Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

911. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions he is taking to address concerns related to the potential loss of jobs in the delivery sector due to the progression of drone delivery systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42307/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government continues to take a very proactive approach to the labour market and my own Department is continuing to prioritise and support the enterprise sector to deliver employment opportunities.

Our labour market has experienced significant growth in recent years, and we now have more people employed in our country than ever before. According to the latest figures from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey, total employment stood at 2.8 million. In addition, the latest CSO monthly figures show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of just 4.0% in June. To put some perspective on these data, Ireland has added well over half a million jobs since 2021 – an increase of a quarter.

This is a considerable accomplishment given the challenges we have faced in recent years, including Brexit, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, global inflationary pressures, and uncertainties around tariffs and international trade.

It is a testament to the hard work and remarkable resilience of Irish enterprise and the inherent dynamism within our labour market.

My Department is conscious of the risks and opportunities brought about by digitalisation, including drones, and the pace of change is remarkable.

That is why we are prioritising an ambitious action plan on competitiveness and productivity. Earlier this year, we also announced a wide range of labour market initiatives and reforms and in July we unveiled an updated National Development Plan.

The Department of Transport held a targeted stakeholder consultation as well as a public consultation on the development of a policy framework and the Programme for Government includes a commitment to finalise and publish a Policy Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. I expect this will identify and address any regulatory and legislative gaps in the area.

I will continue to work closely with colleagues in the Department of Transport in the coming quarters both in relation to drones and wider transport matters impacting on enterprise and employment.

I would conclude by re-iterating how well our labour market is performing with record levels of activity across a range of indicators.