It is not profit, it is turnover. There is a big difference.
TDs / Niamh Smyth
Niamh Smyth
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Portrait: Niamh Smyth (CC BY 4.0) · source file
994
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
67,002
words spoken in the chamber
67,002 as a minister, 0 as a TD
328
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
161
topics asked about
Across 19 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 994 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 160 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 41 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 40 | 24 |
| March 2025 | 61 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 59 | 1 |
| May 2025 | 47 | 3 |
| June 2025 | 30 | 6 |
| July 2025 | 34 | 10 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 101 | 26 |
| October 2025 | 46 | 2 |
| November 2025 | 61 | 15 |
| December 2025 | 39 | 0 |
| January 2026 | 45 | 15 |
| February 2026 | 51 | 4 |
| March 2026 | 63 | 4 |
| April 2026 | 56 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 56 | 12 |
| June 2026 | 58 | 8 |
| July 2026 | 35 | 14 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 59 | 12 |
| October 2026 | 12 | 1 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 110 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Cavan-Monaghan 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 29 January 2025 to 1 June 2025
- office Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment 2 June 2025 to now
I thank the Deputy for his very important question. I am happy to tell him that the Government and I, as Minister of State with responsibility for trade promotion, digitalisation and AI, are committed to developing Ireland's enterprise base across all regions over the next five years. This ranges from backing small businesses and start-ups to scaling up indigenous firms and enhancing our attractiveness as a location …
I thank the Deputy for the very legitimate concerns he has raised. On the first piece around planning, he will agree that the Planning and Development Act passed by the previous Government has gone a huge way towards trying to address that. Whether we are in opposition or government, we all know this country has been choked and almost had its development stifled due to planning. We are doing everything possible to ad…
Point taken. It is a very reasonable observation to make. Procurement is a language of its own. We all know that from filling in procurement applications for grants for communities, for example. There is a language and that can sometimes be off-putting, make it difficult and create further challenges for business. However, we are in the business of creating business. We are in the business, as a Government, of suppor…
I thank the Deputy for his question on the National Enterprise Hub which was established on 10 July 2024 and since then, the NEH has handled more than 6,000 inquiries from businesses. Monthly numbers have increased consistently and 773 were received in May alone. The primary goal of the NEH is to improve access to Government supports for businesses. We also want to simplify access and reach businesses that have never…
I thank the Deputy. As I said at the outset, the National Enterprise Hub not only gives the information but it is collecting the data too which gives the Government a laser sharp focus on the type of policy, grant aid and supports we need to offer to get to the critical crux of what businesses need to support, grow and scale.
The figures I gave out on the inquiries it has had so far are incredible. There have been 6…
In my short few months in the Department, the Minister, Deputy Burke, has been relentless on the theme of lighter, faster and simpler with what the Deputy is talking about and providing opportunities for businesses to apply for those grants and make it easier and quicker and not as onerous or burdensome. As we all know and we hear it at meetings ourselves, business people ask is it worth the effort. There is a huge e…
I thank all Deputies for some of the very strongly held views expressed on this particular topic.
The Government is fully committed to supporting workers and employers and delivering further supports for collective bargaining this year, following the public consultation. However, the Bill as proposed would leave the resultant legislation open to the possibility of legal challenge as regards an employer’s right not t…
I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this issue this evening. Cabra, like every other community in the country, is as entitled to it as anywhere else. I have the lived experience of the benefits of a family resource centre in my community in Bailieborough. Many moons ago, a community got together and established it in a housing estate in Bailieborough called Drumbannon. I had the privilege of starting my teaching career…
The Deputy is right in what he said that they can be the heart and soul and can be designed in such a way that they really respond to the nuances of a community, because communities' needs are not always the same. It is a real opportunity when a new application process is opened. The Deputy is well entitled to stand here and advocate for the Cabra centre, especially when, as he said himself, it will be highly competi…
I thank everyone who has contributed in such a meaningful way to the debate this evening. There were some technical issues raised by Deputy Barry Ward. I will ask the officials in the Department to go back to him directly. His remarks were quite technical. I have some notes here but since he is not in the Chamber himself, it would be important and useful if the officials could revert to him directly. Directly Lawless…
I thank Deputy Collins for his question. There are now 26,026 people employed in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies in County Cork, a net increase of 846 jobs during 2024. There was also positive job creation recorded across the three LEOs based in County Cork, with 3,076 jobs supported by 618 LEO clients. This represents a net gain in 2024 of 119 jobs. The FDI performance in the south west, which comprises count…
I take the Deputy's point. Balanced regional development is a key priority for the Government and all TDs who are from more rural parts of the country. I will raise the Deputy's specific questions with the Department following this. The number of jobs in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies in County Cork has increased by 846 since 2023, with 26,026 now employed in the county by those companies. The regional impact…
I thank the Deputy. I will take a note of the specific areas he asked about.
We all want to create the balanced regional development the Deputy has spoken about. The introduction of AI may allow companies to do that and allow people to work in more rural parts. We will focus on that with Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and the LEOs to see how we can support them in achieving that.
I congratulate Deputy Bennett. It is lovely to say "Deputy Bennett", having worked with her and known her well in Monaghan County Council. I am sure they are all incredibly proud of her down there. Well done.
My Department is the national competent authority with responsibility for export controls, including controls on defence-related exports and export of dual-use goods. Controls on the export of dual-use items ar…
I assure the Deputy, even though I am only in the Department for a couple of weeks, that, working with the Minister, Deputy Burke, we are sure and we have very strong controls in place. As part of their assessment, my officials seek the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of all applications for export licences, including those with the end destination of Israel. Both my Department and the Departmen…
I thank the Deputies for their questions. They are very legitimate questions to ask. I am assured by the Departments - our own Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs - that they do a really robust risk assessment around those applications. If the officials are not confident or have any question marks over them, they refuse those licences.
I do not but I will get that for the Deputy. I will get a detailed written reply on the issues the Deputies have raised. In fact, I might ask the Department to have a conversation with the Deputies on the legitimate questions they have raised today.
My Department established the digital transition fund as part of Ireland's national recovery and resilience plan with the objective of driving the digital transformation of enterprise in Ireland. The Minister, Deputy Burke, spoke earlier about the drive that is being made by the Department to ensure all businesses across Ireland reach those targets. The fund was specifically designed to aid the achievement of the hig…
I thank the Deputy very much for his kind wishes and also for his important question. There is a range of supports to help businesses in digitalisation available under the digital transition fund through Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. In addition, the LEOs offer digitalisation supports for eligible businesses, including the digital for business initiative and the grow digital voucher. These…
I thank Deputy Brennan for his remarks. I take on board everything he said. As he pointed out, we had a very robust discussion yesterday on AI and how that is impacting businesses globally, not just nationally. I take his point on board. As the Minister, Deputy Burke, stated, there is a drive to bring all businesses into the digitalisation era and a commitment to have 90% of SMEs there by 2030. It is a big task but t…
I thank Deputy Moynihan for the question and for his very kind comments. A refresh of Ireland's national AI strategy was published in November 2024. It takes account of the significant developments in AI technology and regulation that have happened since the 2021 strategy. The national AI strategy sets out a whole-of-government approach to putting the necessary enablers in place to underpin AI adoption in enterprise …
I again thank the Deputy for his interest in this area. We had a very good and robust debate last night on AI and its positives. We must always be cautious about the introduction of something like this technology. It is like the revolution of the Internet. We got that first and we were able to do it. This new technology, though, is going to be completely different because I think it is going to impact every aspect of…
I thank the Deputies for the broad range of those questions. The number of supplementary questions just goes to demonstrate the interest there is in AI and how it is going to revolutionise everything we do. The advisory council was raised by colleagues. It was established in January 2024. I had the pleasure of meeting its members and their leader, Dr. Patricia Scanlon, last week. All those council members are experts…
I am pleased to take the floor of the House today as Ireland’s first Minister of State who has artificial intelligence, AI, in their title. We are living in a time of great change, unpredictability and opportunity. I am determined that my mandate as Minister of State in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will deliver and maximise the benefits of AI for our businesses, the economy and society more broa…