Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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362. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports being put in place to attract new employers to County Wexford and the surrounding region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57201/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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. In this regard, IDA Ireland has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional development as a core pillar of its 2025–2029 strategy, 'Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation'. This ambitious strategy aims to secure 550 investments outside Dublin, accounting for 55% of all planned investments to 2029. IDA’s strategy focuses on partnering with the existing FDI base to retain and renew their Irish operations alongside an ongoing focus on identifying new opportunities associated with FDI growth drivers including AI & digital, semiconductors, sustainability and health. In practical terms this means supporting clients to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations through investment in RD&I, digitalisation, talent development and sustainability.

Wexford is part of IDA Ireland's South-East Region which also includes Waterford, Kilkenny, and Carlow. There are 85 IDA client companies in this region, employing 15,580 people, with a further 12,464 people employed indirectly, with 25 of these in Wexford employing 3,606 and 7,232 respectively. Grant support totalling €261,398 was provided to IDA clients in Wexford in 2024.

The FDI performance in the region has been strong over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 15%. The South-East has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies which are complemented by research centres that help win new business and assist existing client companies with transformation. Counties in the South-East also benefit from direct and indirect ‘remote’ and ‘hybrid’ employment generated by IDA client companies located in Dublin.

IDA Ireland continues to deliver a competitive property offering to attract FDI and support the growth and expansion of domestic clients within the Enterprise Ireland portfolio and Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) clients. In that regard, I am advised that in terms of land holdings in County Wexford, the IDA currently owns 58 hectares of lands with approximately 4 hectares available for marketing across Wexford IDA Business & Technology Park, Wexford Business Park, and IDA Enniscorthy. IDA continues to work with regional stakeholders and the private sector on opportunities to add to the supply of competitive property solutions in the South-East Region. Under its current strategy IDA has committed to deliver an Advance Planning Permit in partnership with Wexford County Council for an Advanced Technology Building during the lifetime of the 2025-2029 Strategy.

Innovative, ambitious start-ups are the bedrock of the Irish economy and will form the foundations of future enterprise success. Enterprise Ireland, in partnership with the 31 LEOs and the wider enterprise and innovation ecosystem, aims to stimulate and foster the next generation of Irish enterprise successes by supporting ambitious start-ups to access finance, build capacity, and grow domestically and internationally. Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting the attraction and development of employers in County Wexford and the wider South-East region through a range of targeted initiatives and national programmes.

In 2024, 5,943 people were employed across 130 Enterprise Ireland client companies in County Wexford, up from 5,776 in 2023, which represents an increase of 167 net jobs. In April 2025, EI client and global leader in the design and manufacture of medical device balloons, Hoop Medical, announced the official opening of its new, purpose-built facility in the Ardcavan Business Park, Wexford. This expansion supported by EI provides a 10,000-square-foot manufacturing space, more than tripling Hoop's current footprint to support the company’s continued growth and create new job opportunities.

Enterprise Ireland has also invested heavily in the B.A.S.S.E. accelerator programme, delivered by GreenTech HQ in Enniscorthy. This supports SMEs with mentoring, strategic planning, and access to entrepreneurial talent to drive sustainable growth, with the objective of creating up to 300 new jobs in scaling EI client companies. More broadly, under its new five-year strategy Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally (2025–2029), Enterprise Ireland aims to support 1,000 new start-ups, 1,700 new exporters, and increase employment in supported companies to 275,000 nationwide.

Enterprise Ireland also provides direct supports to businesses seeking to establish or expand in Wexford, including Employment Funding grants, Market Discovery Funds to explore new markets, and Key Manager grants to attract senior talent. These supports are designed to help companies start, compete, scale, and connect—ensuring that Irish enterprises can thrive locally while growing globally. Enterprise Ireland works closely with regional stakeholders, including Wexford County Council and the Local Enterprise Office, to ensure a coordinated approach to enterprise development and job creation.

Enterprise Ireland is an active member of the South-East Regional Enterprise Plan process which has brought together stakeholders in the South-East to develop initiatives focused on driving enterprise growth in the region and continues to invest in supporting infrastructure, innovation hubs, and collaborative projects that strengthen regional enterprise ecosystems. The South-East REP covers Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Carlow and aims to leverage the established strengths of the region in terms of ICT, life sciences, engineering and financial services and build capacity in emerging areas such as offshore energy. Some of the projects supported through the South-East REP include the Ireland South-East Offshore Wind Partnership, and the Business Advantage & Sustainability South-East (B.A.S.S.E) programme.

Based on all of the above, I have every confidence that Wexford and the South-East region will remain an attractive location for both foreign and domestic investment and continue to be a thriving entrepreneurial hotspot well into the future.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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363. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans in place to create more opportunities in order that persons can work closer to home in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57202/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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There has been a significant long-term shift in attitudes to remote work amongst both employers and workers throughout the country since the pandemic. Acceptance of remote and hybrid working is high, and the evidence suggests that they are here to stay.

Remote working represents a significant opportunity for creating a more inclusive labour market and enhanced access to high-quality employment opportunities for workers in their home communities. This in turn provides employers with access to a larger talent pool, with remote and flexible working options representing powerful tools for staff recruitment and retention which improves labour market performance and regional economic balance overall.

The most recent data from the Central Statistics Office show that in the second quarter of 2025, over 1 million persons reported working from home at least some of the time. Within this, over half a million (555,500) persons were usually working from home (relative to a peak number of 774,300 in 2021 Q2). In the South-East Region which includes County Wexford, 65,900 people were working from home (usually or sometimes) in the second quarter of 2025, down from a peak of 73,800 in 2022Q1.

The most recent labour force survey results also illustrate that our policies are working with record numbers of people in employment. Nationally, there were 2.8 million persons at work in the second quarter of the year, an annual gain of 63,900 jobs. Analysis undertaken by the Department of Finance in 2025 highlights not only the scale of Ireland’s employment growth since the pandemic, but also its spread, with job growth recorded in every region, including the South-East, which has seen employment increase by nearly 21% since just before the pandemic. Remote working has contributed to this regional job growth, by allowing people in places such as County Wexford to access employment in sectors amenable to remote working such as ICT.

Initiatives such as the Work Life Balance Act 2023, which establishes the right to request remote working for all workers, and the National Remote Work Strategy, reflect the Government’s commitment to facilitating these changes in a way which maximises their economic, social and environmental benefits. Development and delivery of the National Remote Strategy was overseen by the Remote Work Interdepartmental Group, based in my Department.

Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, re-affirms this commitment to promoting flexible working arrangements that benefit both workers and employers.

In terms of Ireland’s evolving suite of policies and supports for remote working for employees and employers, I would highlight the following:

• The right to request a remote working arrangement for all employees was commenced through the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 on 6 March 2024. Employers are obliged to have regard to the Code of Practice and the other requirements of the Act when considering requests for remote working. Employees have recourse to the Workplace Relations Commission if the employer fails to comply with the legislation. Providing a right to request supports and facilitating remote working in Ireland, and at the same time, supports a productive and competitive business environment.
• The legislation provides for a review of the operation of the remote working provisions of the Act, not earlier than one year and not later than two years after the commencement of the Act. There are also provisions to conduct a review of the operation of the flexible working provisions of the Act and, as part of the review, consider whether the right to request a flexible working arrangement should be extended to all employees. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will be carrying out a review of the operation of the right to request remote working provisions of the Act by March 2026.
• The Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect was introduced April 2021 by the Workplace Relations Commission, followed by the introduction of an enhanced income tax deduction amounting to 30 percent of heat, electricity and broadband expenses for people working from home, announced in Budget 2022.
• My Department continues to update its Guidance for Working Remotely webpage for employees and employers to support the safe and successful adoption of remote working practices. In addition, the Government co-funds remote work skills training programmes, such as Leading and Hybrid Remote Teams provided by Laois Offaly ETB and Grow Remote, and The FORWARD Programme which provides SMEs personalised support to design, implement, and sustain effective remote work practices.
• The Government's commitment to promoting remote work is also evident through initiatives like the National Hub Network, facilitated by Connected Hubs. This initiative plays a vital role in supporting the National Remote Work Strategy by providing accessible, well-equipped remote working spaces throughout Ireland. With 393 hubs across the country, and plans to expand to 400 by the end of 2025, Connected Hubs is helping to build vibrant local economies, revitalising communities and offering diverse services to remote workers, SMEs, and start-ups. These hubs are essential in enhancing labour market participation and promoting sustainable, flexible work options in line with Government policy. 13 of these hubs are located in County Wexford.
• The Connected Hubs network is a key driver in Ireland’s push to support remote work and regional development. Aligned with policies like Our Rural Future and the forthcoming National Hub Strategy, the initiative empowers individuals to work remotely while staying rooted in their communities. Hubs provide essential infrastructure and services, from co-working spaces and conference facilities to specialist resources like podcast studios and maker spaces. Beyond workspace provision, they offer vital business supports such as mentoring, start-up accelerators, and sector-specific programmes. By promoting innovation and collaboration, Connected Hubs is shaping the future of work while contributing to balanced regional growth and sustainable development across Ireland.
• A national marketing campaign – In Good Company – is being launched in October 2025 to encourage SMEs to adopt flexible hub-based working models. The 2025 National Hub Summit, taking place in November, will bring together all relevant parties from across government, enterprise, community development and the hub ecosystem.
• Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy sets ambitious targets for the continued development of the digital infrastructure which enables successful remote working in Ireland. These targets include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030. The Programme for Government sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps being taken to ensure that rural enterprises and businesses in County Wexford remain funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57203/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Developing Ireland’s enterprise base remains a key focus for Government and my Department is committed to backing small businesses and start-ups, to help them to scale up and grow into exporting entities in every county across the country.

The Programme for Government commits to ensuring Local Enterprise Offices are fully resourced to support local businesses. The importance of continuing to fund the LEOs is reflected in the steady increase in the annual budget allocation over the 11 years since their establishment.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Wexford continues to play an extremely important role, as part of this supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the county.

The LEO contributes to the development of economic strategies such as the Local Economic and Community Plans and ensures that an enterprise perspective is brought to bear on various Local Authority and regional plans and frameworks.

The LEO offers direct grant assistance to small businesses, specifically designed for growth or exporting, aimed at small businesses in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. The LEO provide training and advice on entrepreneurship and helping businesses to start, grow and deal with the challenges of running a business.

To assist small and medium enterprises to tackle the rising cost of doing business the LEOs provide consultancy and grants, in the areas of Lean, Green, and Digital, to small businesses in all sectors. These supports focus on enhancing productivity and improving competitiveness in all small businesses.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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365. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the national AI office will open; when it is expected to be fully operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57261/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The establishment of the AI Office of Ireland is a strategic initiative for my Department to act as the central co-ordinating body for the AI Act and provide a focal point for the promotion and adoption of transparent and safe AI in Ireland, to ensure that we fully capture the strategic opportunity that AI presents.

Currently, my officials, in collaboration with relevant government departments are developing the General Scheme of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence. This General Scheme will provide for the implementation and enforcement of the AI Act at national level in domestic legislation. This includes the establishment of the new AI Office of Ireland as an independent statutory entity which will seek to ensure a coherent, harmonised, and effective national approach to AI regulation. It is my intention to bring this General Scheme to Government within the coming weeks.

In addition, my officials are progressing detailed implementation plans to ensure the AI Office of Ireland is in place by August 2026.