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.”
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“I am very happy to work in this regard. The critical thing I am trying to do is make these supports available to our SMEs and family businesses, which employ two thirds of the people throughout our economy. I am very aware that the average SME does not have a finance director or a HR director. A lot of the great work is done around the kitchen table. This is why we are working with the centre of excellence at Enterprise Ireland and those who craft the schemes so we are reducing red tape and the administrative burden. Particularly for some of the lower-scale grants, such as with regard to digitalisation or sustainability supports, which can be less than €10,000, we should be able to turn them around in 24 hours. This is my target for the agencies. We are working to deliver this.”
“I also point out the Department of Finance recently conducted a survey of SMEs and only 6% of them cited the cost of finance as an issue in terms of getting support. We are reducing the conditionality of all schemes to make it easier for SMEs to go through the application process. This is very much to the forefront of my mind in doing things simpler, lighter and faster.”
“To go back to the evidence, if we look at the first scheme I referenced, which was the growth and stability loan scheme, we have at this point in time almost used up the €500 million allocation. This demonstrates that SMEs are using it and drawing it down. We also increased the Microfinance Ireland loan scheme for our smaller SMEs, up to €50,000 from €25,000, and it is supporting approximately 12,000 jobs in the economy. We have had a succession of schemes, including the Ukraine guarantee scheme, the future growth and loan scheme and the Brexit loan scheme. A huge amount of low-cost finance has been provided. We are also renegotiating to extend the €500 million and increase its capacity and keep it competitive.”
“Loans for climate-related purposes also benefit from an additional interest rate discount. As of the end of June, 1,930 loans had been approved, amounting to €432 million, by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. We are negotiating with the EIB Group and the SBCI on the potential to extend the duration and expand the capacity of the loan. I plan to bring proposals to the Government in the next three months.”
“This scheme offers long-term loans ranging from €25,000 to €3 million, with terms of up to ten years, to SMEs, farmers, fishers, and small mid-caps. Loans of up to €500,000 are available on an unsecured basis, making finance more accessible for SMEs. Interest rates under the scheme are determined by each participating finance provider, in accordance with its own credit policies. However, all rates must reflect the benefit of the EU-backed guarantee and SBCI support, ensuring they are below standard commercial lending rates. In practice, participating lenders offer discounts ranging from 1% to 4.86% compared to their equivalent SME loan rates, making credit more available. A minimum of 30% of the scheme's lending is targeted at environmental sustainability and climate action, with the remainder supporting productivity and competitiveness.”
“I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for this very important question. I firmly commit to ensuring that small- and medium-sized businesses have access to affordable credit. My Department has developed several loan guarantee schemes, the first in 2012, that have enabled participating lenders to offer loans at interest rates below their standard commercial terms. The scheme currently open to SMEs is the growth and sustainability loan scheme. This is a €500 million initiative developed by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, underpinned by a partial guarantee from the European Investment Bank Group and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI. The SBCI also operates the scheme.”
“While I know many women and parents prefer to deal with pregnancy loss privately, and that is their absolute choice, women should not feel like pregnancy loss in the workplace is a taboo subject and that their suffering and loss must be experienced or acknowledged silently or in a discreet manner. I therefore respectfully ask the House to agree to a motion for a timed amendment in order to address this issue together. We are at our strongest when we are united.”
“I fully recognise the urgency and significance of progressing proposals in this area. However, this additional time will allow my Department and others to thoroughly assess the regulatory and policy implications and engage meaningfully across Government to ensure that the development of Government legislative proposals are well-informed and aligned with the principles set out in this Private Members'’ Bill. I express my genuine appreciation for all colleagues who tabled this and previous legislation and for continuing a conversation that is very important to have in the Oireachtas. I commit to working across all parties to introduce proposals to implement leave for pregnancy loss and to doing all I can to bring this topic to the forefront in Seanad Éireann, Dáil Éireann and, indeed, across wider society.”
“The entitlement is proposed at a rate of five working days paid leave to the employee who experiences pregnancy loss and an entitlement of 2.5 working days to an employee who is a parent of a pregnancy loss. Maternity and paternity benefits are paid by the Department of Social Protection to those who have a certain number of PRSI contributions on their social insurance records and who are in insurable employment up to the first day of their maternity or paternity leave. The intent of this Bill is at one with my intent. The subject matter is deeply important. I have considered the matter closely and engaged with many colleagues on it, and I fully recognise the need to introduce leave for those who experience pregnancy loss. It is for these reasons that I have tabled a 12-month timed amendment.”
“There are also broader policy questions to address, including the potential implications for the Department of Social Protection in terms of the proposed development of a voluntary register for pregnancy loss to be operated by the General Register Office. While this falls outside my remit, I am informed by the General Register Office that it registers stillbirths that occur within a certain framework. Developing a registration process for loss of pregnancy outside these thresholds would need to be carried out by the Department of Social Protection. More generally, the Private Members' Bill requires that pay in respect of an employee’s pregnancy loss-related leave shall be at the normal weekly rate for one day of employment.”
“Alongside this work, officials in my Department are monitoring the development of pregnancy loss legislation in other jurisdictions, particularly in the United Kingdom. It has only been recently announced by the UK Government that families who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks are set to become entitled to protected bereavement leave under new amendments to the Employment Rights Bill. While the details of this are yet to emerge following public consultation, my officials will continue to engage with their counterparts in the UK as more clarity develops on proposals, which will offer valuable insights into the policy and legislative work involved.”
“The aim of the project was to examine the workplace experiences of pregnancy loss before 24 weeks gestation and to identify relevant supports. The findings of the report have been presented to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and to members of the Oireachtas and I understand they are now being considered by officials in that Department in the context of the development of a new national strategy for women and girls. The strategy is at an advanced stage of development. Building on the work undertaken in the consultation phase, the strategy will take a life-cycle approach, calling attention to and addressing the challenges faced by women and girls at the different stages of their lives.”
“The Act only references protective or compassionate leave arrangements to clarify that they are not to be included in reference periods used to calculate maximum weekly working hours and nightly working hours. Our legal advisers have been clear on this. Should legislation be progressed in this space, stand-alone legislation may provide a more suitable and coherent legal basis. In terms of the work already carried out, I am informed by officials from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality that they are currently considering the findings of a qualitative research study that examined the workplace experiences of people dealing with pregnancy loss. This study was conducted by researchers from University College Cork and University of Galway.”
“The main legislative vehicle proposed in the Bill - the Organisation of Working Time Act - does not suit the purpose it is being used for. The Act was drawn up to implement the European working time directive. Its aim was to set out legislation only regarding employees’ working time, such as an employee’s maximum working hours, entitlement to minimum rest periods and an entitlement to a minimum period of paid annual leave. It is a narrow Act, introduced only to implement a specific European directive. The Act was not designed to set out the terms and conditions around the taking of specific or protected forms of leave and does not align with the aim of these amendments.”
“On this basis, I propose that the House pass a motion that the Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 be deemed to be read a second time this day 12 months so as to allow for sufficient time to develop Government legislative proposals in line with the principles of this Private Members' Bill. In proposing this motion, I would like to underline that I understand fully the importance of progressing legislation in this area as a priority and I am committed to doing this. Over the coming period, officials in my Department will engage across the Government to develop proposals that include measures proposed in this Private Members' Bill. I want to explain my genuine reason for proposing this timed amendment.”
“I have had conversations with members of my own party and others. I also know that work has been carried out by the cross-party Oireachtas pregnancy loss group, which I look forward to engaging. This is a complex policy area and one that requires sensitive consideration and assessment in advance of progressing legislation. I have received advice on this Bill, and my officials are of the view that there are significant policy challenges to the operation of the Bill as it is currently drafted, including the legislative vehicle proposed to carry out the statutory entitlement. Ultimately, an amendment to the working time Act is the wrong channel to address this issue.”
“Employees should feel that a miscarriage is a loss that they can share with their employers, recognising that they have suffered a bereavement and that they need time and space to process this and to recover. Employees should not feel concerned that an honest conversation about their pregnancy loss will disadvantage them in some way or that they cannot trust their employers to deal with this information in a sensitive and appropriate manner. I would like to commend the Bill’s sponsor, Senator Ryan, for her detailed testimony and for ultimately trying to ensure others get the support and compassion that she did not. I also acknowledge other Senators who spoken on their very personal circumstances. The time and compassion that went into this Bill is appreciated by many, including me.”
“The Maternity Protection Acts 1994 to 2004 provide for an employee to be entitled to full maternity leave in the case of a stillbirth after 24 weeks gestation. The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 also provides for paternity leave in this situation. The Sick Leave Act 2022 provides for a statutory sick pay scheme for all employees who are medically certified as unfit for work. From 1 January 2024, the entitlement to paid sick leave increased to five days. However, I acknowledge that those experiencing pregnancy loss may not require sick leave, but rather may need time away from work and other daily commitments to recover from what they have been through. Despite existing legislation in this space, I believe there is a need within our legislative framework to better care for working mothers and fathers who go through a pregnancy loss.”
“While society has made some progress in acknowledging and discussing pregnancy loss, many still find it difficult to speak about it openly. As a result, individuals often navigate this experience without the support of family, friends, colleagues or, indeed, their employer. I know for many here today that it has been a very difficult and challenging thing to discuss. I hope that throughout the debate we are mindful of the spectrum of experiences that exist when it comes to miscarriage, pregnancy and parenthood. Employees should feel safe and supported in sharing their loss with their employers and in seeking the time they need to process their loss and start to recover from it. Currently, we have no provision for leave when it comes to the loss of a pregnancy prior to 24 weeks gestation.”
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss this Private Members' Bill that addresses the extremely important and sensitive subject of pregnancy loss. Miscarriage can be a deeply personal loss and is something that is often dealt with privately by mothers and fathers who grieve the loss of joy, excitement and a precious future imagined. I know one in five women or couples can experience pregnancy loss, and it is something that has impacted all of us here, whether directly or through a family or friend. As many of present for this debate know, sadly, it can be an incredibly difficult reality to face emotionally, physically and mentally, and many require time to mourn this loss or even to begin to heal. Despite how common pregnancy loss is, unfortunately, many people endure this grief in silence, especially in a work environment.”
“I acknowledge also Tourism Ireland and the work it does in advocating to ensure we can increase capacity of tourists coming to our country and have better transport through aviation, which will be key to improve the statistics over the later part of the year. I must reflect upon one thing. The year 2024 was a bumper year for tourism and it will be hard to repeat. Current levels show we are strongly up on 2023 but I am sure we will have a good second half of the year, which is where it counts. The middle part of the year is when the real business is done for tourist operators. We look forward to supporting them as well as supporting County Louth, Drogheda, Dundalk, Ardee and all the towns the Deputy brought me to recently.”
“Brigid’s Day right out to Hallowe’en as there is a huge amount we can do in that regard; looking at slow tourism; and looking at trying to ensure our destination experience development plans attract the capital investment the State needs for towns like Ardee. I know the Deputy is a great advocate for Drogheda and Dundalk as well in the work she does. I look forward to working with her on those key areas. The Deputy rightly pointed out that food is a very important niche for Ireland and it can sometimes be alarming when one is abroad, particularly from a European perspective, that people can have a very different idea of what our food is. That is why we need a joined-up approach in regard to our food. It was embarked upon a few years ago but was not followed through. This is something I will work closely on with State agencies.”
“I am happy to work closely with Deputy Butterly on that. Another area I am actively working on is expanding the remit of Fáilte Ireland. One of the first things I did was to take a deep dive of the legislation that underpins the State agency. I want to include a restaurant sector. It is key as regards developing its model. Fáilte Ireland has focused on hotels but if we look further afield, our restaurants are key to our value proposition for tourism and are keen to absorb that capacity. As I come forward with our tourism plan in September, there will be a key focus on: developing our SMEs with Fáilte Ireland taking a greater role in that; looking at how we expand the season from St.”
“We are also looking at working with our agencies to ensure that we are capturing the massive amount of opportunity in our destination and experience development plans, really putting money right behind where the evidence suggests we can attract more visitors. A lot of good is going to happen in our tourism sector. I would point out that over the first quarter of the year, which generally comprises a small proportion of tourism in the year, the airport cap was still in place. We had approximately 6% fewer seats. From May to December, we have approximately 11% more seats coming into Ireland - about 1.65 million people - which is very significant. Hopefully that will reflect positively and we will have a good year. The measures the Deputy has outlined in relation to VAT are also very important for the SME sector.”
“Critically, there are a few things we are significantly working on. We are revising our tourism plan, which we will have finished by September. That is going to reflect that tourism is now in the heart of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. We will be focused on SMEs, how we absorb that capacity and a change in direction which will be key, namely that we will have key performance indicators right at the heart of it. This will be an accelerant for key areas like those the Deputy mentioned. We are also looking to expand the season from St. Brigid's Day out to Hallowe'en, which will be very important to attract more visitor numbers into our country. My intention is to come forward with an all-island food strategy which would be very important to attract visitors. It is a significant advantage for our country.”
“Fáilte Ireland is also presently conducting a mid-term review of the Ancient DEDP to ensure it is updated to reflect present day challenges. In May, I announced the recipients of funding under Fáilte Ireland's new "Home of Halloween" pilot destination development scheme. A total of €1.5 million will be invested over the next three years, from 2025 to 2028, aiming to establish Ireland as an authentic global home of Hallowe'en. Each successful destination, which included a joint proposal by Meath County Council and Louth County Council, will receive up to €100,000 annually to develop Hallowe'en-themed festivals that celebrate Ireland’s heritage and attract visitors during the off-peak season. The Government remains committed to supporting the tourism and hospitality sector in County Louth and the wider north-east region.”
“The "Ancient" destination experience development plan, which was launched in May 2021, is a five-year plan designed to be a roadmap for enhancing the existing visitor proposition to achieve the objectives of addressing seasonality, increasing visitor numbers, and improving dwell time and visitor dispersion in the Boyne Valley and surrounding areas of Louth and Meath. Since the launch of the Ancient DEDP in May 2021, 26 projects have been completed, while a further 41 are in progress across its four strategic pillars. Key achievements to date include the completion of a plan to reimagine the Boyne Valley drive and the development of an outdoor destination orientation development plan for Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula.”
“I had the pleasure of visiting County Louth at the invitation of Deputy Butterly earlier this year. We encountered so many good businesses like Greenore Port, and Sandra Byrne of EliteForm Manufacturing, another very exciting company. We also saw some of the many picturesque areas across the county. Regional tourism development strategies are being activated across every region through a series of local area action plans, referred to as destination and experience development plans, DEDPs.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. My role and that of my Department in relation to tourism includes the development of national policy and the securing of resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in the implementation of policy. County Louth is included in Ireland's Ancient East Regional Tourism Development Strategy 2023-2027. Ireland's ancient east is not only internationally renowned for its rich heritage but also for the variety of tracks and trails by which the region can be explored and discovered. Its diverse landscape provides the visitor with a rich tapestry from which to unlock the living culture unique to the place and underpinned by 5,000 years of heritage and tradition evidenced by its many historical sites.”
“What I am trying to achieve here is a balance to address any possible unintended consequences the due diligence directive may have for some small SMEs that can get carried into the supply chain. I want to be careful about that. However, as a country, we really need to stand up for corporate responsibility and ensure companies operate to the highest standard with regard to all their supply chains. The Deputy quite rightly pointed out serious consequences for workers in other jurisdictions who are very much exploited. Therefore, we need to be very careful about this. I will be happy to work with the Deputy on it as we go forward in the European context.”
“I thank the Deputy and appreciate her concern about this issue. We are happy to engage and work with her as the directive is amended through the Omnibus measures. I am in favour of the thinking on in-scope companies. It is critical that a risk-based analysis be conducted, particularly regarding human rights, the environment and areas critical to the companies’ supply chains, and to ensure principles of good corporate responsibility are upheld in those companies. We are very much focusing on that. The Department has met Trócaire, Oxfam, Christian Aid Ireland and all the key stakeholders in this area. Our public consultation, as a country, has been very strong on this.”
“Ireland’s position will be very clear in supporting aims in this regard, but what I am not supporting is the gold-plating of some of the directives, which primary legislation has often done, to ensure proportionate regulation for smaller companies and companies in the supply chain process but whose work is done at the kitchen table. The responsibility of those that are in scope is very significant. I concur with much of what the Deputy said in her contribution.”
“I am happy to provide the clarity. First, I agree with Deputy Gibney on the harmonised approach to civil liability. That would be important. We want to be careful about member states having very different responses, which could present a very significant challenge. We have made our view on this known in the co-legislative process that is under way. There is a lot of territory to be covered in this. On the risk-based approach, it is key that in-scope companies have an obligation - I want to be very clear on this - in relation to human rights and the environment. It is so important that we hold companies to account with respect to their corporate responsibility.”
“As for stakeholder engagement, in-scope companies will be required to engage with their workers and representatives, including trade unions, and individuals and communities.”
“In relation to the climate action proposal, it seeks to simplify the provisions on transition plans by aligning with the provisions of the corporate sustainability reporting directive. In-scope companies will be required to include implementation actions, planned and taken, in their climate transition plans. The design of climate plans must include targets related to climate change and companies will have to report on achieving those targets on an annual basis. The Deputy may wish to note that under the climate action plan, the enterprise sector is committing to a 35% reduction in emissions by 2030. Irish enterprises are taking climate action seriously. For example, a recently commissioned survey of more than 300 SMEs showed that 83% of businesses consider sustainability important in their daily operations.”
“If plausible information suggests the existence or possibility of adverse impacts arising from their operations or those of their indirect business partners, the company will be required to conduct an in-depth assessment. If that assessment confirms the existence of an adverse impact, further due diligence will need to be carried out. The proposed amendment in relation to civil liability is to remove the EU-wide civil liability regime in favour of a national civil liability regime. My position, which has been indicated at EU level, is that to avoid a civil liability regime which would vary across EU Member States, Ireland sees the benefits of retaining the EU-wide civil liability regime as provided for and published in the directive.”
“I thank Deputy Gibney for her very important question. Ireland supports the simplification and burden reduction agenda at EU level. Specifically, in relation to the Omnibus on sustainability, the proposals are intended to address disproportionate burdens on businesses, in particular on SMEs, whilst retaining key aspects in relation to corporate responsibility. In relation to the necessity to conduct a risk-based approach, the Commission’s proposal retains the requirement for in-scope companies to conduct risk-based human rights and environmental due diligence of their own operations, those of their subsidiaries and their direct business partners.”
“We are also working closely with the local authorities. We see very different stimulus plans from various local authorities in terms of how they can bring a bit of agility and how they deploy their rates stimuli, rates budget and waivers, etc. We are up for any way we can support an increased number of retailers in our country. The Deputy will see some of the measures that we have taken on retailers' costs in recent months, which we hope will support them and, equally, help retain employment and jobs, which is our focus every single day in the Department.”
“We met Enterprise Ireland at its centre of excellence, which liaises with LEOs, this week with that target in mind. We are trying to support businesses as much as we can. Deputy McCormack quite rightly points out that there are other Departments that are key to the development of our main streets. Vacancy is a big challenge, in particular in regard to accommodation. Getting people to live over the shop, as it were, has been a big challenge because the regulatory burden is very significant in terms of making developments viable in that space. Our new housing plan will be launched in July. I hope we will see actions that involve working with the Minister, Deputy Browne, in that regard to ensure that happens. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is very focused on that in terms of planning exemptions. There is a lot of work we can do.”
“Absolutely. Retail is the biggest employer in the economy. It is so important to our vision for enterprise. There are significant supports already in place. One key example I always give is the energy efficiency grant. At the moment, one of the key ways we have to reduce business costs is not to take money off businesses in the first place. Front and centre of that is the energy efficiency grant. I have seen case studies, such as the example of a shop owner in Donegal who has a convenience store with a deli, who, by upgrading his LED lighting and refrigeration, can save €1,500 a month on his utility bills. We want to see business owners involved in schemes like that, in particular in the areas of sustainability and digitalisation. We want to make the conditions easy for them to access it and to get a quicker turnaround in the schemes.”
“It will be core and central to our ministerial team to ensure the regions grow strongly. I know that is something I share with the Deputy.”
“That shows the significant improvements we have made, but the Deputy rightly alluded to the significant clouds on the horizon. We have to be careful we are hitting the right parts. Key from my point of view will be significant changes in the research and development tax credit and, hopefully, we can get small, indigenous companies as part of that. As well as supporting the enterprise sector, we are trying to reduce regulation, which is important, and continuing to get as much scaling up and as many new companies. We have established a target of having 1,000 new companies, through Enterprise Ireland, over the next five years and getting up to 275,000 employees, supported by Enterprise Ireland. We are also trying to ensure significant investment in regional Ireland.”
“That will be keenly focused on our tertiary education sector, but also on our SMEs and how we can get money into upskilling, life-long learning and continuing to train people across our economy. It is critical to our success that we have the skill base to ensure we can grow and absorb the huge opportunity that is out there. That will be very important. With regard to other supports, we are currently preparing our pre-budget submission for budget 2026. We, along with the Ministers of State, Deputies Smyth and Dillon, have met a number of the sectors. Yesterday we had our enterprise forum where we heard all the views on what our enterprise sector would like to see in budget 2026. They are wide-ranging. As a country, last year was the first time we went over the €100 billion barrier, with a budget of €105.5 billion.”
“We have seen a significant increase in callers and people interacting on the website over past months. You can see the advertising campaign under way to make people aware of those supports which we want to get out to businesses. We also have our SME tests, which I am trying to get into the Cabinet handbook, which direct that an impact assessment must be carried out on all memorandums, primary legislation changes and statutory instrument changes - at the heart of each decision - to demonstrate how it impacts on our SME sector and in thinking small first. It will be important to reach that milestone. On the National Training Fund legislation, the heads of Bill went before Cabinet this week.”
“I thank the Deputy for mentioning those important areas. I turn first to simplification. I have met Enterprise Ireland and our LEO sector, and we are keen to drive the message home that we need conditions that are simple for family businesses to get those supports, critically in the transition to digitalisation and sustainability. If we do not support our businesses, it will not be possible to meet that transition. We have established a National Enterprise Hub that has more than 250 supports from 29 Government Departments and agencies all under one portal. They have a return time of less than 24 hours, with phone operators at the other end of the line to reply to customers. That is critical to assist them with some bespoke examples that pertain to their business models. That has been successful.”
“The interoperability of some of these rules and regulations set by independent regulators from different areas and how they impact on the costs and viability of business can be significant. We need to take a number of actions in that regard. That is why the outworkings of that forum will be critical in delivering the Government's vision of supporting our SME sector and keeping that growth. As I always point out, and as I did in reply to Question No. 2, many of these businesses that employ two thirds of people across our country are operating from the kitchen table. They do not have a finance director or HR director. They are doing all of that work themselves. They are working from five to nine and we in government need to do everything to vindicate their efforts and ensure they remain viable, which is key to our economic success.”
“We know across the economy that approximately three quarters of all minimum wage workers exist in retail and hospitality. That is a significant challenge to those businesses because of the regulatory impact it has had. No other Government has done as much for employment rights and supporting the well-being and rights of employees, but we also have to be cautious to ensure businesses remain viable on that trajectory. That is why it is key in decisions taken to ensure that and to ensure businesses continue to grow and prosper. Last week, subject to the establishment of our small business unit, we had our first meeting of the cost of business advisory forum, which had a huge turnout from many of the regulators and a lot of the State agencies. We need to be clear that we are charting a pathway forward.”
“We know the priorities of the current national development plan review are housing, water and wastewater, energy and our competitiveness. Those are the four key areas. That is why, as a Government, we need to prioritise those with a laser focus because if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. We need to be clear on that and send that signal strongly to the enterprise sector. We are also focusing, in the context of budget 2026, on our value proposition as a country. It will be key for the SME sector. Taxation changes like VAT will be important for the hospitality sector. It is important in the programme for Government talks that we work towards and deliver on those to ensure we are giving a strong stimulus to those sectors that are most vulnerable.”
“The Deputy will be aware we have taken a number of decisions on sick pay, the trajectory to a living wage and trying to ensure businesses remain viable so employment can be retained at the significant point it is. He will be aware also that we have increased employment by approximately 90,000 over the past year. That is 90,000 families with an additional income going into them. We all know that high-value jobs are the best route to meet one's ambition in life and to give everyone a fair chance. We are focused on delivering that. At our competitiveness summit we will have a significant focus on infrastructure. Working with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, we are trying to put together a competitive fund within the Department.”
“The plan will focus on domestic policy measures, which can make the Irish economy more competitive and resilient to economic shocks. It is expected that the plan will address areas that are currently impacting on the ability of SMEs to compete internationally, including costs, SME scaling and increasing the rate of research, development and innovation among firms, which will be critical. We have taken a number of actions over the past months since my appointment as enterprise Minister, and we will continue in that vein. We are coming to our fourth piece of omnibus legislation in an EU context. At the heart of that is doing things, as I mentioned, simpler, faster and lighter. We need to bring that to the heart of the enterprise sector.”