Results 1-20 of 6,230 for speaker:Alan Dillon

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

Alan Dillon: The Digital Marketing Capability Grant is designed to help client companies develop in-house digital marketing stills and implement export focused strategies. 30 companies received grant funding under the scheme in 2024, totalling €741K. Enterprise Ireland does not provide any non-financial support under this scheme; it is a specific programme to allow companies bring in the...

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

Alan Dillon: Enterprise Ireland have advised that 2025 figures for Kildare will not be available until the beginning of 2026. However, in 2024 payments to Enterprise Ireland clients totalled over €4.3m; this included €4.1 million in non-infrastructural payments and over €200K in infrastructural payments. Enterprise Ireland launched its new strategy “Delivering for Ireland,...

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I join the Acting Chairman in wishing Kilmeena GAA club the very best of luck in the county final. I also acknowledge the tremendous Relay for Life team and committee. It is an outstanding organisation that has done Trojan work in terms of funding and continues to go above and beyond. In response to Senator Collins, I thank her for her amendments. We certainly appreciate the wide...

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I will take amendments Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, and respond to the Senators on their proposed amendments. On amendment No. 2, I thank Senator Higgins for her suggested addition. Amendment No. 2 relates to inserting a new subsection providing that money borrowed by ESB shall not be used for energy infrastructure related to data centres. As outlined to Senator Collins, the draft decision...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Illegal Dumping (18 Nov 2025)

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 to 221, inclusive, together. In accordance with the Waste Management Act, the management of waste including the remediation of legacy landfill sites, such as Whitestown, is the legal responsibility of the respective local authorities. In this context, site specific and operational questions are a matter for the local authority and should be addressed...

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

Alan Dillon: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system designed to address skills and labour shortages in the economy while ensuring that opportunities for Irish and EEA nationals are protected. The system is governed by the Employment Permits Act 2024 and associated regulations, which set out the conditions under which permits may be granted. A key requirement under the legislation is the...

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

Alan Dillon: My Department provides funding, through through Enterprise Ireland, to the 31 Local Enterprise Offices. The level of funding is allocated based on a distribution model where 70% of the funds are divided equally among the 31 Local Enterprise Offices and the remainder is distributed proportionately, based on the banding of the Local Authorities. Capital funding is used to support enterprise...

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

Alan Dillon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 406 together. 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 IDA Ireland's 2025-2029 strategy, "Adapt Intelligently" with a commitment to secure 550 investments, 55%...

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

Alan Dillon: 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. Enterprise Ireland launched its new strategy “Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025–2029)” earlier this year. This strategy prioritises regional...

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...