Results 21-40 of 5,661 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Enterprise Ireland recently published its 2024 jobs results which show that EI supported companies recorded jobs growth for the third year in a row, despite what was a challenging year for some sectors of exporting Irish businesses. Employment in companies supported by EI increased to a record level of 234,454 in 2024 with 15,741 new jobs created, an increase of 3% on the 2023 outturn....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: It has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments to promote collective bargaining through the development of an institutional framework supportive of a voluntary system of industrial relations that is premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association. There is an extensive range of statutory provisions designed to back up the voluntary bargaining process. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Employment Permits Unit has informed me that the applications referenced have been assigned to processors and it is expected that they will be processed shortly. The Department has made significant progress in recent years in improving the employment permits processing system to address increasing demand. The average current wait time in respect of a new employment permit is between...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Joint Labour Committees (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are provided for under the Industrial Relations Act 1946 and were reformed by the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act, 2012. A JLC is comprised of equal numbers of representatives of employers and workers in a sector. JLCs meet regularly, under an independent Chairperson to discuss proposals for terms and conditions to apply to specified grades or categories of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 44, 56, 61, 65, 69 and 79 together. Balanced regional development is a Government priority; a central component of the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030 is to support balanced regional enterprise development. My Department and its agencies contribute to this agenda in several ways, including through the nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). These...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is committed to helping Irish companies navigate the evolving trade landscape and mitigate tariff effects, working with Enterprise Ireland to provide resources, guidance, and strategic supports. Enterprise Ireland has established a Trade & Tariff Response Team to brief Irish exporters on the latest developments and impacts and to date has engaged on a one-to-one basis...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: It is important to recognise that each country operates under different systems, making direct comparisons complex. Employer-paid statutory sick leave has only been in place in Ireland since 2023. My officials will keep the legislation under review to ensure it continues to be fit-for-purpose. Ireland operates a so-called hybrid approach to statutory sick leave, combining an initial...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Unions (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government continues to fully support the right of any worker to join and be active in their trade union. Employees have the right under the Constitution to form associations and trade unions. Under Irish legislation, an employee cannot be discriminated against or dismissed because they are a member of a trade union. The Unfair Dismissal Acts provide for a number of grounds under which...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Vacant Properties (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Government is committed to bringing forward measures to support small businesses in every region, county and town in Ireland. While my Department does not fund schemes to address commercial vacancy, I understand that some local authorities have introduced locally designed business incentive schemes which promote the use of vacant commercial property. These schemes are complementary to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 52 together. The Government is committed to assisting Irish companies navigate the evolving trade landscape and mitigate the effects of tariffs and we are working with our dedicated export agency, Enterprise Ireland, to provide the necessary resources, guidance, and strategic supports. Enterprise Ireland has established a Trade and Tariff Response...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is committed to backing small and medium businesses and will continue to work closely with small businesses through our enterprise development agencies to support their growth, help them to find new markets, create jobs and take on the twin challenges of decarbonisation and digitalisation. The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), located within the 31 Local Authorities, have a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Online Retail Scheme was introduced in 2018 as part of the ongoing work of the Retail Forum. From 2018 to 2023, more than 850 projects from retailers were approved for €30.7 million in funding through seven rounds of competitive calls, including two pilot rounds of the Online Retail Scheme. Retailers awarded funding under the Scheme operated across a broad spectrum of sectors...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The government's White Paper on Enterprise sets out an ambitious vision for Ireland’s enterprise policy, seeking to secure a sustainable, innovative and high-productivity economy. To achieve sustainable, diversified growth and enhanced economic resilience, it is vital that the Irish-owned enterprise sector fulfils its potential to scale and succeed on global markets. As an agency of my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Diaspora Issues (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department is working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its Embassy network, as well as other Departments, to implement the Government’s Diaspora Strategy, Global Ireland – Ireland’s Diaspora Strategy 2020-2025, which was launched in late 2020. The effective coordination of the implementation of this strategy across Government will be carried...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Supporting our indigenous companies to invest in research, development and innovation (RDI) activities is critical for job creation and protection in Ireland, as it fosters technological advancements and new business opportunities, leading to the development of high-value jobs and a more resilient economy. To that end I would highlight that through my Department’s Science and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: In a decision on 13 December 2022 the Government agreed in principle that a single application procedure for employment permits, and immigration permissions should be developed and implemented in order to meet the requirements of the recast Single Permit Directive. This commitment was reaffirmed in the current Programme for Government, and great deal of progress has been made since. An...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: Retail and other small businesses continue to be the backbone of our local and national economies, and we are working to ensure actions aimed at supporting small businesses, including retail businesses, are implemented in an effective and timely manner. Issues in relation to crime are a matter for the Department of Justice. I am acutely aware of the concerns of retailers regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department, through its Agencies, is committed to supporting employment in Monaghan town following recent job losses at Lakeland’s Dairy Creamery. Enterprise Ireland is focused on creating new jobs by supporting entrepreneurs in manufacturing and internationally traded services, as well as companies setting up High Potential Start-Up Companies. Additionally, Enterprise Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: There are a wide range of supports in place to support anyone who wants to start a business and the Government is committed to supporting entrepreneurs who want to set up in any of our towns and villages countrywide. Through the network of Local Enterprise Offices across the country, training and advice on entrepreneurship and helping businesses to start, grow and deal with challenges of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Relations (1 May 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government is committed to helping Irish companies to navigate the evolving trade landscape and mitigate tariff impacts, working with our dedicated export agency, Enterprise Ireland, to provide resources, guidance, and strategic supports. Enterprise Ireland has established a Trade & Tariff Response Team to brief Irish exporters on the latest developments and impacts and to date...