Results 1-20 of 8,739 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Correspondence (19 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: The Government recognises that the cost of doing business has been a challenge for firms in recent years, including in the transport sector, due to wider inflationary pressures – particularly energy – and Government-mandated improvements to working conditions. However, costs for firms, as measured by the CSO’s Wholesale Price Index, are now easing and were down 2.6% in...

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

Peter Burke: Regional Development is a key focus of our Programme for Government and is central to the work of my Department and our enterprise development agencies. In this regard, IDA Ireland’s strategy ‘Adapt Intelligently, 2025 – 2029’ seeks to build on IDA’s successes to date and to support continued long-term investment through the transformation of the existing...

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

Peter Burke: Regional Development is a key focus of our Programme for Government and is central to the work of my Department and our enterprise development agencies. In this regard, regional development is one of four key strategic objectives of the IDA 2025–2029 strategy, "Adapt Intelligently" with a commitment to secure 550 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects outside Dublin - 55% of all...

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

Peter Burke: As the Deputy will be aware, last month Merck made the decision to wind down operations at its Arklow facility by the end of 2028 following a strategic portfolio product review. Other operations in Ireland are unaffected. While on a recent visit to Wexford and Wicklow, I visited the Arklow site and met with local staff representatives. I can assure the Deputy that the State’s...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Construction Industry (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: A recent analysis of Residential Construction Productivity levels, including for the years 2023 and 2024, is contained in the Central Statistics Office web publication (September 2025): Productivity Construction: A National Accounts Perspective 2024. Here, labour productivity is calculated as output per hour worked, where output is measured as Gross Value Added (GVA) in constant prices. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Tourism Policy (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: On 15 April, Government approved the General Scheme for the Short Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill. This Bill, when enacted, will provide the statutory basis for the introduction of regulatory controls including a register for Short Term Lettings (STL) in Ireland, to be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland from 20 May 2026, ensuring compliance with the new EU Short Term Rental...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 to 400, inclusive, together. Regional development is a key element of our national enterprise policy, as set out in the Programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise, and is a key focus of the work of my Department and its agencies. As of 2024 there were 2,060 employed in EI client companies based in Laois, a 4.1% increase on 2023....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: My Department recognises the vital role that community, voluntary, and non-profit organisations play in delivering essential services, supporting vulnerable groups, and contributing to local economies across the country, and that many of these organisations rely on State grants or reimbursements to sustain their operations. My Department's and the State bodies under its aegis strive to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: The Government is committed to ensuring that payments to suppliers and service providers are made promptly, in line with the 15-day prompt payment requirement introduced to support cash flow and financial stability, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. Prompt Payment obligations apply only to payments to suppliers on receipt of a valid invoices. These obligations are an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Disability Issues (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: My Department's responsibility under Pillar Two of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People centres on employer engagement. It is a priority for my Department is to establish a ministerial-led forum that will provide a platform for a more structured engagement with employers on disability and to raise awareness of the various supports that are available to employers in this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: The detail in relation to the number of vacancies at Principal Officer Level in my Department and the Agencies under its remit in the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 is set out below in a series of tables. Vacancies at Principal Officer Level in my Department 2022 2023 2024 2025 12 13 15 15 ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 408 and 409 together. As the Deputy will be aware, IDA Ireland sold a site at Greystones Business Technology Park, County Wicklow, under a 999-year lease dated 21 April 2022 to Greystones Media Campus Owner Ltd., using its authority under the Industrial Development Acts. The use of the lands is restricted to manufacturing and/or internationally traded...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Bodies (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: Regional Development is a key focus of our Programme for Government and is central to the work of my Department and our enterprise development agencies. In this regard, regional development is one of four key strategic objectives of the IDA 2025–2029 strategy, "Adapt Intelligently" with a commitment to secure 550 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects outside Dublin - 55% of all...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Functions (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: Comparisons between public- and private-sector productivity are inherently difficult, as public services often produce non-market outputs that cannot be easily quantified or valued in the same way as private-sector goods and services. A strong system of public administration is vitally important, not only for managing the economy but also for guiding society as a whole. It underpins...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Legal Cases (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: Litigation is dealt with on behalf of the Department by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency who engage lawyers to act for my Department where necessary. The legal costs arising in such litigation are not managed by my Department. The information requested from agencies under the aegis of my Department, is an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: There are 7,616 construction enterprises operating in Cork City and County according to latest figures reported in the CSO Business in Ireland statistics for 2022. More than 99 percent of construction enterprises nationally are SMEs (i.e. employing less than 250). Supporting SMEs in scaling the delivery of homes is a priority for my Department. Enterprise Ireland’s Built to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: My Department does not have specific data in relation to the barriers identified by construction SMEs in Cork referred to by the Deputy. Working through Enterprise Ireland, my Department is helping domestically focused residential construction SMEs to transform their operations to become more productive, competitive and sustainable so as to ensure that homes are delivered at scale, at...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Building Regulations (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 418, 419, 420 and 422 together. My officials are currently reviewing the 4 questions and will prepare a response. It will not be possible to issue the response by the specified deadline but it will be forwarded directly to the Deputy at the earliest opportunity.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Building Regulations (18 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: The National Standards Authority of Ireland acts as a certification body for construction products and systems providing certification schemes which align with international standards as well as adhering to criteria under the Irish Building Regulations and applicable EU Directives. Certification bodies offering CE marking, as set out in an international standard, must be third party...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (13 Nov 2025)

Peter Burke: Developing next generation sites is essential for Ireland to remain competitive if we wish to attract further large-scale, high-value manufacturing opportunities such as major semiconductor and biopharma investments. The next generation site approach will be plan-led, streamlining development and reducing planning risks, and provide pre-permitted, utility-intensive sites, enabling swift...