Results 5,861-5,880 of 6,083 for speaker:Alan Dillon

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

Alan Dillon: The Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 was published on 23 May 2025. This Bill will, inter alia, amend the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act 1984 to expand access to the Insolvency Payments Scheme to protect employees of employers who cease trading without entering into liquidation, receivership or bankruptcy, and provide for the...

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...

Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Motion (17 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I move: That Dáil Éireann, pursuant to Article 29.5.2 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, approves the terms of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (known as the 'BBNJ Agreement'), adopted at the United Nations in New York on 19th June, 2023...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. I convey the apologies of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. He is at an EU Environment Council meeting on the 2040 environmental targets. We sought a swap but due to the Dáil resuming that was very difficult. On the Deputy's question, the Government has made a number of important commitments in respect of addressing the continued high cost of energy. The programme...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: We have as a Government delivered over €3.3 billion in credits to over 2.3 million households in recent times, but we need to be strategic with this upcoming budget. Once-off measures are certainly not a long-term fix. That is why, as I said earlier, we have established the national energy affordability task force which is preparing an interim report to inform budget 2026. We are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: In the context of what we are discussing, the reality is that Ireland operates in a liberalised EU energy market where prices are set commercially, not by governments. That said, we are not passive observers in this regard. The CRU has statutory powers to oversee suppliers' conduct. We have recently strengthened its protections for consumers this winter. On profits, I accept that energy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The programme for Government sets out a clear policy direction that balances energy, housing, climate and economic development. It recognises that increased and unprecedented investment in our electricity grid and generation capacity is essential to meet future demand, not just for data centres but for housing, electric vehicles, heat pumps and a growing population. The electricity and gas...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: Let us be clear: households are not subsidising data centres. All users of our electricity grid contribute to its development. The CRU, as the independent regulator, ensures costs are fairly and proportionally allocated. In fact, extra large energy users, including data centres, have seen network costs increase in recent years compared with those for domestic customers. Price review 6 is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. First, the Secretary General of our Department rightly pointed out that policy choices must be made, and we are making them. Certainly, that is why we are investing in housing, the grid and water infrastructure. These are the three pillars that will support sustainable development in this country. The idea that data centres are being prioritised over homes is not...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for the question. The deposit return scheme was introduced in February 2024 to encourage higher recycling rates for plastic bottles and cans and to help Ireland meet its EU recycling targets. Since becoming fully operational in June, 2024, the scheme has delivered strong results. According to Re-turn, the scheme operator, Ireland achieved a 66% collection rate in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The reality is that Ireland currently does not have a facility capable of fully recycling PET bottles into new food-safe drinks containers. Some operators do look at the processing of PET into flakes. That said, the DRS has created a consistent stream of high-quality recyclate. Re-turn is actively exploring the viability of establishing Ireland's first bottle-to-bottle recycling plant....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deputy should bear in mind that the current technical capacity was not in place previously. The scheme was only introduced in June 2024. 11 o’clock The company had to establish a supply chain to strategically invest in a facility of this type. Thanks to the DRS, we now have a supply chain and market conditions that are favourable and make economic sense to establish a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I am pleased to confirm that the 2025 funding round for the circular economy innovation grant scheme, CEIGS, was launched on 10 September. This scheme is a key driver of Ireland's transition to a circular economy supporting innovative projects led by social enterprises, voluntary and community organisations and small businesses. Since its launch in April 2021, we have awarded €1.8...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I am in full agreement that we need to continue to scale-up the scheme to sustain the investment by many SMEs and community organisations. That is why at the end of this year we will have allocated over €2.4 million. We need to continue on that trajectory of supporting many of these pioneering projects. I had the opportunity to visit the Irish Manufacturing Research facility in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for her interest in this area. It needs to be a bottom-up, top-down led approach. We are looking to publish the draft of the circular economy strategy. A key area of focus will be targeted actions. Local authorities can play a huge part within the local government system. However, we need a stronger uptake around innovation in these areas. We will have a public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (18 Sep 2025)

Alan Dillon: The deposit return scheme was introduced in February 2024 to help Ireland to meet ambitious EU recycling targets and to encourage more sustainable consumer behaviour. I am pleased to report the scheme has made a strong start and is delivering on its core objectives. Re-turn, the not-for-profit operator, has seen the registration of 287 producers covering over 11,000 products and the...