Peter Burke
Longford-Westmeath · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this important matter. I cannot imagine the trauma many families are going through right now as a result of the conclusion of An Coimisiún Pleanála on this file. This was a dark time in our past.”
“I thank Deputy Nash for his question on this very important issue. I will say clearly and unambiguously that I share his concerns in relation to ensuring that no product produced in Ireland ends up in the Russian military complex. We are very firm in that belief.”
“I have heard suggestions in some outlets that the Irish Government was in that company's corner at key European forums. That is not true. The European Commission has brought forward 20 sanctions packages and Ireland has supported them all 100%. It is very important to put that on the record.”
“I thank Deputy Wall for his very important intervention. I heard part of the interview this morning, which was exceptional and very courageous, showing leadership in an area which affects so many people in our society. I know the Minister for Health is supportive of the Deputy's initiative and remains so.”
“We have enacted the Family Courts Bill, establishing a dedicated family court to look at very sensitive items for victims. We have introduced an offence for non-fatal strangulation, reflecting the seriousness of the abuse and the stress and harm it causes.”
“I thank Deputy Murphy for being proactive and bringing forward a solution to try to operationalise a group of the Oireachtas and showing leadership to do that for Tipperary. I will absolutely bring that to the attention of the Minister for justice, particularly considering the cross-party aspect.”
The complete record
Every one of 870 lines we hold for Peter Burke, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 12 of 18.
“I thank the Deputy for his strong support of the 9% VAT proposal. I know as tourism Minister as well that the key link in our identity is the authentic offering we have through our independent businesses like small coffee shops and restaurants. That will be key to the Government's response. We know the pressure they are under. There are over 240,000 jobs in regional locations and an €8 billion sector that we need to sustain. That will benefit everyone because the more activity there is, the more the money flowing into businesses goes out into the community. That is where people invest their money because they are a key part of the community.”
“We have increased the output of the national enterprise hub from 180 supports to 250 across 32 Government agencies and Departments and with operators on the other end of the phone. The hub had over 7,000 individual inquiries in August alone. Those are leads on the phone, following up on supporting businesses. We have also worked with Enterprise Ireland, reducing the number of questions and red tape, and interoperability of some of those applications where the same information has been furnished previously.”
“Deputy Clendennen has been a firm advocate for small family businesses. His voice has been very strong in that regard. We know many of those operate around the kitchen table; they do not have a finance or HR director. They employ two thirds of all people in our economy. That is why we have worked very hard to reduce the red tape in LEOs. We set about working through the centre of excellence in Enterprise Ireland, reducing the administrative burden and number of questions asked for a number of these supports. We reduced questions by 47% across a number of grant forms. We will continue at pace through our simpler, lighter, faster approach, reflecting that the most valuable resource businesses have is their time.”
“The forum's key objective is to examine and identify the concerns of the enterprise sector around the impact of the rising costs of doing business by creating a structured space where business owners and representative bodies can speak directly to decision-makers about the real-world impact of regulations, fees and operational challenges. The forum has already met a number of times on energy costs, security of supply and insurance costs. The forum will also focus on other cost driver topics, with each meeting including relevant regulators and agencies to ensure actionable outcomes. The findings will inform a report and set of recommendations to Government to take immediate action to address these short-term issues that merit a changed approach for business owners.”
“The development of the action plan was informed by extensive consultation across government with external stakeholders. My Department held a series of bilateral engagements with other Departments in the areas of infrastructure, housing and research and innovation. A core theme of the plan is regulating for growth and controlling costs with 18 actions, including five priority actions, focused on addressing this key issue. Key actions include better regulation, which will decrease regulatory burdens across business, address high legal costs and improve competition in our markets. Complementary to the action plan, the cost of business advisory forum delivers on the commitment to support small businesses, enterprises and industries across a number of sectors.”
“I thank Deputy Clendennen. The Government recognises that the cost of doing business has been an issue for firms in recent years arising from wider inflationary trends, including energy costs. It is important to note that costs for firms, as measured through the CSO’s wholesale price index, are declining and are down 3% in the 12 months to August 2025. Most recently, the Government has taken action to address business costs through the publication of the action plan on competitiveness and productivity and the convening of the cost of business advisory forum, both commitments in the programme for Government. The focus of the action plan on competitiveness and productivity is action that can be taken to strengthen Irish competitiveness and productivity, which in turn will lead to improvements in our economic performance.”
“I have met with the IDA on a number of occasions in respect of it and met the management in Leprino to try to ensure that it is doing everything to get a good prospectus together in order that we can try to get a replacement into what is a very highly regulated site. I know Portlaoise and Laois very well. The housing increases there have been very significant. You can see as you drive through the town progress at every corner. The town's connectivity, road and rail, is exceptional. We are very happy to work with the Deputy on that.”
“I would absolutely support Deputy Fleming in what he set out, those 30 ha and the critical importance of an advance factory unit or a building solution unit because we know that it shortens lead time for investors. When you are bringing someone on site and you have a ready-made building, or the consent agreed for a building, it makes a difference. We will absolutely work with the Deputy on that. I know from my town, Mullingar, that it can be very difficult at times to secure good, high-quality investments from the IDA, and I feel the Deputy's pain in trying to get additional clients in, but I am absolutely here to work with him on that journey. As he points out, the Leprino site is very highly regulated.”
“Over the next five years, relations with the US Administration will be very constrained. We are under significant pressure in terms of capital investment and we have very strong competitors. Singapore, for example, has very deep pockets. In terms of increases in capital allocations in the budget, we are looking at getting 6%, if we are lucky. That leaves us in a very tight space in the context of the work we do. We just have to be very honest and we have to protect what we have. I absolutely want to grow Laois. I will be unequivocal about that and will work with Deputy Fleming in trying to assist through the IDA. We are committed on the capital side through our land bank there and the work we have to do on it.”
“I will be categorical in stating that we are absolutely not excluding Laois. I was down there recently. The Leprino plant is an existing sector business under Enterprise Ireland that we are trying to find a replacement for through the FDI sector. It is a highly regulated plant that needs very significant support. As the Deputy will be aware, we are also working on an advance planning permit for Portlaoise. This is a very important investment which aims to get more high-quality stock into the market to assist County Laois. As I pointed out, employment in the region increased by 26% over the last number of years. I am happy to arrange a meeting to work with Laois companies and to try to get more investment into the region but we have to be honest about the fact that we are operating in a very constrained space now.”
“Emerging technology trends will continue to create new opportunities for the region in areas such as data analytics, smart manufacturing, cybersecurity and new approaches to working, such as co-working hubs. As the Deputy will be aware, IDA Ireland’s strategy focuses on partnering with enterprises in the existing FDI base to retain and renew their Irish operations, alongside attracting new investment. The agency provides ongoing support to existing clients through investment in research and development and it will be very important in the upcoming budget to get the research and development value proposition correct. IDA Ireland also provides support for upskilling, talent development, digitalisation and sustainability in the FDI sector.”
“Last year saw the conclusion of IDA Ireland’s 2021 to 2024 strategy, Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth. Over the course of the strategy, IDA Ireland supported the delivery of 973 investments and creation of 76,790 jobs, or 121% and 153% of the respective targets. Some 54% of all investments were in regional locations outside Dublin. The investment target for the midlands over the period 2021 to 2024 was 25 investments and the total number of investments won for the region was 31. IDA’s goal for the coming years is to build on the strengths and competencies of the region, with a particular focus on high-value manufacturing, services, and research and innovation opportunities across established clusters in life sciences, technology and global business services.”
“I thank Deputy Fleming for his question on the midlands region. Regional development is a key focus in the programme for Government and is central to the work of my Department and its agencies. In that regard, IDA Ireland has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional development as a core pillar of its 2025 to 2029 strategy, which we launched a number of months ago. This ambitious strategy aims to secure 550 foreign direct investment projects in rural and regional areas, accounting for 55% of all planned investments. The overarching goal is to create 75,000 new jobs nationwide and generate a projected €250 billion in economic impact. IDA Ireland is targeting 40 client investments to the midlands region over the lifetime of the strategy.”
“If I remember correctly from my days in the Custom House, his is the second biggest local authority in Ireland and has a huge amount of opportunity. The area has grid capacity and power, which we do not have in a lot of areas of the country. Galway has a lot of good cards and hopefully it will get to play them right over the next number of weeks.”
“I understand that work is ongoing with the local authority in relation to that. My Department is very happy to support that planning permit, which will be very important for the sector. There is huge opportunity. We hear some negative things about the planning process but one thing that strikes me, as a former Minister of State with responsibility for planning, is that over 90% of planning decisions in this country do not go to appeal. A lot of good things happen but we do not hear about them. Dexcom is a prime example of that. I met representatives of the company recently and had a chat with them at an event in Galway involving the chamber of commerce. I also met the chief executive of Galway County Council, Liam Conneally, who outlined the ambition for County Galway.”
“The Deputy referenced the 31,000 people employed by IDA companies in the west, particularly in Galway, but there are an additional 25,000 jobs intrinsically linked to the IDA. If one looks at the current semiconductor companies and their supply chains, one of them has 900 SMEs intrinsically ingrained in its supply chain management process, so that will be a significant game-changer for Galway. It is very important that we get that site over the line. We are expecting to bring a memo to Cabinet on it in the next number of weeks, in consultation with our friends in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. It is important that we get that on the road.”
“I do indeed. Our new life science strategy will be brought forward next year. That will be in line with the EU life science strategy and will aim to grow the 100,000 employees in the sector and the more than €100 billion in exports. Galway is very much front and centre of that, being a hub of medtech. About 70% of medtech companies are doing research and development and they are very good at the commercialisation of research in our tertiary education settings. One of the key areas of our new strategy is semiconductors, which is also important for the west. Obviously, Galway has been highlighted for its very significant and large-scale site, which will be very important for our next-generation semiconductor investment.”
“This will include a building in Castlebar, which is at site selection stage, and an additional new building in Galway, subject to the successful marketing of the existing building and, of course, dependent on planning and procurement outcomes. The IDA is also partnering with local authorities to deliver advance planning permits in Ballinasloe, Mayo and Roscommon. As the Deputy will be aware, IDA Ireland’s strategy focuses on partnering with the existing FDI base to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations, providing the foundation on which they can capture new growth opportunities, alongside attracting new investment to the regions.”
“The west has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across life sciences, engineering, international financial services, content, consumer and business services and tech. IDA Ireland will seek to build on the strengths and competencies of the region and will continue to market it, targeting these sectors for investment opportunities. Suitable property availability can play a key part in winning investments from both new clients and the existing client base. As part of the strategy for the period 2021 to 2024, 19 advance building solutions were progressed across 15 locations, including an advance building in Galway that is available for marketing. IDA Ireland's regional building programme for the period 2025 to 2029 will consist of 23 projects across 21 locations in eight regions, primarily involving manufacturing buildings.”
“IDA Ireland’s regional strategy has a proven track record of success, and the agency has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional development as a core pillar of its strategy for the period 2025 to 2029, which I launched some months ago. The strategy aims to secure 550 regional investments over its lifetime. That is 55% of all investments, including 100 in the west, reflecting IDA Ireland's ongoing commitment to supporting transformation and growth across all regions. IDA Ireland supported the delivery of 973 investments over the period of the strategy for 2021 to 2024, 54% of which went to regional locations. Some 91 were in the west against a target of 76.”
“I am happy to bring in the stakeholders to see how we can improve the offering. I have no objection to that, especially when, as the Deputy has well described, the asset could have great potential. That is what we need to do. We need to get back to the authentic beauty that Ireland has to offer and the authentic céad míle fáilte that we are so renowned for worldwide. We can do a huge amount of work on that in the upcoming tourism plan, on which I look forward to working with all my colleagues. The tourism officer has had a number of meetings with the DEDP implementation group. I would be happy for us to do further work, have that meeting and talk to the various stakeholders.”
“The sector is probably worth €8 billion or €9 billion at present. It has stabilised. It has got back to where it was prior to Covid. We had extraordinary growth last year. It stabilised this year, and it presented some challenges. In relation to a number of matters, including the cap, enhancements to the business sector and growing the SMEs, it will provide a strong value offering. I suggest that we could have a meeting with Fáilte Ireland on the matter to see where we might take things from there.”
“I thank Deputy Moynihan for his question. Absolutely, I am open to working with the Deputy on that. Maybe we could set up a meeting with Fáilte Ireland to see what is specifically being done for the Gearagh to ensure that the message about its natural beauty is being advertised. Údarás na Gaeltachta and Fáilte Ireland met recently to form a strategic partnership. They have signed a memorandum of understanding detailing their commitment to the area, particularly on the Gaeltacht side. In the context of the Deputy's specific question, I would be happy to set up a meeting to try to see how we can unlock the potential that exists. One of the key issues in tourism that I am focusing on is trying to see how we get performance indicators into the tourism policy. We are spending a great deal of money.”
“In 2025, Fáilte Ireland has worked to create six new thematic itineraries for the destination which focus on, food experiences - including high-end food, both coastal and inland - outdoor activities and eco car-free travel itineraries. In addition, the Muscraí tourism action plan is incorporated into the work of the destination experience development plan implementation group.”
“They ensure focus on tourism development is sustainable and regenerative and that the benefits accrue to local communities and to nature. To activate these strategies, Fáilte Ireland has established localised five-year destination experience development plans, DEDPs. These local development plans are highly collaborative in nature, involving local stakeholders, and are reflected in agreed action plans where ownership is assigned among the various parties. The west Cork and Kenmare DEDP, which encompasses Muscraí, was launched in quarter 4 of 2023 to efficiently manage the delivery of actions within the DEDP. Three thematic subgroups were established based on the prevalence of actions emerging in this plan, namely artisan food, outdoor activities and marketing.”
“First, I should say that we will have a new tourism plan, hopefully in the next month, following consultation right across Government. That should be a good response to where we need to be for future-proofing the sector. I should clarify that the promotion and operation of regional tourism is a matter for the local authorities, Fáilte Ireland and other tourism stakeholders. Cork is represented by three regional tourism brands, namely Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East and Ireland's Hidden Heartlands. Fáilte Ireland's regional tourism development strategies for the period 2023 to 2027 provide a roadmap for the tourism industry and all stakeholders involved in tourism. The development strategies set out a strategic approach to unlocking the commercial potential in each region.”
“I have been part of the past number of Governments and I know the huge improvements we have had for lower-paid workers. That must be acknowledged. When people challenge us on what areas there have been improvements in, it must be acknowledged we have banned zero-hour contracts, which were totally wrong, brought in tips legislation to protect vulnerable workers and we now have a sick pay scheme. Additionally, we have auto-enrolment, which will future-proof people and their retirement plans. The State will be stepping up to the mark over the next number of years. Those are key improvements in the economy, including watching out for lower-paid workers, while also trying to enhance the capacity to get more high-quality jobs into the country, because this will be critical for us all to realise our ambitions in life.”
“I absolutely agree that quality jobs are so important in our economy. I think this will be one of the areas we will focus on during our Presidency of the EU in the second half of next year. That will give us a key opportunity. We must remember that in the action plan and under the adequate minimum wage directive, MEPs from my party, including Regina Doherty and others, played a huge role in really working on that directive and getting agreement in the European Parliament. We are, therefore, very keen to try to bring forward the best possible plan that we can. When our EU Presidency term does come, we are also very keen to focus on high-quality work, because this is what our economy should be about. This is why we are very focused on it at all times.”
“I think that is an important statement on how we value workers and value their right to collective bargaining and how we want to give people that opportunity and put in place the conditions where that can grow.”
“I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh again for her comments on the matter. As I said, it is one area that through the programme for Government we are very much committed to. The Deputy quite rightly spoke about participation in the various forums. Deliberations will be ongoing on that and how we can address it in our action plan. We will be doing that. We have got a lot out of the LEEF structure in terms of the social partners. It is a good mechanism to air these issues. We will not solve everything, however. I can be absolutely honest about that. We will, though, give our best effort to this plan to build confidence and show the Government's capacity regardless of the uncertainty that was there through the legal challenge. We have committed to pressing ahead.”
“There will also be challenges from both sides as the plan is being worked on, but I want to get the best plan we can by the end of the year and I am very committed to achieving that.”
“The work of this group is now at an advanced stage and is essential in developing the content of the action plan. It met as recently as last week and will be meeting again shortly. I expect the action plan on collective bargaining to be published over the next couple of months once this work has been completed. We were also very clear regarding the case coming forward in relation to the adequate minimum wage directive. I made it very clear that irrespective of the result of that we are pressing ahead and will have our plan together. In relation to the consultation open from 14 April to 12 May, I note we received about 80 valid submissions, to which we have responded. Working with our social partners and through the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, is very important.”
“Each member state in which the collective bargaining coverage rate is less than a threshold of 80%, as is the case in the majority of member states, including Ireland, shall provide for a "framework of enabling conditions" for collective bargaining and shall also establish an action plan to promote collective bargaining by the end of 2025. The European Commission expert group's report on transposition of the directive is clear that the design of the framework of enabling conditions and the content of the action plan is entirely up to member states, in consultation with the social partners. A technical working group has been established in the Department with officials and the social partners to examine what will be considered for inclusion in Ireland’s action plan, and the group has met regularly this year.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question, which I appreciate. It concerns a very important area for us as a Government and one that under the programme for Government we have committed to finalising the action plan on the promotion of collective bargaining by the end of 2025, in line with the EU directive on adequate minimum wages. Work on developing the action plan in conjunction with our social partners is currently ongoing. Under Article 4, the directive aims to promote collective bargaining on wages in all member states.”
“I also have a responsibility to make sure those jobs are there. A corner shop in a small village may be struggling with costs, but the Deputy wants to increase its wage costs to €17 per hour.”
“I am proud of the role the Government has played in improving the rights of employees. The Deputy spoke about rhetoric. Every decision he puts across to us is binary. He does not consider the potential impact such decisions would have on education pathways for young people and the unintended consequences. He does not consider training. He referred to 19-year-olds and 18-year-olds. I can tell him right now that 5% of 19-year-olds are on subminimum rates. That shows us the opportunity in our economy and the pathways currently available. Everything has to be taken in the round. I can demonstrate to the Deputy that there was a 12% increase in the minimum wage rate last year, ahead of wage growth and inflation. Subminimum rates also increased last year. We plan to continue the trajectory of improving conditions for workers.”
“That is combined with support from the statutory sick pay scheme, an increase in the minimum wage, banning zero-hour contracts, the introduction of legislation on tips and the introduction of auto-enrolment from 1 January. In another question, the Deputy asks about increasing the minimum wage to €17, an increase of approximately 30%, which is six times the growth rate of wages and our economy. When combined with auto-enrolment and other increases, it would leave this country without any jobs. Deputy Murphy does not have an iota of what it takes to run the enterprise economy. He does not know what it means to employ people. He does not know the value of the 2.81 million people who are going to work in our country every single day. The policies the Deputy brings forward would close down the enterprise economy.”
“The Government's commitment is to defer the decision to 2029. We will publish the data behind that shortly. It should be noted what the commission actually said on subminimum rates. It is not exactly what the Deputy quoted. It stated: The Low Pay Commission recommends that sub-minimum wage rates for employees who are 18 and 19 years of age should be abolished no sooner than 1 January 2025. Contrary to what the Deputy said at the very outset, I did not make any commitment to abolish the subminimum rates. It is important to be aware that approximately 5% of 19-year-olds receive subminimum rates. The majority of workers in those cohorts are above the level of the minimum wage. Critically, the increases of recent years have been ahead of wage growth in the economy and ahead of inflation.”
“These increases were well ahead of inflation and projected wage growth in the economy and have brought about substantial and real wage growth for the lowest paid workers in our economy.”
“The decision should be considered in the context of the recent significant increases in the minimum wage which show that the Government continues to commit to fair wages for the lowest paid workers in our economy, but also in the context of the Government's introduction of a range of measures to assist workers, including a statutory sick pay scheme, the right to request remote working and other supports. It is also important to highlight the very real progress we have made in raising the national minimum wage over recent years. Since 2020, the national minimum wage has increased by 33.7%, from €10.10 to today's rate of €13.50. In 2024, there was a significant uplift of 12%, or €1.40, in the minimum wage. This year, the minimum wage increased by 80 cent, an increase of over 6%.”
“It is important to acknowledge the challenges the enterprise sector has faced over the past number of years. We know that the use of subminimum youth rates is largely concentrated in the accommodation, food and retail sectors, and these sectors have reported facing considerable cost pressures. As part of the measures designed to bolster business resilience and support competitiveness, earlier this year the Government agreed to defer a decision on the subminimum rates until 2029.”
“I am not aware of making any such promise. I want to be very clear on that. The National Minimum Wage Acts allow for lower or subminimum rates of the minimum wage for employees aged 20 years and younger. Those aged less than 18 years can be paid 70% of the full minimum wage rate, while those aged 18 and 19 years can be paid 80% and 90%, respectively, of the full rate. As the Deputy is aware, the Low Pay Commission recommended the abolition of subminimum rates in March 2024. The commission highlighted in its report that this is a very complex issue. It said the Government will need to give its findings and recommendations detailed consideration and deliberation and highlighted the potential need for the Government to take its own legal advice on the matter.”
“We know at this point in time that we are very challenged by the US. The EU has been left behind in the growth and scaling of companies, in particular on the tech side. We are far behind at this point in time and have a huge amount of work to do in this area. I am also open to ideas from colleagues and look forward to working with the Deputy.”
“I appreciate the feedback and ideas because we all need ideas to come forward. Along with Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs, I am particularly focused on making things more accessible and trying to reduce the administrative burden. I am trying to establish a new accelerator programme for our country. The Deputy will be aware of PorterShed in Galway, Dogpatch Labs in Dublin, the NDRC and issues around it. We need to ensure that we have a stable landscape for those businesses that are part of the indigenous economy so that they can thrive. It is to be hoped we can bring that forward through the capital allocations we have received. A new national accelerator programme will bring those strands together and ensure that prime space is kept for businesses which need it in order to give them the opportunity to grow and scale.”
“How do changes, whether a statutory instrument or the design of a scheme, impact on the smallest businesses that do not have the resource base to go through very significant administrative processes? We are doing a huge amount of work on that. That is on the policy side. That is how you change how the scope is determined across government.”
“We are not really talking about regulation here but about the administrative procedures for small businesses to get the funding they need to develop online platforms, to become more sustainable and to meet their objectives. What we want to do is to make that process easier. This is not a significant risk to the taxpayer. Many of these grants are particularly small and many genuine enterprises just do not have time because time is their scarcest resource. We are working through the process with Enterprise Ireland. We have made significant progress on our LEOs and the users should now be seeing the benefits of that. On design and policy, our SME test has now been brought to our State agencies. We are really looking at thinking small first.”
“Work is also under way with the National Enterprise Hub to examine how it can be utilised to reduce the administrative burden for SMEs applying for Government supports. Scoping work is taking place to identify common data points in applications, starting with agencies under the control of my Department, and to consider how the National Enterprise Hub can be further developed in line with the "once-only" principle of data provision.”
“Work has already commenced with the online application service provider to make the recommended changes and to merge the application processes for the digital for business and green for business consultancies with the respective follow-on grants: grow digital and the energy-efficiency grant. Enterprise Ireland is also driving this process through major initiatives. The service delivery transformation programme will introduce a new operating model, along with advanced technology and data capabilities, to deliver service excellence. The start-up Ireland programme is focused on creating a better journey for start-ups and entrepreneurs, strengthening ecosystem co-ordination and enhancing both national and international connectivity. Together, these programmes will help to deliver greater impact and support for Irish enterprise.”
“I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her question. I am happy to inform the Deputy that my Department is making significant progress in simplifying the application process for enterprise grants, particularly those administered through the local enterprise offices and Enterprise Ireland. Following instruction from my Department through the recently established small business unit, the Enterprise Ireland LEO centre of excellence has completed a comprehensive review of application requirements for each of the LEO grants. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of questions across multiple grant schemes. For example, the number of questions regarding the priming and business expansion grants has reduced by 47%, the green for business grant by 30% and the feasibility grant by 28%.”
“There are other methodologies we can bring in to get efficiencies and ensure we are really supporting them at the forefront. The cost of doing business advisory forum is working with a lot of the regulators and their interoperability among the sectors. What they ask of various applicants may already have been asked in other areas and we want to get a floor under this and reduce the administrative burden.”