff with the right skills. Ireland’s labour market has experienced significant growth in recent years, and we now have more people...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: Balanced regional development is a key Government priority and is a central aim of the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030. My Department and its agencies contribute to this agenda in several ways, including through the nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). These are bottom-up plans developed and led by regional stakeholders, which focus on collaborative initiatives to strengthen the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is committed to delivering an efficient and responsive employment permit system which supports businesses and ensures that we are positioned to maximise the benefits of economic migration. The system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is committed to delivering an efficient and responsive employment permit system which supports businesses and ensures that we are positioned to maximise the benefits of economic migration. The system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Small Business Unit has been established in my Department - fulfilling a Programme for Government pledge at an early stage and demonstrating the commitment of the Government to SMEs. The Small Business 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. This will be an ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 36, 39, 54, 55 and 80 together. Balanced regional development remains a Government priority. One central aim of the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030 is to support balanced regional enterprise development. My Department and its agencies contribute to this agenda in several ways, including through the nine Regional Enterprise Plans or REPs. These are...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department, through our agency Enterprise Ireland (EI), is committed to supporting employment in Cavan and Monaghan. EI focuses on creating new jobs by supporting entrepreneurs in manufacturing and internationally traded services, and High Potential Start-Up Companies. Additionally, EI aims to retain and create new jobs in existing companies and enhance Ireland's innovation capability at...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) based within the 31 Local Authorities are the first stop shop for local businesses in Ireland. In the first instance LEOs provide a signposting service for all government supports available to all small businesses and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies. LEOs provide training and advice on entrepreneurship and helping businesses...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is firmly committed to driving balanced regional development as a cornerstone of its enterprise policy. Under the “Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally” Strategy 2025–2029, Enterprise Ireland aims to grow employment in client companies to 275,000, with a strong emphasis on regional job creation and scaling indigenous businesses across all counties.The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is committed to delivering an efficient and responsive employment permit system which supports businesses and ensures that we are positioned to maximise the benefits of economic migration. The system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is committed to bringing forward measures to support small businesses in every region, county and town in Ireland. The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an extremely important role at local level, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship across the country. The development and publication of the LEO Policy Statement in 2024...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department has been preparing for tariffs and economic shocks and we are working with our dedicated agency supporting Irish businesses, Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland have established a bespoke team which is currently engaging with SMEs, supporting businesses around tariffs and mitigation measures, as well as offering advice and support on diversification measures. Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme was launched in October 2023. The scheme is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and administered by Enterprise Ireland. The scheme includes four streams supporting development and provision of local enterprise infrastructure, innovation clusters and consortia, innovation services to SMEs, and early-stage feasibility and priming...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Grow Digital Voucher was introduced in 2024, and replaced the Trading Online Voucher, which closed for applications in December 2024. Under this new, improved offer, the funding available has been increased to up to €5,000 and the eligibility criteria expanded to cover a wider range of digital interventions available to a broader range of businesses compared to the Trading Online...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department measures the impact of grant supports to SMEs through a combination of quantitative performance metrics and qualitative outcomes which are aligned with programme for government goals. Programmes delivered by the enterprise agencies are evaluated by my Department, and individual projects at company level that are supported by the agencies undergo evaluations to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is ensuring that Enterprise Ireland is actively evolving to meet the dual demands of AI innovation and sustainability in its support for startups. Through its 2025–2029 strategy, the agency aims to support 1,000 new startups, with a strong focus on scalable, export-driven businesses. Recognising the transformative potential of AI, Enterprise Ireland is enhancing its...