Results 161-180 of 5,844 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 May 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 including sole-traders and family-run businesses and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under agreed protocols e.g....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (13 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Balanced regional development is a Government priority; a central component 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 (REPs). These are bottom-up plans developed and led by regional stakeholders, which focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Water Services (13 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is aware of the need for significant investment in Ireland’s water and wastewater infrastructure on a national level. The White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030 identifies the importance of ensuring a competitive enterprise environment; a key consideration is the carrying capacity of the economy, including adequate provision of physical infrastructure such as transport,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (13 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that it has not received a recent application in respect of the person in the details supplied. On the 3rd of July 2024 a renewal application was received in respect of the person concerned and on the 9th of October 2024 it was refused as the application was for a role with a different employer to the employer stated on the permit...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with small and medium sized businesses through our enterprise development agencies to support their growth, competitiveness, find new markets, create jobs and take on the twin challenges of decarbonisation and digitalisation. The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), located within the 31 Local Authorities,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Programme (13 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 was published on 1 April 2025. The Bill will deliver a new employment right by providing that, in general, an employer may not enforce a contractual retirement age which is below the State Pension Age (age 66) if the employee does not consent to retire. The Bill completed Second Stage in the Dáil on 8 April 2025. The timeline...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (7 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I am pleased to inform you that the Consultation on Increases to Employment Permit Minimum Annual Remuneration (MAR) Thresholds closed in January 2025 after significant engagement. The consultation attracted a total of over 150 responses that were received from across a broad range of sectors, including from employers, permit holders, trade unions and representative bodies. The consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (7 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: A well-functioning labour market and good working conditions are essential components of sustainable and inclusive growth. As part of the efforts to maintain this, the Government operates a managed employment permits system which is highly responsive to labour market needs. I recognise the valuable role migrant workers play in Irish society, particularly in critical areas such as healthcare...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (7 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Grow Digital Voucher was launched on the 4th of September 2024. This new digital support has replaced the Trading Online Voucher (TOV) which was closed to new applications on 13th December 2024. The Grow Digital Voucher has a much broader eligible expenditure criteria covering a wider range of digital supports as well being available to a larger cohort of businesses, in comparison to the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (7 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Enterprise Ireland's Digital Process Innovationgrant is one of several supports provided under Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). It is targeted at businesses that are seeking greater integration of digital technology for improved efficiency. NRRP funding is provided to Ireland through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and is used to support businesses through the...

International Workers’ Day: Statements (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions today. It is an honour to stand before the House on International Workers' Day, a day dedicated to recognising the invaluable contribution of workers across Ireland and the world. As Minister of State with responsibility for small business and retail, I acknowledge and celebrate the hard work, dedication and resilience of our workforce, which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is working with the SEAI to try to streamline the grant applications, not just for businesses, but for homes under the warmer homes scheme. Where businesses or customers successfully make an application to get onto the scheme, the scheme takes into consideration the likelihood of trying to procure a contractor. That extends out the timeline so, in effect, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. A well-functioning labour market and good working conditions are essential components of sustainable and inclusive growth. As part of the efforts to maintain this, the Government operates an employment permits system that is highly responsive to the labour market. I recognise the valuable role migrant workers play in Irish society, particularly in critical areas such as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I understand the issues about migrants the Deputy is raising. We have heard some of the stories and I have engaged also with the migrant refugee representative body to ensure their members are listened to and are front and centre in any enhancements we can make to the scheme. We have looked at how the granting of reactivation permits is in one sense supported. We want to work with the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his input. We are open to any suggestions or proposals and will work through any enhancements needed within the system. I do not think it should be a rigid system. It should be agile and flexible to meet the needs of our current labour market. If the general work permits or critical skill work permits are required, we actively update the needs analysis regarding...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. As she will be aware, I, as the Minister of State at the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for small business and retail, have responsibility for ensuring that emissions in the commercial built environment are reduced in line with climate action targets. Achieving these targets will mean that many owners of commercial properties will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: A key priority for the Government within our competitiveness plan is to engage with the Department of energy, climate and environment to ensure we can drive down the cost of energy, not just for residential consumers, but for businesses to ensure they remain viable. It is probably one of the most important areas we can focus on and currently are focused on. We are providing grants to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Regarding the Deputies' supplementary questions, we can go back and forth. To answer Deputy Ward's questions on the steps that are now required, it was important that the Government this week approved the appeals process. We will now engage with the local authorities to map out the extent of those businesses that were eligible for ICOB 1 and, therefore, applied for ICOB 2 but were...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputies for their contributions as regards the announcement this morning. Regarding the scheme and Deputy McGrath's point, the scheme was not perfect. There is an acknowledgement that it was reflective of the 2023 rates. Many businesses had to engage with local authorities about up-to-date rates and a rates repayment plan to bring them up to speed. We want to enhance...