Results 5,701-5,720 of 5,824 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (27 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 responsive to labour market needs. I recognise the valuable role migrant workers play in Irish society, particularly in critical areas such as healthcare and ICT....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (27 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is aware of the ongoing challenges in the haulage sector and has taken measures to support the industry. Most recently, in April 2025, the quota for HGV/Bus Mechanics was extended by 200 permits in direct response to identified labour shortages. Ireland’s economic migration policy prioritises sourcing labour from within the State and the EEA. Where persistent...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Haulage Industry (28 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is aware of the ongoing challenges in the haulage sector and has taken measures to support the industry. Most recently, in April 2025, the quota for HGV/Bus Mechanics was extended by 200 permits in direct response to identified labour shortages. Ireland’s economic migration policy prioritises sourcing labour from within the State and the EEA. Where persistent...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (28 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: Departmental Funding (28 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Microfinance Ireland (MFI) did not receive any Exchequer funding from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in either 2023 or 2024. No funding from the Department has been allocated for 2025. In the most recently published financial statements for MFI, as of 31 December 2023, closing capital and reserves stood at approximately €30.2 million, with €18.4 million...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (28 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services. The WRC is independent in the exercise of its quasi-judicial function, and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (28 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 180 together. My Department does not collect data on the percentage of SMEs that export. Officials in my Department have consulted with the Central Statistics Office, who have advised that data on the percentage of SMEs that export services is not currently available.  To achieve sustainable, diversified growth, and enhanced economic...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (28 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are independent in their functions and I have no role in relation to the negotiation of a proposal for an Employment Regulation Order (ERO). Under legislation, my role in the ERO process is clearly defined. As soon as practicable after receiving a copy of the proposal for an ERO from the Labour Court, where I am satisfied that Sections 42A and 42B of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (29 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: My department commenced the Employment Permits Act 2024 in September last year, representing the biggest reform of employment permits legislation in over a decade. The 2024 Act allows for a more modern, flexible employment permits system as well as ensuring employee rights are maintained and the domestic labour market is protected. The Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT) is one of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (29 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Employment Permits Section of the department informs me that an application to change employer was received from the person concerned on 8 April. The applicant was advised on 22 April that as the salary listed in the application was below the required threshold, it could not be accepted. The applicant was advised that they could submit a new application which met the required salary...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (29 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is committed to delivering an efficient and responsive employment permit system which supports businesses while also protecting worker’s rights. Where rights violations are reported to Department, the Employment Permits Section can request that the Workplace Relations Commission carry out an inspection on the Department's behalf. The Workplace Relations Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (29 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Trading Online Voucher closed for new applications on 13th December 2024 and was replaced by the new Grow Digital Voucher, which was launched in September of 2024. This new digital support has improved eligibility criteria including a wider range of digital supports available to a larger cohort of businesses, in comparison to the Trading Online Voucher. The funding available was...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question. I welcome the publication of Ireland's first national climate change risk assessment. We can already see the effects of climate change through the impact of storms including Babet, Darragh and, most recently, Éowyn. Attribution studies inform us that climate change is adding significantly to the strength of these extreme weather events. Adapting...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: Again, I thank the Deputy for his question on concerns that have been raised in relation to the publication of the risk assessment, which is both comprehensive and evidence based framework that identifies, ranks and prioritises the climate risks, as the Deputy has outlined. What is essential here is that it draws on international best practices from the UK, New Zealand and the EU. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question and I can certainly respond later in relation to that. The focus now is on delivering the 15 sectoral adaptation plans. That is really important. As I said earlier, we need to take significant steps to future proof Ireland's key infrastructure around electricity and gas. We will put these plans out for consultation. That is really important. What we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for the question and welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the Government's progress on delivering on our biomethane ambitions. The Government has committed to supporting the production of up to 5.7 TW of indigenous produced biomethane by 2030, a key pillar of our national and EU climate and energy targets. A critical first step on this journey was the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I am conscious that the Deputy is raising a question around the streamlining of the planning process. Certainly, I fully recognise the need for correct planning guidelines. Anaerobic digesters themselves are significant infrastructure projects so we need to ensure that these developments are sustainable, sensitive to local communities and are aligned with land use and ecology...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The biomethane sustainability charter is the priority deliverable. It will chart the Government's commitment around many of the actions to which the Deputy has referred here in relation to ensuring that biomethane production in Ireland is environmentally sustainable. The charter will undergo extensive consultation with key stakeholders and will inform the guidance of the biomethane...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: In 2022, the most recent year for which EPA statistics are available, Ireland recycled 32% of plastic packaging waste. This exceeds the current target of 22.5% but meeting the stricter targets of 50% and 55% for 2025 and 2026, respectively, will be more challenging. These figures are in respect of all plastics, including PET. The EU list of plastic waste codes does not isolate individual...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: We are absolutely committed on this side of the House to moving to recycle more plastic in Ireland. We need to be honest about the current reality that the waste management sector, including plastic recycling, operates in a global market and that a large part of the plastic recycling collected, including under the deposit return scheme, is traded internationally, based on volume and quality...