Results 161-180 of 6,063 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (8 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The employment permits system operates under the Employment Permits Act 2024, which provides the statutory framework for the granting, refusal, and review of employment permit applications. The system is designed to support Ireland’s labour market needs by allowing non-EEA nationals to take up employment in sectors where skills or labour shortages exist, subject to defined eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (8 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Grow Digital Voucher was introduced in September 2024, and replaced the Trading Online Voucher, which closed for applications in December 2024. Under this new and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Haulage Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system, designed to maximise the benefits of economic migration while minimising disruption to Ireland’s labour market. The system is demand-led. In 2024, a total of 552 employment permits were issued for HGV Drivers, including 70 granted to employers based in Cork. To date in 2025, 474 permits have been issued, with 47 of those issued...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Financial Services (8 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: My department is actively implementing measures to stimulate investor confidence across high-growth sectors nationwide, including in Cork and the rest of Munster. The Seed and Venture Capital Scheme administered by Enterprise Ireland (EI) is a cornerstone of Ireland’s venture capital ecosystem. Since 2000, the Scheme has reported investments over €75 million in the South. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Residency Permits (8 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The employment permit system is entirely demand-led and is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills Occupations List and the Ineligible Occupations List, which determine which employments are either in high demand or ineligible for consideration. The Critical Skills Employment Permit is Ireland’s premium permit type, targeted at highly skilled individuals in occupations...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: Tackling fast fashion and promoting sustainability in the textiles industry is a key priority for me and the Department. A draft National Policy Statement and Roadmap for Circular Textiles was published for public consultation in May. For the first time, it sets out a policy direction for Ireland with regard to tackling fast fashion and promoting reuse and recycling of used textiles. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166, 190 and 261 together. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products. Re-turn always encourages consumers to redeem their deposits, and it is important that the public is aware that Re-turn retains an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. The recently adopted Directive promoting the repair of broken or defective goods, also known as the Right-to-Repair Directive, will make it easier for consumers to seek repair instead of replacement and repair services will become more accessible, transparent, and attractive. It gives manufacturers the incentive required to make...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 208, inclusive, together. Re-turn, which is a not-for-profit company, published their 2024 annual report on 25 July 2025 and this is available here: re-turn.ie/re-turn-2024-annual-report/. In their report, the directors present their operational report together with audited financial statements for 2024. This includes information relating to a 66%...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deposit Return Scheme was established to run primarily on a return-to-retail model, where consumers bring empty containers back to a retailer to recoup their deposit. There are currently over 3,517 retail return points, about 90% of which are Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), providing a high level of coverage across the country. To date, 1.6 billion containers have been returned through...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: The primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to littering and illegal dumping lies with local authorities, including in relation to any decision to deploy CCTV and other mobile recording devices in the vicinity of bottle banks to combat anti-social behaviour. However, the Department continues to provide extensive financial, policy and legislative support to the sector...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Food Waste (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: A number of priority actions set out in the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025 have been delivered. In June 2023, the EPA launched a revised Food Waste Charter calling on all businesses and State Agencies operating across the food supply chain to sign up and commit to reducing food waste. There are currently 79 Food Waste Charter members, representing over 69,000 employees...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Food Waste (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: Work on the next iteration of the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap will commence this year to ensure actions are relevant and appropriate so that Ireland is on the right path to deliver on its food waste reduction obligations. The Department leads on the development of the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap and in the coordination and review of its implementation. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Food Waste (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: The National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025 contains an action that commits to the review of the effectiveness of the voluntary approach to food waste measurement and reporting to determine if there is a need to set mandatory requirements for measurement and reporting. The effectiveness of this voluntary approach to food waste measurement and reporting, and the revised Food Waste...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Food Waste (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: Ireland is committed to reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023- 2025, published in November 2022, sets out a number of priority actions to focus on food waste prevention, across key sectors in the food supply chain, together in a coherent manner. A number of priority actions set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: Re-turn is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee and set up by beverage producers to meet their obligations under the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Regulations. Re-turn is responsible for all operational and funding matters relating to the DRS. Re-turn published its 2024 annual report on 25 July 2025, and the report can be found here: re-turn.ie/re-turn-2024-annual-report/. In...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: The waste management industry in Ireland remains reliant, in part, on the export market to meet its processing needs for waste packaging produced here. Given the volume and grade of material collected, this is mostly recycled abroad for reasons of economic viability. Notwithstanding these constraints, a number of measures are planned or underway which will boost recycling rates and make...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was introduced in February 2024 to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products. Participation in DRS in its first year has been very positive. Re-turn was set up by beverage producers to meet their obligations under the DRS Regulations and is a not-for-profit company,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Illegal Dumping (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: Under the Waste Management Act, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping lies with the local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate awareness, enforcement, clean-up and disposal actions in relation to illegal dumping, taking account of local circumstances and priorities.However, while responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (29 Jul 2025)

Alan Dillon: Under the Waste Management Act, local authorities are statutorily responsible for waste management planning within their functional areas. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996 the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment is precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory...