Parliamentary questions

152. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will report on the work of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum on a comprehensive review of the cost structure for SMEs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1534/26]

153. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to attract new foreign direct investment, particularly in emerging sectors such as green technology and digital services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1341/26]

154. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of IDA-hosted visits to each county in 2025. [1722/26]

155. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of jobs Enterprise Ireland supported in each county in the Border region in 2025; how this compares with each county in the Border region in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1730/26]

156. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the initiatives he or his Department or associated State agencies have taken to encourage prospective new owners to establish a business at a former factory (details supplied) at Carrickmacross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1239/26]

157. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures he is taking to support the tourism industry in Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1236/26]

158. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the actions his Department is taking to support regional and community-based tourism projects in 2026, particularly in Dublin Bay North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1751/26]

159. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department has undertaken any assessment on the impact of rising hotel costs on tourism rates in the country. [64065/25]

160. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will support revising the law to grant workers a right to work remotely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1618/26]

161. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which his Department is supporting Irish SMEs looking to enter international markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66678/25]

162. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assessment his Department has completed on the effectiveness of the increased cost of doing business grant for SMEs; whether further rounds of support are planned for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1340/26]

163. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way he is ensuring that small and micro-businesses are not disproportionately affected by regulatory burdens compared to larger multinationals. [1727/26]

164. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps he is taking to increase the tourism potential of County Meath. [64062/25]

165. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he has considered specific supports for retailers in rural towns facing declining footfall, bank closures and higher logistics costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69879/25]

166. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to increase the number of overnight tourism stays in County Meath in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1719/26]

167. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the incentives available for hoteliers to build new hotels as it is currently not feasible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1728/26]

168. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assistance being given to SMEs and start-ups on the recently published Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, specifically on the eight measures in this action plan relating to AI and digital adoption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1747/26]

169. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the work his Department has done to examine the introduction of a hotel bed tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1714/26]

170. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures his Department is taking to support SMEs facing persistently high energy costs, particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as hospitality and manufacturing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1339/26]

171. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to end all subminimum wages for apprentice workers. [67837/25]

172. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the position regarding any engagement he has had with an organisation (details supplied) that seeks to encourage businesses to pass on the planned VAT rate reduction to customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1399/26]

173. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on the capital investment strategy, and the new business and tourism initiatives that he has recently announced. [1846/26]

174. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if the level of in-work poverty in the State has been brought to his attention; if he will consider an increase in the minimum wage as an effective means to reduce in-work poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1527/26]

175. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department is concerned about the rising rate of long-term unemployment, and youth unemployment, which stands at nearly three times the average unemployment rate, according to the CSO; the measures his Department is taking to find the cause and address these issues in the labour market; and if he will make a…

176. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assessment his Department has made of the estimated 6% decline in visitor numbers nationally in 2025, as reported by tourism industry bodies; the specific impact this decline is having on tourism businesses and employment in Galway east and county; and the measures being taken to support the tourism sector and to…