Parliamentary questions

221. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the specific supports or protections which are available to self-employed contractors and franchisees affected by the receivership of a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60847/25]

222. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department has been in contact with the receiver appointed to a company (details supplied) regarding outstanding payments owed to drivers and route owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60848/25]

223. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will consider extending access to the insolvency payments scheme to dependent contractors and franchise operators in cases where companies enter receivership, given that current legislation excludes many from wage protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60849/25]

224. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of workers, franchisees, and subcontractors known to be affected by the receivership of a company (details supplied); if he will provide an estimate of unpaid entitlements or sums owed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60850/25]

225. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will instruct the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court to examine whether a company's (details supplied) operating model constituted dependent employment under Irish law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60851/25]

226. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 325 of 1 July 2025, regarding his commitment to discuss with the Department of Health the difficulties encountered in recruiting and retaining private sector healthcare assistants, if his Department will consider reforming the so called 50/50 rule so that it is not applied in …

97. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the targeted measures being developed under Priority Action 5.6 of the new National Human Rights Strategy to support disabled entrepreneurs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60296/25]

98. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to consider expanding the criteria of payments designed to help businesses with the costs of operation, as the ICOB and Power Up grant, for instance, have not reached business owners that have to pay their rates through their landlords as per their agreed contracts, meaning they did not meet the criteria fo…

99. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the reason for the delay in processing the employment permit review for a person (details supplied); and when a decision will issue. [60281/25]

100. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of new jobs created in towns in Kildare (details supplied) in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60353/25]

568. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures the Government has in place to ensure that no goods made using forced labour in Xinjiang, China are imported into Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58927/25]

569. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he has examined the reported decline in overseas visitor demand, and concerns regarding our reputation as a tourism destination, as cited in the recent IBEC experience economy survey; and the steps his Department is taking to restore international competitiveness in the sector. [59629/25]

570. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to regulate the beauty industry and his engagement to date with beauticians and salon operators regarding same. [57780/25]

571. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps he is taking to ensure that the regulatory functions of the new AI office are carried out in compliance with section 70 and section 78 of the EU AI Act, as both a Market Surveillance Authority and the national Single Point of Contact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57804/25]

572. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide a list of consultancy services which have been commissioned to assist with the establishment of the new AI Office; the amount awarded to each company to date; and a description of the services they each provided, in tabular form. [57805/25]

573. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the supports available to Galway County Council from his Department for the full restoration and development of Dunguaire Castle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57844/25]

574. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of fires involving e-scooters and e-bikes which have been attributed to inferior or non-compliant battery products in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57893/25]

575. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to protect Irish artists, writers, and performers from the unauthorised use of their work, likeness, or voice in artificial intelligence-generated content; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57907/25]

576. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to introduce specific legislation or regulations to safeguard creative professionals against the misuse of artificial intelligence technologies in the arts and entertainment industries, particularly in relation to consent, credit, and fair remuneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

577. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which his Department is engaging with representative bodies (details supplied) to ensure that developments in AI do not undermine employment opportunities, intellectual property rights, or creative integrity in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57909/25]

578. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assessment which has been made of the impact of artificial intelligence on employment and workers' rights within Ireland's film, television, and performing arts industries; if his Department will commission a study on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57910/25]

579. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will ensure that public funding provided to screen and television productions through an agency (details supplied) or Section 481 tax relief includes clear safeguards preventing the unregulated use of AI-generated performers, voices, or scripts. [57911/25]

580. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether AI-related protections will be incorporated into future industry agreements and collective bargaining frameworks to protect writers, actors, and technical crew from having their work or likeness digitally replicated without consent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57912/25]

581. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department plans to develop a national policy framework on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in the creative industries, to safeguard cultural workers and audiences against exploitation and misinformation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57913/25]

582. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he has engaged with the European Commission or Creative Europe on developing harmonised EU standards for the ethical and transparent use of AI in cultural production and copyright protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57914/25]