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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“International expansion will continue to be critical to the ability of Irish companies to thrive and scale, and a key element of Enterprise Ireland’s activity will be to support startups to grow, leverage sales and access global markets. Enterprise Ireland undertakes direct strategic investments in high-potential startups and provides indirect funding to Irish companies through the seed and venture capital scheme. The initiatives and actions outlined in the strategy will support the delivery elements on enterprise of the programme for Government and will complement achievement of the Government objectives across a wide range of areas, including climate action, skills development and research and innovation.”
“It establishes a headline target of 275,000 jobs in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies by 2029, which would be an additional 41,000 jobs compared to the current position. Enterprise Ireland-supported companies are also given a target of €50 billion in export sales by the end of 2029, with an additional aim for Enterprise Ireland to support 150 large Irish exporting companies of more than 250 employees by 2029. There is a particular focus on sustainability, given Enterprise Ireland’s central role in supporting the achievement of our industrial emissions reduction targets and it will continue to prioritise collaboration with the local enterprise offices to ensure that Irish businesses of all sizes are supported throughout their development.”
“Indeed, over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in the competitiveness agenda across the EU. This was initially indicated in the newly reformed annual Single Market and competitiveness scoreboard, published in January 2024. Since then, there has been the publication of the Letta report, entitled "Much More Than a Market", which looked at empowering the Single Market to deliver sustainable prosperity for EU citizens. This was followed by the Draghi report, entitled "The future of European competitiveness", which set out a wide range of recommendations in order to improve the EU’s competitiveness. Enterprise Ireland’s new strategy will pursue this competitiveness agenda. Its strategy sets out a long-term ambition for Irish exporting businesses to become the primary driver of our economy.”
“I also travelled to New Hampshire, where I had the opportunity to engage with the Republican Governor of New Hampshire, Ms Kelly Ayotte, and attended a lunch hosted by the commissioner for business and economic affairs, Mr. Taylor Caswell. This was an opportunity to meet members of the recently formed Irish Trade Council. In order to build upon and strengthen our links, we plan further trade missions this year to the US - Chicago and Minneapolis in May and the west coast in September. The new Enterprise Ireland strategy for is entitled "Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally: Strategy 2025-2029". This strategy aligns closely with the objectives of the new programme for Government. It focuses on enterprise competitiveness and productivity, enhancement of supports for startups and assisting companies to scale globally.”
“I travelled to Massachusetts and New Hampshire where I had an intensive programme to celebrate our national day and emphasise the importance of our cultural, social, trade and investment relationships with America. In Boston, I attended the Boston Young Leaders celebration and met Massachusetts Governor, Ms Maura Healey. We have seen in recent decades the thriving business and economic sector in Boston and there continues to be great opportunities for Irish businesses to expand there. I visited the seafood expo at the Boston convention centre to meet Irish companies attending the event and had meetings with EI and IDA clients and prospective companies. I delivered remarks at the Irish American Partnership breakfast.”
“It is important in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment to step up our activities to support Irish companies and to develop and grow oversea markets. There is also provisional planning for a trade mission to South Africa in conjunction with Ireland’s position as a guest country during the South African presidency of the G20. I am giving a specific focus to the US. It is important that we continue to grow the transatlantic economic relationship and use our agencies as a conduit to build upon our enterprise and business relationships. In February, I visited San Francisco and San Diego as part of a joint tourism and EI-IDA trade mission. St. Patrick’s Day gave me the opportunity to further promote Ireland in the US as a dynamic, competitive and globally connected country.”
“In complementing this work, we must not lose sight of the significant advantage we have on our doorstep, that is, the access we enjoy to the EU Single Market. We will continue to support an ambitious free trade agenda, one that enables Irish businesses to avail of new opportunities. Since early December, my Department has been engaging with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland in developing the ministerial-led trade missions programme for 2025. With tourism joining my Department, Tourism Ireland trade missions have now been added to the 2025 trade missions programme. In line with my Department’s commitment to maintain, grow and expand our market reach, trade missions are planned for the US, the UK, the Nordics, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Japan Expo 2025 and South Korea.”
“Ireland continues to encourage parallel progress through the three pillars of the European economic security strategy - promote, protect, partner - and the need to balance preservation of the EU’s open and dynamic economy with the need to safeguard and protect Europe’s interests from new economic security challenges. The Government is working with key economic stakeholders in preparation for the increasing prominence of the economic security agenda, which is likely to have significant impact on our FDI and export-focused enterprise bases. The Government is also working to raise risk awareness among its FDI and export development agencies and their client companies regarding export controls, FDI screening, sanctions and other economic security and related matters.”
“That in turn is inextricably linked to a safe and secure global environment. The discussions that are taking place under the European economic security strategy are helping to develop a shared understanding of Europe’s economic dependencies as the geopolitical environment becomes less stable and less safe. I strongly believe that Europe’s influence in the world will depend largely on developing the Continent’s economic strengths as an open, resilient and competitive market-based economy. At the same time, evolving geopolitical risks may call for proportionate, precise and targeted responses to new economic security challenges. These should be focussed on de-risking rather than decoupling trade and investment relations. Ireland is engaging constructively with this agenda, aiming to preserve maximum levels of economic openness.”
“Being an open and highly connected economy, it is more important than ever that we take our own security and responsibility towards our like-minded partners seriously. For this reason, the Government is committed to broadening and deepening Ireland’s international security engagement and to working with partners in public and private sectors to enhance Ireland’s domestic security. We are on an island and know that peace and prosperity are closely linked. It is in the stable environment of a secure and rules-based global order that prosperity has thrived and in which many countries, including our own, have moved from poverty to economic success. Ireland’s peace is won in the EU and our prosperity is inextricably linked to a well-functioning, competitive and open Single Market.”
“We have an exclusive economic zone of close to seven times our land area. Maritime security is another essential domain of strategic importance to Ireland. The Internet cables that carry our communications and data traffic play a crucial role in our interconnected economies. The cables that connect Ireland with the United States, the UK and mainland Europe pass through the waters of our maritime exclusive economic zone. Some of our critical energy interconnectors are also underwater, ensuring stability and continuity of energy supply. We are all aware of the recent attempts to damage and sever communications cables and energy interconnectors in the Baltic Sea. We cannot assume we are immune from similar risks. Protecting critical undersea infrastructure is a key economic task.”
“We have committed under the programme for Government to deliver a new national cybersecurity strategy and promote a centre of excellence for cybersecurity skills, as well as make further changes to our structures in this area to ensure proper alignment to our national security infrastructure. In the EU, we have recognised that as cyberspace spans national borders, governments must collaborate to prevent and mitigate cyberattacks on our national infrastructure, essential services, businesses and citizens. The EU’s regulatory framework speaks to the strategic importance of robust cybersecurity controls and mitigation measures in critical infrastructure and important industry sectors. We have an ambition for the EU to be a global leader in setting standards for cybersecurity and a human rights-based development of digital technologies.”
“This includes the EU’s European economic security strategy which was launched in 2023 and which will assist the EU and member states to develop a shared understanding of Europe’s economic dependencies. Our focus should be on derisking rather than decoupling trade and investment relations, with strong support for multilateralism and the promotion of open rules-based trade. Domestically, this year Ireland introduced screening for investments from third countries to enhance the State’s ability to respond to potential threats posed to security and public order from some third-party country investments. Ireland has also increased investment in cybersecurity.”
“Later this month the EU will publish the preparedness Union strategy, which will take a whole-of-society approach to ensuring readiness for future crises. The EU will also introduce a European democracy shield to enhance the ability of the EU and member states to combat disinformation and malign online manipulation by foreign powers in Europe. Commissioner Michael McGrath has been tasked with taking this forward. Turning to our economic security, the Government is mindful of the need to minimise risk in the context of increased geopolitical tensions and the challenges facing the rules-based international order. We are engaging constructively on a co-ordinated EU approach on economic security.”
“We have already taken important steps in recent years to bolster our national security institutions, for example, through the allocation of significant resources and capabilities to the National Cyber Security Centre. Russia has unleashed a campaign of hybrid activity against European countries that has stepped up in the past year. These malicious acts include disruption to critical infrastructure, cyberattacks, spreading misinformation and disinformation and attempts to interfere in electoral processes. The underlying aim of this activity is to undermine European democracy. Ireland will work constructively with the EU and other member states to prevent, deter and respond to these destabilising activities.”
“They may include cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns that seek to undermine our social cohesion or interfere with our energy and telecommunications infrastructure. The havoc wreaked by the malicious actors who attacked the HSE in 2021 offers a reminder that neutrality is no safety blanket when it comes to such threats. The response to the cyberattack also put into stark relief the essential need for close co-operation with international partners on security issues. We must work through the EU and with our international partners to address such threats, as well as preparing our own domestic structures to meet these challenges.”
“Ireland’s prosperity is rooted in a rules-based system that provides certainty not just for our security and well-being as a country, but also for our economy, businesses and citizens. Hybrid threats, cybersecurity and maritime security are real issues for us in Ireland today. They are also real issues for our European partners, our main and most important economic partners. Today, we must consider the full spectrum of security as this is of key importance to Ireland and to the EU, not only to preserve our current way of living but to plan for our future. Ireland cannot rely on its geographic isolation for its security or isolate itself from world events. The nature of the threats we face are unlike those we have had before.”
“I welcome the opportunity to brief the House on international security and international trade - two issues at the core of Ireland’s foreign relations at a time of great turbulence and change in the world. The Tánaiste has clearly set out the challenging international security situation and international trade context, highlighting the complex global environment in which our economy is working for the people of Ireland. As businesses must be responsive to the changing environment, we must recognise the threats on the landscape we now face are changing rapidly. I would like to address emerging threats, ways in which our economies and our way of life are under challenge.”
“It is obviously critical that businesses get the support that they need and qualify for. We are working with the Department of public expenditure and reform on rectifying the issue relating to the misclassification. It is critical to demonstrate how much this Government is supporting our SME sector. The forthcoming programme for Government outlines changes we will be implementing in VAT and PRSI to support businesses trading through very significant challenges in terms of the regulatory burden that has been placed on them over recent years. We are there to support them. We will continue to grow our economy and employment numbers. Critically, and we launched the IDA strategy yesterday, we will see 550 new investments into regional Ireland over the next five years.”
“The Deputies asked about three specific areas: Cork, Tipperary and Dublin city. In Cork, the first ICOB payment Cork City Council paid out was €9.2 million to 3,602 businesses. Cork County Council paid out €9.8 million under the first phase of the scheme to 5,533 businesses. On the power up grant, Cork City Council approved 1,773 businesses to the value of €7 million and Cork County Council approved 2,804 applications to the value of €11.2 million under the scheme. In Tipperary, 1,847 businesses registered for the power up grant and 1,803 businesses were approved for the second value of €7.2 million. In Dublin 2, 4 and 6, which fall under the remit of Dublin City Council, 3,845 businesses received power up grants to a total value of €15.4 million.”
“I thank the Deputy. I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 , 19 and 20 together. In total, the increased cost of business and power up grant schemes paid out a very significant sum, totalling more than €400 million, to support SMEs throughout the country. This total of €400 million included €154 million in the first phase of ICOB, €90 million in the second phase of ICOB and €158 million through the power up scheme. The take-up rate for ICOB was very significant, with 68% of eligible businesses registering for the grant. To get payments to businesses before the end of 2024, the power up grant was aligned with the increased cost of business scheme. A business must have received the second ICOB grant and be in the hospitality, retail and beauty sectors to receive the power up grant.”
“As a midlands Minister, I will be to the forefront in working with the Deputy on delivering high value jobs to the regions, building on the 54% outside of our capital city we saw IDA deliver last year - the figure was 67% for Enterprise Ireland. The future is bright with all the good work we will be doing.”
“I would be happy to facilitate a meeting with Deputy Moynihan and to work on the land banks that need to be made available through Údarás na Gaeltachta or Enterprise Ireland for smaller agencies. It is something we need to improve upon. I would be happy to work with the Deputy in that regard. I do not have specific figures on the work carried out with Údarás but I will come back to the Deputy. I worked hard with Deputy Clendennen to deliver a significant land bank in County Offaly. These issues are commercially sensitive, given the ongoing negotiations with IDA. I am acutely aware of the work the Deputy has done on Cardinal Health and the big challenge we have there.”
“We will have a significant target in our indigenous base for Enterprise Ireland, building on the 67% of regional investments we have seen in growth in the past five years.”
“The Deputy raises a valid point and that is why we are launching in the coming weeks Enterprise Ireland's new strategy for the next five years. We need a stronger relationship with Enterprise Ireland and the IDA to make sites available to smaller indigenous enterprises which have grown significantly in recent years. I have raised this with the Department and my fellow Ministers. It is an area we will zone in on because there are significant smaller enterprises which have a land requirement, particularly in the light manufacturing sector. We will be doing work on that. IDA has assured me it is working with Enterprise Ireland to make land available should it be required. We have to do more in that space. It is important we focus heavily on our regions in the next Enterprise Ireland strategy, just as the IDA has.”
“Given the importance of property availability to winning investments into regional locations, and owing to ongoing market challenges, IDA’s continued intervention in delivering and maintaining a portfolio of advanced property solutions across our regions to support investments remains paramount and is reflected in the new IDA strategy, which we launched yesterday. We are looking at having 23 new regional advance factory units, which will be very important, and three large-scale sites to attract investment. We are liaising strongly with Cork city and county councils to ensure we can have significant land banks to attract this investment.”
“IDA Ireland continually engages with key stakeholders and service providers, including Cork County Council, to ensure an understanding of IDA's land requirements and the availability of suitable lands for client investment across all activities and sectors as they arise. In this connection, the IDA has an extensive property footprint in many towns across County Cork, and there are currently 219 IDA client companies directly employing almost 50,000 employees in the city and county.”
“I thank the Deputy for his warm remarks and his important question on Cork County Council. The ongoing replenishment of stock is essential to ensuring the portfolio remains fit-for-purpose and meets the evolving needs of the FDI, Enterprise Ireland and LEO client base. A ready supply of appropriately zoned land for development is required for IDA to fulfil its remit and continued success in attracting FDI to Ireland. IDA, therefore, maintains a focus on land banks to future-proof the ability of its property portfolio to support the project pipeline, most notably large-scale, capital-intensive projects which have significant regional and national economic impact.”
“We need utility-rich strong sites that can reduce lead times and provide certainty for big employers and investors looking at our country.”
“I would be happy to. We see four growth areas at this time. First is digital. We are trying, in line with the White Paper on enterprise, to get to 90% digital intensity by 2030. In healthcare, cell and gene therapy is a huge growth area, as well as other healthcare mechanisms. We hope to bring AI into that sphere, which will be key. In sustainability, we have had about 93 investments through IDA in its last strategy. That will be key to reducing our emissions by 35% by 2030. Customers of significant employers demand that. We see in the CSRD and other reporting requirements how important that will be. On semi-conductor activity, we are looking at establishing three large-scale sites to attract investment. The north west is a key area we will be looking at regarding the next Intel for Ireland.”
“We want to continue that growth through Enterprise Ireland and by working with so many good and valued companies in Sligo and Leitrim.”
“I thank the Deputy for his question and for his advocacy on behalf of his constituency. Enterprise Ireland has established the advanced manufacturing unit in Sligo, which is very important. It is an innovation that is a key support to industry working in partnership. It is a huge advantage in terms of doing things that in many instances industry cannot. On Enterprise Ireland and its wider strategy, last year we had over 67% growth in the regions. This is outside of the capital, which is very important. We are looking at key areas in sustainability and in artificial intelligence - there is a huge amount of opportunity contained in that area. We are working with the indigenous sector to enhance exports. We have seen a very significant growth in exports over recent years.”
“I thank Deputy Scanlon for his question and assure him that we are doing everything right across government to ensure balanced regional development and make sure our regions grow; for example by supporting tertiary education, which is key in the north west, and by having many partnerships with industry to give the region the opportunity to grow and prosper.”
“This growth was in line with the national average for Enterprise Ireland-supported companies where employment grew on average by 3% also. I continue to emphasise the importance of regional development and the role of Enterprise Ireland in driving economic growth right across Sligo and Leitrim. I want to highlight the agency's efforts to provide businesses with the resources and the support they need to thrive, particularly in the areas outside the capital. By focusing on innovation, collaboration and sustainability, Enterprise Ireland aims to create a more resilient and competitive business environment in the north-west region. These initiatives reflect the broader commitment to fostering balanced economic growth right across Ireland, ensuring that all regions can contribute and benefit from the nation's prosperity.”
“I thank Deputy Scanlon for his kind wishes on behalf of myself and my Ministers of State, Deputies Smyth and Dillon. The number of jobs in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies in County Leitrim has increased by 67% since 2020, with 978 people now employed in the county by these companies. In 2024 there were 110 new jobs created in the county by Enterprise Ireland-supported clients, helping the county achieve 11% growth in 2024. In County Sligo, we have seen an increase of 19% in employment among Enterprise Ireland-supported companies since 2024. Employment now stands at 2,377 people among Enterprise Ireland-supported companies. There were 246 jobs created in Sligo in 2024 by these companies, which contributed towards 3% growth in the county during 2024.”
“I will endeavour to come back to the Deputy with a timeline as soon as I can get a clear line of sight across government as to when we can deliver it. I do not want to come forward with a plan that I cannot deliver, or which does not have actionable points or delivery dates on it. That is the most important point that I want to have as a stamp of my Ministry.”
“It is this Government that brought forward the idea in the programme for Government to deliver on this because we take our human rights obligations very seriously. One can see that from all our actions in multilateral forums, particularly the UN. I met Volker Türk, the head of UN human rights, on many occasions in my last brief. We take very seriously our obligations. With regard to the report, some of the areas are very technical in nature because new EU instruments have come on board that we have to respond to. Secondly, it is always very dangerous for a politician to come in and give a date when some of the actions are not under the purview of my Department. I cannot force other Departments to respond immediately.”
“I will ensure that the action plan is published as quickly as possible, that key performance indicators are attached to it, that there are deliverables, and that it is monitored. We need to get it right to ensure we can deliver it in a timely manner.”
“I thank Deputy Connolly for her intervention. A lot of the new EU instruments that are coming into context, and which this plan will have to respond to, are very technical in nature and we are trying to work these and bring them into the action plan. A significant number of the actions contained in this plan are under the purview of other Departments so obviously we are trying to work and liaise with them to ensure we have key deliverable actions agreed right across government. We are taking this very seriously. We know our obligations in terms of the UN to ensure we have the highest level of standards in human rights right at the heart of business. I assure the Deputy that we are taking it very seriously. I had a very significant discussion with officials yesterday on foot of the Deputy tabling this question for this morning.”
“The work is ongoing and we are nearing completion. While it is taking a bit longer than would be expected to complete this work, I believe it is important that time has been taken to ensure we can present an ambitious plan with clear deliverable actions. The updated actions will be presented to a third stakeholder forum, which is expected to take place in the coming months. The finalised plan will cover a multiannual timeframe and will reflect new developments in the international understanding of business and human rights, including new EU instruments. It will have key performance indicators attached to it, which will have assigned responsibilities and timelines to adhere to. I expect to bring human rights to the forefront of the minds of Irish businesses so they can demonstrate their conscientious performance as required by the public.”
“This feedback continues to be reviewed across all relevant Departments to ensure the actions are deliverable during the lifetime of the plan. I understand that officials from my Department met Deputy Connolly last July to discuss the plan and create a channel of communication for inputs. As many of the suggested actions relate to the work of other Departments, it is important that their feedback is received to understand their respective positions and to put in place a set of actions that are feasible, actionable and specific. Officials from my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs continue to liaise with relevant officials right across government. It is taking time to work through the suggested updated actions with these officials as some of the updates are technical in nature.”
“I thank Deputy Connolly for her question. The Department of Foreign Affairs and my Department established a dedicated business and human rights stakeholder forum with the participation of individuals with relevant expertise and responsibilities from key organisations across business, civil society, trade unions and academia to assist with the development of a second national action plan on business and human rights. The stakeholder forum has met on two occasions so far. The first meeting took place on 14 December 2023. Following this meeting, the two Departments presented a set of draft action points forming the basis of the new national plan. Stakeholders and members provided written feedback to be considered on 6 June.”
“While there was recalibration in certain companies, the growth is very significant, as can be seen from the announcements in AI. Some incredible companies that are part of that landscape are setting up their headquarters in Ireland, which we welcome. We have the most prized resource of any country - our people and skills - and we are ready to absorb that opportunity.”
“We have a huge demand for workers in those categories. That can be seen from how much the landscape has changed across our capital city and other regions throughout the country. That is why the IDA has specifically called out digitalisation and AI as one of the key growth drivers for its new five-year strategy, hoping to bring in €7 billion of research and development investment, growth of 15,000 jobs per annum, of which 54% will be in regional Ireland, aimed at getting 550 investments right into our regions. That is going to be critical to continuing the agility of our economy. There is huge demand. As can be seen from our critical skills permits, we are trying to bring in workers through legal pathways to feed a growing and strong industry.”
“Obviously we have our AI strategy, which we have updated as recently as last November, working very closely with the AI advisory group, chaired by Dr. Patricia Scanlon. We are also working to implement the AI Act, designating our competent authorities and getting our regulatory sandbox up and running. There is a huge amount of opportunity in this space and Ireland has the foundation to grasp that opportunity and we will not be found wanting for the resources to do so.”
“While we have seen a recalibration in the tech sector post Covid, it is still very strong. We have a very rich vein of talent. We have and are host to eight of the ten global leading tech companies in this State at this time. We provide so much talent and skills, with 8% ICT graduates in our economy. That is double the EU average. We are double per capita in STEM graduates, which provides a huge rich vein. We have, as part of our digitalisation strategy, a very clear policy regarding the tech sector, which was established in February 2022. We have the White Paper on enterprise, which sets out our plans and goals to achieve 90% digital intensity in basic SMEs by 2030, which are a very important cog in the wheel as well.”
“In any such redundancy scenario, the enterprise development agencies under my Department assist, where possible, those impacted to find alternative employment. This includes sharing the skills portfolios of impacted employees with companies that may be hiring, such as multinationals in IDA Ireland's client portfolio. Equally, working with IDA Ireland, our objective is to help to sustain and create further employment in the technology and software sector overall. In relation to the software sector it is important to note that the commitment of technology companies to Ireland remains exceptionally strong. Last year Ireland secured investments from leading companies in the sector including Microsoft, IBM and Intercom. On the Deputy's specific question, the Department was notified this week but I do not have the exact date in front of me.”
“The supports we can provide in conjunction with our enterprise development agencies and other Departments is at the forefront of our response. Moreover, the Protection of Employment Act makes it mandatory for employers proposing a collective redundancy to engage in an information and consultation process with employees' representatives for at least 30 days and to notify me, as Minister for enterprise, tourism and employment, of the proposed collective redundancy. Such an employer is prohibited from issuing any notice of redundancy during the information and consultation process with employees' representatives, and the employer cannot make employees redundant until at least 30 days after the Minister has been notified of the proposed collective redundancy.”
“While the technology sector, which includes software, has undergone a period of sustained growth for the past 20 years, recently it has seen some significant contraction. Where IDA Ireland's multinational clients in this sector have announced global job reductions, the reductions have typically been less than 10% of their total global workforce. Furthermore, in most cases, the job reductions implemented in Ireland have been lower in percentage terms than the globally announced figure. Typically in an economy with such low levels of unemployment, employment opportunities will arise, especially for the talented people employed by the software sector. Nevertheless, where such job losses are announced for Ireland, our first and primary concern is for staff members and their families impacted by such decisions.”
“We will be assisting on a lot of agricultural damage that happened. For businesses, we need to work to establish a statutory scheme in future, on which work is under way. At this time, the first recourse for businesses is through their insurance companies. If there are any specific cases, the local enterprise offices, LEOs, are very happy to work with businesses and support them in any way we can.”