Parliamentary questions

Tobacco Control Measures

Noel Grealish

61. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has been consulted with and provided observations on proposals to raise the legal age for smoking, particularly given concerns expressed by retailers on the workability of have differing age limits applying to the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products. [23037/24]

Departmental Priorities

Catherine Connolly

62. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 60 of 18 April 2024, for an update on his Department’s engagement with the Department of Foreign Affairs with a view to developing a new business and human rights action plan and implementation body; his plans for independent oversight of the implementation of the new action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23077/24]

Work Permits

Aindrias Moynihan

63. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the up-to-date position on the introduction of a single permit system for work permits and visas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23082/24]

Business Supports

Aindrias Moynihan

64. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if supports are being considered for SMEs in the use of AI technologies for their businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23083/24]

Job Creation

Aindrias Moynihan

65. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures being considered in increasing the current number of IDA-supported jobs for the mid Cork region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23084/24]

Employment Rights

Marc MacSharry

66. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there are any legislative measures in existence or planned to provide for employment rights for contract workers within the film industry where substantial tax incentives are provided to boost profitability, yet many workers and service providers are only being provided with temporary and/or rolling contracts with no employment rights or benefits as would normally accrue such as social insurance, pension, sick leave, holiday pay and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23142/24]

Employment Rights

Ged Nash

67. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he or the Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail plan to sign the new draft contract cleaning employment regulation order which was submitted to him by the Labour Court in April 2024; when the new order will come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23211/24]

Immigration Policy

Carol Nolan

68. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department is proposing any measures in relation to enhanced enforcement of immigration compliance in the workplace to minimise illegal employment of foreign nationals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23217/24]

Departmental Data

Carol Nolan

69. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department collates data regarding the number of businesses found to be employing foreign nationals illegally; if so, if he will provide this data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23218/24]

Employment Rights

Brendan Griffin

70. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will formally confirm the terms of a registered employment agreement variation order (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23233/24]

Work Permits

Brendan Griffin

71. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a decision has been made on an application for an employment permit by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23260/24]

EU Regulations

Louise O'Reilly

256. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if own-resource income generated by IDA Ireland, and spent by IDA Ireland, is excluded from EU state aid rules. [22919/24]

EU Regulations

Louise O'Reilly

257. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the scope for the State to utilise the EU Chips Act Regulation 2023 to allow Ireland to provide State subsidies for chip factories and fab manufacturing and avoid EU state aid implications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22922/24]

Flexible Work Practices

Seán Canney

258. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will request the Workplace Relations Commission to update its website as a matter of urgency to allow workers to lodge a complaint about an employer who is ignoring a remote working request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22523/24]

Work Permits

Brian Leddin

259. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of work permit renewal applications received in each of the past six months; the number of renewal applications completed; the number of renewal applications awaiting processing; the number of renewal applications in the processing stage, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22547/24]

Business Supports

Brendan Griffin

260. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a late increased cost-of-living business grant application will be taken from a business in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22583/24]

Business Supports

Carol Nolan

261. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of applications made by county to the increased cost-of-business scheme; the funding allocated to each county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22604/24]

Departmental Data

Louise O'Reilly

262. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the percentage of Irish SMEs using cloud, big data and AI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22721/24]

Business Regulation

Carol Nolan

263. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware that directors of a company (details supplied) have 37 directorships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22727/24]

Employment Rights

Carol Nolan

264. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide an update on the delays in bringing forward the employment regulation order for security officers in 2024; if he is aware that these delays are impacting the wages of thousands of low-paid security officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22740/24]

Employment Rights

Catherine Murphy

265. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the date on which the ERO for the security industry will commence. [22742/24]

Employment Rights

Steven Matthews

266. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the new draft employment regulation order for security officers; if he is concerned about the impact any delays are having on those who work in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22755/24]

Employment Rights

Eoin Ó Broin

267. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the employment regulation order for security officers will be signed and enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22862/24]

Business Supports

Brendan Smith

268. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if additional measures will be implemented to assist small-scale manufacturing, small-scale hospitality and small-scale retail to meet increased business costs that have occurred over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22748/24]

Business Supports

Brendan Smith

269. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if additional measures will be implemented to assist small and medium enterprises to meet increased business costs that have occurred over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22747/24]

EU Regulations

Louise O'Reilly

270. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if own-resource income generated and spent by Enterprise Ireland is excluded from EU state aid rules. [22918/24]

State Bodies

Louise O'Reilly

271. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the own-resource income generated by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland in 2023; the amount each was sanctioned to retain; and the amount that was remitted to the Exchequer as an extra Exchequer receipt, by agency, in tabular form. [22920/24]

National Standards Authority of Ireland

Ged Nash

272. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on a matter (details supplied); if he is satisfied the agency referenced is sufficiently staffed and has sufficient senior staff who have the necessary qualifications staff to fulfil the agency’s regulatory and industry-facing role in respect of a key industrial sector; the steps his Department and the agency concerned have taken to address high senior staff turnover and attrition rates at the agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22921/24]

Legislative Process

Pauline Tully

273. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current status of the companies (corporate governance, enforcement and regulatory provisions) Bill; and when the Bill will move to the next Stage. [22953/24]

Business Supports

Louise O'Reilly

167. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses, broken down by each local authority area in the State, that registered for the increased cost-of-business grant by close of scheme, in tabular form. [22232/24]

Business Supports

Louise O'Reilly

168. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding issued to businesses under the increased cost-of-business grant by close of scheme, by local authority area, in tabular form. [22233/24]

Business Supports

Louise O'Reilly

169. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will reopen the increased cost-of-business grant. [22234/24]

Business Supports

Brendan Griffin

27. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a late increased cost-of-living business grant application will be accepted from a business (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21958/24]

Departmental Contracts

Peadar Tóibín

28. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of publicly funded contracts awarded to a company (details supplied) by his Department in each of the past ten years; the cost of each contract; and the purpose for which each contract was awarded. [18662/24]

Information and Communications Technology

Louise O'Reilly

29. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the capital investment in computer and data infrastructure, by investment, in each of the years since 2011, in tabular form. [21990/24]

Work Permits

Verona Murphy

30. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the timeline for the new employment scheme for non-EEA fishermen; the estimated start date for the employment scheme, which was to replace the atypical working scheme for non-EEA fishers; when stakeholders will be notified and informed of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22062/24]

Business Supports

Paul Kehoe

258. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if consideration can be given to allow late applications for the increased cost of business grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21181/24]

Vacant Sites

Niamh Smyth

259. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures his Department is taking to address vacant or derelict retail units in small towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21186/24]

Departmental Data

Darren O'Rourke

260. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current list of designated services of economic interest nationally as reported to the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21199/24]

Employment Support Services

Louise O'Reilly

261. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what supports are in place under his Department to assist a person with a disability to get back to work, including supports for entrepreneurs; and the organisations that might assist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21351/24]

State Bodies

Sorca Clarke

262. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if IDA Ireland put out a tender for a full-time United Arab Emirates based business development consultant in 2022, 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [21417/24]

State Bodies

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

263. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to report on the work of the Enterprise Ireland office in Vietnam since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21428/24]

State Bodies

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

264. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to report on the work of the IDA office in Japan since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21429/24]

Middle East

Matt Carthy

265. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will immediately suspend the granting of export licences for dual-use items to Israel in light of the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution demanding an arms embargo on Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21468/24]

Trade Agreements

Matt Carthy

266. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on his engagements regarding the Mercosur Trade Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21469/24]

Legislative Process

Matt Carthy

267. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the engagements he has had with Cabinet colleagues in relation to the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023; the work completed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21470/24]

Business Supports

Jim O'Callaghan

268. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how many businesses registered for the ICOB grant as of the deadline of 1 May 2024, by each local authority, in tabular form; if late applications are being accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21488/24]

Export Controls

Catherine Connolly

269. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the Annual Report on activity under the Control of Exports Act 2008, covering the period 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21500/24]

Work Permits

Michael Healy-Rae

270. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21531/24]

Business Supports

Matt Shanahan

271. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps that need to be taken to complete a ICOB scheme application given that the MyCoCo programme timed them out and shut down (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21555/24]