Alan Dillon

In addition to our efforts to mitigate climate change, it is critically important that we plan ahead for a climate-resilient future. Over the past number of years this has become even more evident as powerful storms including Babet, Darragh, Éowyn and most recently Chandra have significantly impacted Irish people, our infrastructure and our economy. Ireland's whole-of-government adaptation policy…

I can give a full response in writing but I agree that nature-based solutions are increasingly central to Ireland's adaptation policy. From my own experience, I know that examples are under way such as the wetland rehabilitation in the Shannon and Moy catchments. They are creating national flooding storage zones. I know we are under time constraints but I can send the Deputy the rest of the reply.

My Department has responsibility for the National Minimum Wage Act 2000. The Act prescribes the minimum hourly rate of pay for the majority of employees in Ireland subject to a small number of exemptions. Apprentices are excluded from the Act and from the right to receive the national minimum wage. Apprentices are excluded from the National Minimum Wage Act in recognition of the unique nature of a…

The Government is taking important steps with regard to supporting the apprenticeship programme. We have seen huge investment in recent years. In budget 2026, we allocated over €78 million to the apprenticeship programme. This investment is delivering significant results. We have seen annual apprenticeship registrations increase from 5,326 in 2020 to 9,352 at the end of 2024. We are very ambitious…

We are all in agreement that we need to address the construction skills gap and that is very much central to the Government's strategy. We do not want to price young people or employers out of the system and that is important to reflect on. We are investing in career pathways, educational access and targeted incentives. We are very much focused on building confidence in careers within the construc…

I thank the Deputy for her question. The programme for Government sets out a strong enterprise and fiscal framework that prioritises economic and employment growth, with a target of creating 300,000 extra jobs by 2030. I am pleased to report that the Irish labour market saw sustained employment growth, rising labour force participation and record job numbers last year, indicative of a resilient pe…

I disagree entirely with the suggestion that Government is not doing anything and is complacent on youth employment. We can see from the CSO's recent data that it has clearly identified a temporary demographic and seasonal effect, while there is also a surge in young people entering the labour force for the very first time. That is not a collapse in youth opportunity; it is, in one sense, supporte…

I agree with some of the Deputy's suggestions in regard to continued investment in key actions under Pathways to Work. I know that needs to provide enhanced supports for young people and jobseekers. The establishment of the employment and youth engagement charter is important to bring employers and young people together to tackle the barriers in regard to getting into the workforce. As I said ear…

The Government fully recognises that small and medium enterprises have faced significant cost pressures in recent years, driven by high energy prices, global supply chain disruptions and international economic developments. Despite these ongoing challenges, progress is being made to support SMEs, with the Government taking proactive steps to implement measures to reduce business costs and ease reg…

Delivery and postage costs are primarily a commercial matter for An Post and that is the reality. We are in the Department of enterprise but there is a Minister of State in another Department who actually deals with An Post specifically. We will engage in open dialogue and listen further to business representative groups either through the enterprise forum or the retail forum the Minister, Deputy …

I acknowledge the points the Deputy has raised. The Minister, Deputy Burke, the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, and I are listening to businesses and SMEs. We have established the cost of doing business advisory forum, which is independently chaired. It engages directly with the key SME employer representative bodies, including IBEC, Retail Excellence Ireland, ISME and Chambers Ireland. It is a r…

Ireland’s economic migration policy is designed to address verified and persistent skills shortages across the economy. The system is vacancy-led and managed through the critical skills occupations list and the ineligible occupations list, which the Department reviews on a regular basis. A new review of the occupation lists is under way. This began with an open public consultation, which closed on…

Again, I thank the Deputy for the points he has raised. Targeted migration is essential for sectors, such as housing. It does not worsen the housing challenge that we are presented with. Through controlled and skilled-based migration into sectors such as construction, engineering and housing delivery, it directly increases our housing supply. That is reflective of the example where access to quali…

We look at it through an interdepartmental group. We identify our domestic talent within certain specific areas in terms of where the skills needs are. My Department engages extensively with the Department of further and higher education, the National Skills Council and the skills and labour market research unit. We ensure that every recommendation on the occupations list is paired with where our …

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government continues to support workers throughout their careers with initiatives to improve work-life balance and flexible working arrangements, which encourages greater labour market participation including the participation of people with disabilities, resulting in greater diversity and inclusion within our workforce. The Government has a wide range of s…

I thank both Deputies for raising these important matters. I absolutely share the concerns they have raised and about how long change has taken in this area. I want to underline that we are finally moving from language to implementation. Through the reporting and monitoring implementation group chaired by the Taoiseach, he wants to see the pillar around employment progress. As I said earlier, we h…

I thank the Deputies for raising these important matters. The most important lesson we have learned as to why there have been low rates of participation is that employers have not been engaged enough. We need to turn the dial as regards the challenges they may face and the barriers that may present themselves. We must ensure they are supported to have better disability and inclusion policies that …

I acknowledge the Labour Party for bringing forward this Private Members' Bill. Remote working has shaped modern work practices and the labour market. I, for one, take the Bill seriously, as does the Government. For far too long opportunity was centred in major cities and larger urban areas. However, remote working has shifted that balance and today we see flexible and remote working transforming …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — the Government is acutely aware of, and concerned about, the impact of rising prices on Irish households, and it is also aware of the high cost of energy prices and the wider impact of the cost of doing business for firms, particularly small firms; — in relation to Irish households, th…

I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. I acknowledge Unite’s concerns and those of the family of the late Matthew Campbell regarding the protection of workers from extreme weather events. These concerns are understandable and the well-being of workers in all conditions must remain a priority. I am satisfied, however, that strong protections already exist in current Irish legislati…

I reaffirm that worker safety remains a core priority of our Department's ethos. The existing legislative framework I outlined is strong, comprehensive and designed to ensure employers assess risk and take all necessary steps to protect staff from extreme temperatures and other hazards. While there are currently no plans to introduce paid leave for extreme weather events, guidance is available wi…

I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue and for outlining the position in terms of commentary regarding Ireland and Dublin in the press this week. The World Economic Forum is an independent international organisation that was founded back in 1971. The forum states that its mission is to improve the state of the world through public-private co-operation. As the Deputy outlined, the forum'…

I again thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. He has made his case very articulately and has demonstrated as well as anybody could the positive impact global international trade has had on this country in terms of our economic growth and our resilience over the past number of years. It is important that Ireland continues to have a presence at Davos. It underscores our position as a st…

As the Deputy is aware, the programme for Government sets out a strong enterprise and fiscal framework that prioritises economic and employment growth and competitiveness, with a target to support the creation of 300,000 extra jobs by 2030. I am pleased to report that, one year on, the Irish labour market continues to record sustained employment growth, rising labour force participation and record…

I acknowledge the significant buoyancy within our labour market. On the Deputy’s earlier point, it is not a matter of a song and dance; it is actual fact that we are very much creating balanced regional growth. That is evident from the high employment and rising participation rates right across the country. With 2.82 million people at work, a record level, we continue to implement good, sound Gove…