Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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228.To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department will be prioritising the progression of any specific pieces of legislation prior to the Dáil summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24699/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently progressing two bills, before the Houses.

The Employment Permits Bill is currently before the Seanad for report stage. The primary purpose of this proposed legislation is to consolidate the Employment Permits Acts, making certain amendments to modernise the employment permits system and to increase it's responsiveness. Seanad Committee stage was taken on 22 May 2024.

The Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill will provide for ownership of Microfinance Ireland (MFI) to pass from its current parentage the Social Finance Foundation, to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and to put in place the related governance structures. It will give greater oversight to a body which is responsible for an increased amount of state sponsored lending and it will create a more established and regular relationship between the Department and the body delivering the funding to the recipient businesses. This Bill has completed third stage in the Dáil on 20 May 2024.

My Department also has two priority pieces of legislation to progress prior to the Summer recess of the Dáil. Both of these Bills have been included in the Governments Summer Programme 2024 for priority publication and are currently on track.

The Digital Services (Levy) Bill is dual purpose, firstly it will extend Coimisiún na Meán's levy raising power to service providers under the scope of both the EU Digital Services Act & the EU Terrorism Content Online Regulation. Secondly, it will introduce a power for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to charge a levy on online marketplace providers in the scope of the EU Digital Services Act. It is estimated that the Bill will be submitted to Government seeking approval to publish in early June. The Levy raising power must be in place for 2025.

The Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill will enhance and strengthen the enforcement and regulatory provisions in the Companies Act 2014. The amendments largely relate to four distinct areas of company law: Corporate Governance, Company Law Enforcement and Supervision, Administration and Insolvency. It is estimated that the Bill will go to Cabinet for approval to publish on 9 July 2024. Following temporary measures that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, further extensions to these measures will not be continued after December 2024. In order to avoid any gap in legislation and or uncertainty, it is hoped the Bill will be enacted and commenced before end of Q4, 2024.