Written answers
Thursday, 28 May 2026
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Programme for Government
Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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312. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide a report on the progress made implementing the Programme for Government commitments within his remit and on the achievements since the formation of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41384/26]
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government has informed the development of my Department’s Statement of Strategy 2025–2028 and is embedded within the annual business planning process, supported by ongoing monitoring and through structured performance reporting to me by the Secretary General and the Department’s Management Board.
With the support of Ministers Dillon and Smyth, substantial progress has been achieved across the full breadth of Programme for Government commitments. A comprehensive account of these achievements will be detailed in the Department’s Annual Report for 2025 which will be published in due course. I include below a summary of some of these achievements.
Ireland’s labour market remains exceptionally strong. Employment grew by 56,700 in the year to Q4 2025, bringing total employment to a record level of approximately 2.83 million, including a 1.9% increase outside the Dublin region. The number of people working in Ireland has never been so high. My focus as Minister is to ensure that Ireland continues to be a great place to live, invest and work.
In addition, inward investment performance has been particularly robust. IDA Ireland secured a record 323 investments in 2025, representing a 38% increase on the previous year. These investments are expected to support over 15,300 new jobs, with a strong emphasis on research, innovation and future-focused sectors. This activity is underpinned by IDA’s new five-year strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025–2029, which aligns closely with Programme for Government priorities.
Enterprise Ireland has also delivered continued employment growth, with client company employment reaching a record 232,425 in 2025. Notably, 69% of new jobs supported by Enterprise Ireland were located outside Dublin, supporting balanced regional development. Meanwhile, the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) network continues to play a crucial role, supporting businesses employing over 40,000 people, with over 7,000 new jobs created in 2025.
Significant progress has also been made in policy development. The publication of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity in September 2025 is supported by €4.7 billion in capital investment over the lifetime of the Department’s Sectoral Capital Plan 2026–2030.
A Small Business Unit was established, fulfilling a key Programme for Government commitment, and we have also convened several meetings of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum.
In line with the Programme for Government a key priority is reducing red tape and simplifying processes for small businesses. Key highlights in this regard include:
- Grant simplification: The newly established Small Business Unit has reviewed all Local Enterprise Office (LEO) grant schemes, resulting in a reduction of application questions, down 47% for Business Expansion Grants, 30% for the Green for Business Grant and 28% for the Feasibility Grant with further reductions targeted.
- Regulatory relief: Ireland was among the first in Europe to sign regulations exempting 80% of small businesses from the scope of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive with a two-year delay granted to others pending further EU negotiations.
- SME Test expansion: In 2025, 33 SME Tests were applied across 10 Government Departments. This compares to 26 SME Tests across 8 Departments in 2024.These tests assess the impact of new legislation on small businesses and propose mitigation measures. This figure is expected to increase with all departments mandated to apply SME Tests for new policies.
- Listening to businesses: My officials are actively engaging with stakeholders through the Enterprise and Retail Forums and the Cost of Business Advisory Forum to identify high-impact burdens and opportunities for reformBroader reform initiatives during 2025 included;
- Business support access: The National Enterprise Hub has managed over 7,500 enquiries, simplifying access to over 250 supports from 29 departments and agencies.
- Regulatory modernisation: Updating to the Companies Act with, the introduction of an updated audit exemption regime.
Innovation remains central to my Department’s agenda. The Sectoral Capital Plan 2026–2030 provides substantial investment, including €190 million for Technology Centres, €196 million for the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, €170 million for European Space Agency programmes, and €120 million for IPCEIs. Ireland’s first Semiconductor Strategy has been launched, alongside I C3, the National Competence Centre for Semiconductors, to support start-ups and SMEs. Work is also progressing on a new National Life Sciences Strategy and Next Generation Sites.
There is a clear commitment in the Programme for Government to support the central role played by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court in industrial relations and employment matters. A new chair of the Labour Court was appointed in April 2025. The WRC continues to uphold employment rights, including through the establishment of a new division focused on outreach and information provision and also a new continuous improvement office, focused on driving efficiencies through digitisation and data informed change. In recent months we have agreed an Action Plan on Collective Bargaining with the Social Partners; increased the minimum wage and the Minimum Adequate Remuneration; signed in new legislation to give workers the option of working longer, protecting their rights at insolvency, supporting health and safety protections; and we commenced further improvements to arrangements surrounding the legislation granting the right to request remote working, to give just some examples.”
I secured Government agreement to adopt a distributed model for implementing the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, building on the expertise of established sectoral regulators. A national single point of contact was established in the department in September to streamline coordination between Irish regulators, the European Commission, and stakeholders.
Preparations are at an advanced stage for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, commencing on 1 July 2026. Coordinated efforts across Government are ensuring full readiness to drive forward key national and European priorities.
Further progress includes strengthening the mandate of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, ongoing insurance reform measures, and the introduction of a new mediation service through the Personal Injuries Resolution Board.
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