Results 1-20 of 6,183 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question. It comes from an accountant and, with the Minister being an accountant, I feel less qualified to answer it but I will do my best. The local enterprise offices, LEOs, are located in 31 local authorities to promote a suite of supports designed to assist small businesses to reduce their costs and become more productive and competitive. The LEOs provide...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I absolutely agree with the points the Deputy raises. Financial literacy is a cornerstone of competitiveness and that is why we have the LEOs ensuring small businesses have the tools to manage their finances effectively. They are on hand to assist at county level, including financial mentoring, training workshops and management development programmes. It is important that owners who want...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I appreciate the concerns the Deputy has raised. For any business owners, it is incumbent on the Government and the LEOs to ensure they are sustainable, have resilience built into their business plan and have access to the mentoring, training and advice that are essential to keeping businesses afloat. Raising the importance of financial literacy and ensuring businesses have access to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: We are undertaking a review of the local enterprise offices to streamline them, reduce the administrative burden and make it easier for SMEs and businesses to access supports. We are conscious that we need to strengthen the role of the local enterprise offices because they have the local knowledge and are the touchpoint for many of these businesses in towns and villages across the country....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government acknowledges that the retail sector contributes to the economy of every city, town and village in Ireland. The sector provides highly important employment with over 220,000 people directly employed in retail. The programme for Government is clear on the intention to support small businesses and as the Minister of State with responsibility...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: Retail is evolving rapidly. We have seen significant changes in consumer habits. Shoppers now expect an online channel or experience, not just the physical presence on our high streets, as the Deputy experiences in Offaly, but also for them to offer multiple touchpoints, such as the implementation of websites, the digitalisation journey, mobile applications and in-store options. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for the points he has raised. I assure him that the fund is being designed in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland. We hope it will be operational in 2026. We expect that there will be direct investment in start-ups first. To the Deputy's point, we need to support indigenous Irish SMEs. That will enable Enterprise Ireland, which does tremendous work in the context of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I agree with the Deputy. Our Department is very much about keeping Irish companies scaling and ensuring that they continue to realise their export potential and create anchor jobs within the regions and right across the country. The purpose in this regard is to protect vital jobs that are the backbone of our economy. That is why we want the strategy to operate on the basis of their needs....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: Ireland has a strong start-up ecosystem, but scaling remains a challenge due to limited access to long-term patent capital and finance. My Department is finalising a finance for scaling implementation strategy. This strategy will align with the commitments outlined in the programme for Government and supports the specific actions set out in the action plan on competitiveness and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artificial Intelligence (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: As Deputy Geoghegan is aware, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act entered into force in August 2024 and provides a harmonised regulatory framework for AI systems developed or deployed in the EU. It is designed to provide a high level of protection to people's health, safety and fundamental rights, while simultaneously promoting the adoption of human-centric, trustworthy AI. Its provisions...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artificial Intelligence (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Geoghegan for his interest in the AI Act. There are questions here today and certainly his welcome for the AI office is crucial. The Minister, Deputy Burke, allocated more than €1.4 million for its establishment, with the staffing plan now in place, and to ensure the sandbox is operational by August next year, which is not far away. We are also working with the EU...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Artificial Intelligence (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I agree with Deputy Geoghegan. It will be an important opportunity when Ireland takes over the Presidency to showcase our SMEs, the work we are doing in the AI sector and the steps we are taking in the Government. The AI office will have statutory independence, reporting annually to the Oireachtas and the AI committee. It will also co-ordinate regulators under a clear governance structure....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Visa Applications (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his feedback. Our Department has taken significant steps in making the employment permit system faster and more efficient. As I said in my earlier contribution, we launched the employment permit online system back in April of this year. We have already seen how it has transformed the application process. It makes it easier and more secure. Over 47,000 successful...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Visa Applications (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: We have implemented a huge modernisation of the permit system here in recent times. As I said earlier, it was launched in April of this year and, as part of that, we engaged extensively with business representatives and trusted partners. We went out most recently with a consultation process on the updated occupation list. We have also enhanced our learning and engagement to ensure that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Visa Applications (13 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy. Over the last number of years, my officials, in collaboration with officials in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, have been working strenuously to deliver a more efficient and streamlined employment permit and visa system. A key element of this is the implementation of a single application procedure for both employment permits and immigration...

Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank all the Deputies for their very informative contributions and the obvious passion they have towards this subject. It is great to hear some people's passion not just for the sector itself, but through having past experience in it. It is incumbent on us all to recognise the world-class arts sector we have, both amateur and professional. That is recognised internationally and...

Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024 be deemed to be read a second time this day eighteen months, on the grounds that this amendment is premature as the Minister proposes to await the report of the Expert Advisory Committee on the Arts Council...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (6 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank Deputy Hearne for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who is not here today. Increasing the provision of disability residential services is a key priority for the Government and the HSE. All Deputies across the House will have specific cases relating to the many families who are finding...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (6 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: Again, I agree with the Deputy. I think we are all in agreement that we do need to commit to tackling the waiting lists. That is why we have a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for disability at the Cabinet, working within the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, as part of the wider Government response to increase the number of residential places and improve...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Homeless Persons Supports (6 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I acknowledge the Deputy's advocacy for this important health hub. We all recognise the need to respond on a nationwide basis to the health needs of people who are homeless. That includes areas outside Dublin and, to the Deputy's point, including Cork city will be a critical investment for the HSE. I will reiterate to all the Ministers in the Department of Health the need for support...