Results 241-260 of 5,751 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this important issue. The national broadband plan, NBP, is the Government's initiative to deliver high-speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. National Broadband Ireland is connecting more than 4,000 homes each month. In the Deputy’s own county of Cork, more than 36,490 premises are passed with a high-speed broadband network and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deputy raised an important point. NBI has done a tremendous job on the roll-out. It is an all-of-Ireland contract across each of the Twenty-six Counties and significant progress has been made, as I said. More than 65,000 homes, farms and businesses are being moved to early completion dates in 2025, nine months earlier than had been originally scheduled, so NBI has made significant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I understand the Deputy's frustration and the passion he has for the delivery of this in the areas he represents. However, there has been significant progress in the priority areas such as deployment to schools and enterprise hubs and in ensuring that they have the right manpower in each of the areas to cover each of the regions. We have seen the success in many communities in terms of what...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: Certainly, the potential is enormous. I talked to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and officials about this really important matter yesterday. Work has commenced on the implementation of the strategy in parallel with the delivery of many of the 21 actions currently in place that I outlined earlier. The delivery and commencement programme this year will be an important step forward in that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: This is something that the Department is engaging with the industry on, including with many of the key stakeholders in the industry who are working in the area of hydrogen itself, along with the Health and Safety Authority, HSA. We are working on this from a safety point of view, as well as in terms of best practice to ensure that we have the best and safest practices going forward. As...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The national hydrogen strategy was published in July 2023 and is our first major policy statement on renewable hydrogen. It marks an important first step in developing an indigenous hydrogen industry in Ireland. The strategy sets out our strategic vision for the role that hydrogen will play in Ireland’s energy system and as a key...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Contracts (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this important matter. My Department complies with public procurement guidelines for goods and services and relevant EU and national legal requirements and obligations. The aim of these European and national rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. Public procurement...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Contracts (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. I am not fully familiar with the Veolia situation. The current approach is comprehensive, adequate and proportionate and aligns with the EU principles of openness, fairness and transparency. With all State contracts, each bidder in the procurement process must sign a statement confirming that if it is awarded any service contract, it will in the performance of that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Contracts (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: We have a really strong track record in respect of our Office of Government Procurement and contract obligations. I am not aware of the situation the Deputy has raised with the company in question. There is a cohort of mechanisms in place within the employment law framework here in Ireland in conjunction with the Labour Court and the WRC, and also within the Departments of enterprise and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Low Pay (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: Go raibh maith agat. It is an issue I have raised with the Department in preparation for today's Oral Questions. We do want this economic impact assessment to be provided, evaluated and reviewed. As I said, we have made substantial increases in the national minimum wage. The current system for youth rates is a percentage of the full minimum wage. They have also seen an increase in recent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Low Pay (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this really important matter. As he will be aware, the Low Pay Commission recommended the abolition of the subminimum rates in March 2024. The Low Pay Commission highlighted in its report that this is a complex issue. It stated that the Government will need to give the findings and recommendations detailed consideration and deliberation, and highlighted...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Low Pay (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Certainly, it is a more nuanced issue than he is suggesting. It is really important that our Department compiles the economic impact assessment which will provide more up-to-date data. The previous Low Pay Commission and ESRI reports on the use of subminimum rates were back in 2022. We want to independently evaluate the economic impact. We also want...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regional Airports (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for raising this important matter. I look forward to working with her in delivering the SDZ at Ireland West Airport Knock. Balanced regional development is a key focus of this Government. My Department contributes to this objective through the work of its enterprise development agencies, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA as well as through the network of 31 LEOs...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regional Airports (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I think we are all in agreement that this is a critical piece of enterprise-enabling infrastructure for the west and north west. We have support from the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, who also have regional responsibilities. The development requires focus and commitment. I welcome the appointment of Dominick Healy in August last year. He is a very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regional Airports (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: This Government has been steadfast in its support for Ireland West Airport Knock through the regional airports programme. More than €20 million has been invested in key infrastructure, safety and security projects at the airport. There were record passenger numbers again. The trajectory for that airport is important. Work is being done with the board of Ireland West Airport Knock...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: As I said in my earlier contribution, Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in redundancy situations. In the first instance, responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers rests with the employer and the workers and their representatives. The programme for Government supports the critical role of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I am not familiar with the detail of this specific case, but Ireland's system of industrial relations is essentially voluntary in nature. It has been a consistent policy of consecutive governments to support the development of the institutional framework within the WRC and the Labour Court. In this instance, we did receive advance notice of collective redundancies from the company which...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As he will be aware, Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment, equality and industrial relations legislation. Ireland’s system of industrial relations is essentially voluntary in nature. It has been the consistent policy of successive governments to support the industrial relations institutional framework. Indeed, the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: Family reunification policy for non-EEA nationals falls within the remit of the Department of Justice. Consequently, I can confirm that my Department does not apply conditions to family reunification through the employment permit system. I do, however, acknowledge that the minimum salaries for which an employment permit can be issued are an important factor in family reunification. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (20 Feb 2025)

Alan Dillon: The right to request a remote working arrangement has been available to all employees under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 since 6 March 2024. The Act includes obligations for the employee and the employer with regard to requests for remote working arrangements, including details on how the request shall be made by the employee and details on how the employer...