Results 1-20 of 5,616 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: I again thank the Deputy for raising this important Topical Issue matter this evening. I will certainly relay his comments to the Minister. I am encouraged by what the Deputy said about the importance of the youth culture card. Every organisation providing a range of programmes, events and resources for young people, including both in-person and online events, needs to be supported. ...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for arts, Deputy O'Donovan. Having worked with the Deputy on the tourism and arts committee for five years during the previous Dáil term, I know how important this issue is and what a champion Deputy Byrne is for the arts and cultural sector. What he has raised today is significant and...

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

Alan Dillon: The regulation of textiles has become a priority focus for the EU in recent years. There are two significant pieces of relevant legislation in development or recently implemented. First, since 1 January 2025, the waste framework directive requires all member states to have a separate collection system for textiles. Ireland's system consists of a network of local authority and charity bring...

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

Alan Dillon: I acknowledge the Deputy’s work with Liberty Recycling. Since January of this year, Ireland has understood and tried to transpose the EU law that is required by every member state. We currently have a system in place for the separation and collection of textiles, and the bring banks are a significant part of that. I understand that significant improvements are required. I am aware...

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

Alan Dillon: As I said in my earlier contribution, we have drafted the national policy statement and roadmap for circular textiles, which will be important in supporting the transition. That will soon go out to consultation. On the Deputy’s point, we have a real challenge around fast fashion and how we address it. The current system needs to be enhanced. We need to continue to work with local...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for the question. The programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses, and aims to bring forward a number of measures to help contain energy costs. These include bringing forward taxation measures to help contain energy costs. We have established a cross-government energy affordability task force to identify, assess...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. I disagree with his comment that data centres create only a few jobs. The role that data centres play in the economy is significant for large tech and foreign direct investment, FDI. We will continue to support our commitment to working with key stakeholders in that area, including the IDA, to identify and support new approaches. That is important. We need to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deputy needs to consider that the tech investment going into these data centres and the AI revolution is leading the way around renewable energy solutions.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: Ireland needs to be to the fore in this regard. We all know that AI will unlock opportunities to produce solutions-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: -----to energy and efficiency measures. We are certainly committed and have said that we will ensure we have clear principles for sustained data centre development. We published our statement on the role of data centres in Ireland's enterprise strategy. We want clearer guidance for decision makers in the planning process. We also want to encourage the data centre sector to implement...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: There has been a commonality in People Before Profit to demonise data centres. I just saw the Deputy using her phone. Phones are central to everything data centres present around AI and online storage. They are critical to the infrastructure of a modern economy in Ireland. We will continue to deliver a balanced approach to facilitate additional demand for energy by data centres. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: To address the Deputy's first point, AI is the technology of the future. To say it has no relevance to us trying to reach our climate targets-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: It presents a real opportunity to unlock, produce and consume electricity more efficiently. I have no doubt there is significant opportunity in Ireland, with a lot of tech companies using AI and with their data centres, for us to enhance our competitiveness. We can also reduce our emissions. It is the technology of the future. We have set out the principles within Government that new data...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for her question. Ireland has attracted the best data centres and tech companies in the world. This is a really important relationship and the Government continues to work with the sector towards a secure and decarbonised energy future. However, data centres, like all large energy users, have to exist within the boundaries of our climate legislation and targets. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Employment Permits system is designed to attract highly skilled workers from outside the EEA to Ireland, to meet skills demand in the economy where those skills can’t be accessed through the resident labour force. A quota of 1,000 General Employment Permits for the role of care workers and home carers was introduced in December 2022. In March this year, Minister for Enterprise,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages in the State required to develop and support enterprise for the benefit of our economy. A quota...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Inquiries (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: DCCI is an independent organisation that promotes the commercial development of Irish designers and makers, stimulating innovation, championing design thinking, and informing Government policy. It receives funding from my Department through Enterprise Ireland (EI), and a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is in place between EI and the DCCI. This provides the framework for agreement of service...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Healthcare Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: Ireland operates a managed, vacancy-led employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. This approach complements the policy objective of Government to upskill the resident population at all levels. Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the European Economic Area (EEA), and where the...

Protecting the Irish Economy Against Increasing Trade Tariffs: Motion [Private Members] (9 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Deputy knows what he has said.

Protecting the Irish Economy Against Increasing Trade Tariffs: Motion [Private Members] (9 Apr 2025)

Alan Dillon: Bargain basement.