Parliamentary questions

451. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the criteria, labour market data and consultation processes used to determine which occupations remain on or are removed from the critical skills occupations list; and whether any review is planned or underway in 2026. [14557/26]

452. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will consider the inclusion of skilled trades occupations on the critical skills occupations list, including but not limited to plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and bricklayers, given the well-documented shortages in these professions and their importance in supporting housing delivery and infrastructure d…

453. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment when a decision will be made on a general employment permit application (details supplied), given four of the five applications submitted together have been approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14565/26]

454. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will consider updating the critical skills occupations list; if he will consider the addition of trade professions to the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14930/26]

455. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment when seasonal work permits will be allocated for seasonal workers in the horticulture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14939/26]

456. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide an update on Ireland's Spaces Strategy for Enterprise, including performance on goals set out in the 2019 to 2025 strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15113/26]

457. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on progress of recommendation no. 40 of the Action Plan for Competitiveness & Productivity on incentivising pension fund and institutional investor participation in the financing of scaling Irish enterprise. [15123/26]

1. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which he will address the disparity in income levels across the State; the way in which he will ensure high-paid jobs are not only centralised in major urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13851/26]

2. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether he will increase the minimum wage for apprentices to address the construction sector skills gap. [13853/26]

3. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide an update on the comprehensive review assessing the cost structures for SME and family-owned businesses, which can be found in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13850/26]

4. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his concerns regarding the high levels of youth unemployment; the initiatives he has in place to tackle it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13849/26]

5. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the specific supports which are available to indigenous SMEs operating in rural towns to ensure their long-term sustainability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13848/26]

6. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to support SMEs with rising delivery and postage costs, and the impact of those increased costs on their competitiveness and ability to do business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13367/26]

7. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps he will take to tackle harmful AI tools (details supplied) and the online platforms that host them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4109/26]

8. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the status of the review of the critical skills occupations list and ineligible occupations list; whether the review will take into consideration the availability of housing in addition to the needs of the labour market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13201/26]

9. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps being taken to increase the very low participation rate for persons with disabilities in the labour market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13377/26]

10. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will establish an AI observatory to complement the national AI office, and track real-time issues and project future impacts on jobs and skills to provide independent forecasting and policy advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12952/26]

11. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his views on whether action is necessary to mitigate against an over-reliance on the private sector with regard to AI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12956/26]

12. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the supports currently available to businesses that have been damaged following flooding or other storm-related damage; the total amount under each support scheme that was allocated in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13205/26]

13. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his assessment of the impact of his Department’s SME test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13383/26]

14. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline the key findings of the Annual Employment Survey 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13360/26]

15. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps being taken to build national capacity within regulators and industry in advance of the full commencement of the EU AI Act; the way in which this will support Ireland’s position as a competitive and innovation-focused location for AI development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13254/26]

16. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in light of reports that generative artificial intelligence tools can produce highly realistic child sexual abuse imagery, the specific engagement his Department has had on the online safety and cultural implications of such technologies for children and young people; the concrete actions being taken to ensure child …

17. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline any engagements he or his Department has had with any stakeholder or body under his Department’s aegis on a matter (details supplied); if he will provide an update in respect of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13323/26]

18. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he considers that the AI advisory council should have a dedicated role for, or membership of, civil society organisations, such as disabled people’s organisations, human rights advocates and people representing marginalised groups and communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12901/26]