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 5 of 18.
“These are the thresholds which apply before specific Government approval must be secured. The threshold for individual grants will be amended to €7.5 million and the aggregate threshold will be amended to €15 million. Section 5 amends the Industrial Development Act 1995 by the addition of a section 6A which allows IDA Ireland, either itself or jointly with Enterprise Ireland, to co-invest with third parties, such as other State agencies which make strategic investments, to develop property solutions for industrial or commercial activities, through the creation of jointly owned designated activity companies.”
“Section 4 provides for the addition of a section 21A to the Act of 1986 which provides for the enterprise agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, to make grants for environmental protection initiatives on terms and conditions at their discretion, including solely environmental conditions such as carbon abatement, once initial approval criteria have been met. In addition, this section provides for a new section 21B of the 1986 Act, allowing the agencies to support their clients in accessing external consultancy services for advice or studies in respect of technological innovation, environmental protection, or business development. Section 4 also updates the technology acquisition grant thresholds to align with the individual and aggregate grant thresholds of other grant categories in the legislation.”
“The Bill amends the Chemicals Act 2008 to ensure, in the transposition of related EU legislation, that Ireland is not considered in default of its obligations under EU law due to the penalties being insufficient. The Bill also includes an amendment clarifying Enterprise Ireland's Freedom of Information Act responsibilities. I will briefly outline the main provisions of the Bill, which comprises 11 sections in three parts. Part 1 is technical in nature. Section 1 contains standard provisions relating to the Short Title, construction and commencement of the Bill, while section 2 is a definition of the Dangerous Substances Act 1972 and section 3 is a repeal and saver related to that Act. Part 2 amends the Industrial Development Act of 1986, 1995 and 1998, beginning with section 4.”
“It does not affect existing Government policy on military neutrality. Furthermore, this Bill provides a vehicle for other unrelated legislation from my Department. First, it includes amendments to the Dangerous Substances Act 1972 related to flammable liquids to ensure that Ireland’s dangerous substances legislation and licensing regime is fit for purpose and ensures a safe working and retail environment. The Bill will amend and bring the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 up to date with the code of practice for the governance of State bodies, which recommends that board appointments be for a period of three to five years.”
“The section 8(5) provision is broad, open to varying interpretations, and creates ongoing practical difficulties in determining when - and to what extent - teams in Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland may engage with existing or prospective clients that might be considering opportunities in DSR technologies. It is outdated, given the comprehensive, multilayered regulatory environment that now exists in this sphere. The proposed amendment allows the agencies to support, financially or non-financially, enterprises in the DSR sphere as with other parts of the economy, subject to compliance with all existing controls and legal obligations governing the sector, including rigorous project appraisal, the export controls regime, ministerial powers and Government oversight and the defence procurement safeguards.”
“Increasingly, the Irish enterprise base needs to respond to DSR-aligned technology opportunities which are emerging. As the Department of Defence has noted to me, this area has developed to include fields such as cyber defence, space domain awareness, maritime security tasks and hybrid threat monitoring. The European Competitiveness Fund, expected to begin operating in 2028, will consolidate and build on existing EU-level investment instruments designed to strengthen European industrial capability, including in defence and space. A key enabler to maximising our engagement in EU funding initiatives is the capacity to utilise the competence and capability of both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.”
“Once this new legislation is enacted, it will be able to partner with other organisations to deliver enterprise property solutions, once the terms have been approved by the Ministers for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. In relation to opportunities in defence, security and resilience, DSR, the Bill deletes section 8(5) of the Science and Technology Act 1987, which requires the enterprise development agencies to secure formal Government approval before they engage in, or promote, any activity of a primarily military relevance. The rationale for this is that Ireland’s enterprise landscape is evolving in a rapidly changing European and global context.”
“This support will help businesses to grow on a sustainable and competitive footing over the long term and will be particularly valuable for SMEs, which often do not have in-house expertise in areas such as digitalisation or decarbonisation. It also amends the Industrial Development Act 1995 to allow IDA Ireland to enhance its property and infrastructure offering by co-investing in projects with third parties. This amendment will allow IDA Ireland to leverage its property budget, expanding its ability to provide property solutions in regional locations. Currently, IDA Ireland can only invest by itself, although it collaborates with others, including local authorities.”
“The Government continues to support Irish-owned companies to grow and scale, along with providing direct investment towards each step of their decarbonisation journey. At the same time, as global competition for foreign direct investment, FDI, intensifies, Ireland need to say agile and ambitious to win investment. This Bill introduces a dedicated environmental aid grant, allowing the agencies for the first time to assess projects on solely carbon emissions criteria under the grant powers of the Industrial Development Act 1986, streamlining the approval process and cutting red tape. The Bill also provides for agencies to support their clients in accessing external consultancy services, enabling them to obtain professional advice and guidance on the green and digital transitions.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Industrial Development (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill before the Dáil. This is a short but important Bill which further empowers IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to accelerate investment, employment and regional development. My Department keeps the statutory framework of the enterprise agencies under review as the Government's enterprise policy objectives evolve. The purpose of this Bill is to ensure the enterprise agencies have the legislative tools they need to incentivise investments that underpin Ireland's strategic goals. The Bill strongly supports a number of objectives outlined in the programme for Government and the action plan on competitiveness and productivity, namely job creation, regional development and reducing carbon emissions.”
“To be fair, I do not think they are exploiting young people. In the many communities that have small shops, they really provide a service to the community and provide a huge resource, especially socially, to so many villages right across the country. On apprenticeships, I absolutely think we have a lot of room for improvement. We are working on the action plan with the Department of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, to improve conditions and to make apprenticeships more viable career choices. Those are the skills of the future that a growing and dynamic economy needs. I am happy to work with the Deputy in that regard.”
“We put forward an amendment to the motion earlier to detail the huge improvement we have seen in workers' rights in this country, from improved agility in remote working to the trajectory towards a living wage, the different schemes to support workers, the tips legislation, the ban on zero-hour contracts and the right to disconnect. There are so many different areas we have made progress on. I am thinking particularly of the action plan for collective bargaining, which we brought in ahead of schedule. I gave that commitment despite what happened with the ECJ case. Again, that gives us a good pathway for continued improvements in workers' rights.”
“The Minister, Deputy Lawless, is working on an action plan for apprenticeships and that is key. The Deputy raised a very valid point about making apprenticeships attractive and ensuring we are bringing in skills that are critical for the construction sector and for trades, some of which are exceptional in terms of the career pathway they offer. Critically, as a Government, we have brought parity of esteem to third level education and apprenticeships in the Central Applications Office, CAO, process, which was a very strong signal from the Government.”
“I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his question. We are very clear we want to see real wage growth in the economy. We saw from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, index in December that all 13 sectors of the economy are growing, but critically, we are seeing real wage growth. I know that will be a challenge across 2026. I note the Deputy's concerns about the subminimum rates but we were very clear in our concerns for small businesses, for corner shops and for that developmental piece in terms of the early years of one's career when young people get experience. I am particularly thinking of our corner shops and the potential imposition that a 30% uplift in costs would put on them, really threatening their viability. We also have to be careful of any unintended consequences of these decisions on third level education.”
“We also have a very strong budget working with our strategic air activation scheme. We are putting boots on the ground where we have new flights because we need resources to market them and to get the awareness of flights and to get them to take hold. There is a lot of work to do over 2026. I look forward to working with the Deputy to ensure the kingdom does benefit from that.”
“We will do our very best to ensure the sector keeps growing. I am aware that overseas visitors are critical for regional locations. That is why we are looking at growing our value proposition. Remember that some of the viability mechanisms have not started yet; they will not kick in until 1 July. They are coupled with reform of our capital schemes, and I have taken the view within the Department that what you cannot measure, you cannot manage. We have targets in Fáilte Ireland relating to growth on a month-by-month basis and strict KPIs to build up support for SMEs. There will be significant support across 2026 and we will continue that. We have about €400 million in our capital plan for the next five years to support the tourism sector. That is a very significant increase on the previous one.”
“We have a lot of capital schemes coming out from August for Fáilte Ireland looking at enhancing visitor attractions, working with the 46,000 SMEs and, hopefully, getting capital into them to enhance their value proposition. Through our viability mechanism - our VAT cut - we are giving them 4.5 % on their margin. We need 6% and 7% growth on domestic and overseas tourism, which will be important for the communities the Deputy represents.”
“We have had strong growth this year, which is important to recognise, particularly since we brought in a new tourism policy in December, A New Era for Irish Tourism, which looks at bringing new strategies to lengthen the season and at ensuring we have a strong culinary strategy this year that will enhance the value proposition across the country, and, hopefully, an accommodation strategy that will look at viability for hotels. I want to be careful in terms of airlines. Many airlines are consolidating their routes. If they run two flights and they are half full, they will only run one. We want to be careful how that translates into cuts in numbers. We are encouraging the airlines and working with them on this huge challenge.”
“While maintaining strong performance in the US and Great Britain, Tourism Ireland is increasing its focus on mainland Europe, developing Canada as a key growth market, and laying the groundwork for long-term growth in markets such as China. The growing network of new air routes from the US enhances marketing potential. Tourism Ireland continues to undertake extensive advertising, publicity, social and digital activity along with airline and tour operator partnerships. Tourism Ireland's Kickstart campaign earlier this year covered 19 US states. As an island destination, air access is fundamental, accounting for approximately 90% of overseas inbound connectivity.”
“The Middle East plays a critical role in global aviation, acting as a major transit hub and accounting for approximately 14% of international transit traffic worldwide. Disruption in the region therefore has system-wide effects that extend well beyond its borders, particularly for connectivity between Asia, Australia and Europe. These disruptions have altered the operating environment for tourism and underscore the importance of continued vigilance and a flexible, responsive policy approach as global uncertainty persists. Tourism Ireland continues to take a forward-looking approach to market development, underpinned by resilience and diversification. In August 2025, the Government set out targeted initiatives to grow tourism within mainland Europe and globally and avoid over-reliance on any single market.”
“I thank the Deputy. The tourism sector entered the year with positive momentum. There were consecutive months of growth in overseas visitors from August through to February, the most recent period reported by the CSO, indicating that tourism was performing strongly prior to the escalation of the conflict. The Government, however, recognises that geopolitical instability, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, can have implications for international travel and tourism. Tourism is a vital pillar of Ireland’s economy, with overseas visitors contributing approximately €6 billion annually to the island. The sector supports close to 10% of total employment, and critically, around six in every ten tourism jobs depend directly on international visitors.”
“We have seen all 13 economic sectors growing, no more so than in Cavan-Monaghan through the jobs being supported by our agencies. We will continue to do that and we will market the site aggressively, as we do by putting Irish enterprise first. Enterprise Ireland is ensuring that over 60% of jobs are located outside Dublin throughout the regions.”
“I am not aware of whether the owners availed of the programme in question. Obviously, they availed of some significant Enterprise Ireland funding but the majority of that was repayable and has been repaid under the terms of the original agreement. Again, that demonstrates that a significant business was put forward at that juncture. As I said, there is significant employment in the region. There are, as we heard from Deputy Michael Murphy, many sites that require good clients in them but the Realpolitik is that we are operating in a very different economic environment, with so many geopolitical uncertainties, and the challenge to get capital investments is more difficult. Notwithstanding that, the economy is growing.”
“In Cavan, as I put on the record, there are 66 Enterprise Ireland clients employing more than 6,000 people, as well as 1,557 people employed by clients related to the IDA. We have very strong jobs which our State agencies support in the area. We will do all we can in working with our agencies to get a good client for the site.”
“First, Enterprise Ireland is working hard. It is the Government agency responsible for procuring a good client for the site in partnership with the owners. As I pointed out, this is a company whose business model was no longer viable. It is not fictitious; it did happen. The prima facie evidence is there. The owners engaged with Enterprise Ireland and were hoping to employ 60 people. This is obviously a very strong asset and Enterprise Ireland will work closely with national and international clients and the IDA to try to see if we can get a tenant for it. There is significant employment in Cavan-Monaghan between Enterprise Ireland and the IDA with some very high-value jobs.”
“Enterprise Ireland will continue to liaise with the agent in supporting the promotion of the facility to the relevant potential purchasers as a matter of priority. My Department remains committed to driving balanced regional development, including in the north east. Enterprise Ireland supported 84 companies in Monaghan and 66 companies in Cavan in 2025. These companies employ more than 14,000 people. The north-east region enterprise plan is also focused on delivering a range of collaborative initiatives to strengthen the enterprise environment in the region.”
“As a result, the owners of the factory took the decision to sell the plant in Carrickmacross and appointed an Irish agent to support the sale process. They are actively seeking interest from potential purchasers of the facility and discussions have taken place with a number of interested parties. This process is ongoing and Enterprise Ireland continues to support the company by facilitating introductions to potential buyers where appropriate. Active promotion of the facility is being undertaken and further expressions of interest are being sought by the company both in Ireland and internationally. The Department keeps in regular contact with Enterprise Ireland about that important site. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, is very much linked in with it as well.”
“I thank the Deputy for his very important question. Enterprise Ireland supported the owners of the factory in Carrickmacross over a number of years as they sought to establish themselves as an infant formula and nutrition providers manufacturer. In March 2025, the company informed Enterprise Ireland that the business was no longer viable in Ireland due to inflationary pressures and market conditions. The company had intended to produce infant formula for the Chinese market. A number of factors have impacted on demand for imported formula in China, including a switch away from imported products and rapid growth in locally produced products. There has also been a significant decline in the Chinese birth rate over the past decade.”
“With our research development and innovation tax credit and the work we can do in supporting sustainable investments, in working with training and skills, we have a very important and exciting opportunity in Tipperary to work and develop further the options and value proposition Ballingarrane gives. We will do our very best to try to secure a client for it.”
“I assure the Deputy of my intention to continue to work very hard with the IDA to try to secure a client for that. It is important to note IDA employment increased 30% over the past five years in Tipperary as a whole. When we consider the region it is linked with, it has outpaced it by a very significant margin. Those exceptional clients in Clonmel and Tipperary as a whole create a solid ecosystem that makes it attractive for other clients to come into the region. We will work very closely with the Deputy to have a very strong value proposition. Budget 2026 achieved that for the enterprise sector.”
“I know at the forefront of the Deputy's mind is the Bulmers visitor centre at Dowd’s Lane, which is another exciting project. The enterprise projects, between tourism and enterprise agencies, will critically breathe life into rural areas and give towns that strong, sustainable employment they so badly need.”
“I hear Deputy Murphy's frustration and I assure him I will leave no stone unturned in getting a client for this very exciting opportunity in Ballingarrane, which is an exceptional site that has full planning permission. We have approximately 16 IDA clients in County Tipperary such as Boston Scientific, Abbott, Merck, Sharp and Dohme, MSD, and Waystone. These are all exceptional clients providing high-quality employment across the sector. We have approximately 95 Enterprise Ireland clients in Tipperary that employ 6,800 people. Between both agencies there are more than 12,000 people in employment. Critically, and I know the huge work the Deputy is doing in the tourism sector, we hope to have our capital schemes for Fáilte Ireland out in August.”
“IDA Ireland, in conjunction with Tipperary County Council, continues to aggressively market the Ballingarrane site and the proposed advanced building solution to existing investors, including in the IDA Ireland portfolio and through our Enterprise Ireland global office network, its regional offices and IDA Ireland’s website. The timeline for delivery of the proposed advanced building solution will depend on when the site is acquired and developed by a suitable client. I will give more information in my follow-up reply.”
“The availability of suitable property and strategic sites is a critical component of the regional value proposition and can be a key differentiator in investment decisions from both new and existing clients, as well as clients of Enterprise Ireland and our local enterprise offices. IDA Ireland, in partnership with Tipperary County Council, has secured planning permission, as the Deputy pointed out, for a proposed 10,000 sq. m advanced factory building solution on a site of approximately 3.4 ha at Ballingarrane Science and Technology Park in Clonmel, which I visited with the Deputy earlier this year. This advanced planning permission allows maximum flexibility to the potential client, whereby they can avail of the permission or amend it to suit their specific requirements, subject to further planning permission.”
“I thank Deputy Murphy for his very important question and the work he is doing on the ground for our enterprise areas in Tipperary. Balanced regional development is a key focus of the work of the Department through our development agencies. In this regard, IDA Ireland is continuing its strong commitment to promoting foreign direct investment, FDI, in regional locations as part of our 2025–29 strategy, Adapt Intelligently, and is targeting 550 investments of FDI projects outside Dublin over the strategy’s lifetime. Furthermore, IDA Ireland is positioning the midwest, including Tipperary, as a competitive destination for global investment and is targeting 100 of these 550 investments for the midwest.”
“So, a number of the initiatives that have been brought forward in the Deputy's colleague's Bill have already been acted on in this State's jurisdiction. We also brought forward the action plan on collective bargaining in advance of the target within the EU, and I made the commitment, irrespective of the European Court of Justice case, that I would accelerate it and bring it in. That is a strong testament to workers right across the economy.”
“I have pointed out how we are improving the competitiveness of the economy, which is critical to ensuring we keep attracting jobs. We have about 2.83 million people working in our economy right now, which is a record. All 13 sectors of the economy are growing. That is not me saying that. It is the CSO, which is the gold standard. Real wage growth increased past inflation last year. Again, that is the CSO report, which is there for everyone to see. That shows there are very strong opportunities within the economy that is growing. In relation to Deputy Conway-Walsh's colleague in Northern Ireland proposing to ban zero-hour contracts, we have done it. They are proposing to bring in tips legislation; we have done that. They are proposing to improve the work-life balance; we have done that already.”
“She is looking to bring in additional sick pay and refresh the living wage to bring it in more aggressively. All of those are costs to businesses. The Deputy should practice what she preaches in that regard. We have also brought forward and are working on a timeframe to ensure we lift the Dublin Airport cap. That is another important part of our tourism strategy. We brought forward our tourism strategy, A New Era for Irish Tourism, which was launched in December as part of the action plan.”
“First, I go by evidence and fact. We are the second most competitive economy in the eurozone, which is a very strong value proposition. Since the report was brought forward in relation to the action plan, we have had a number of advances. Our semiconductor plan has commenced, which is significantly attracting investment in that space. Our action plan for market diversification is building on the risks that are there geopolitically, taking advantage of the 41 free trade agreements across the European Union with 72 countries. We brought forward our action plan for collective bargaining, which we discussed earlier on. Despite the Deputy's reference to business costs, in the earlier debate she was looking to abolish subminimum rates, which would increase the costs of small shops by 30% or more.”
“The second assesses strategic impact, evaluating progress toward the broader goals of the plan, namely, sustained improvements in Ireland’s competitiveness and productivity. It should be noted that changes in productivity and competitiveness are typically driven by structural factors and are characterised by lasting improvements in efficiency, capacity and innovation. They will therefore require time. In that regard, to support monitoring and oversight in respect of the broader aims of the action plan, the Government will continue to seek advice from the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council.”
“The next update to these rankings is expected to be published in June 2026. I am pleased to report that the implementation of the action plan is well under way. Currently, the vast majority of actions are regarded as in progress. A number of key actions from the action plan have already been delivered or are due for completion in the coming months. The next progress update on the implementation of the action plan will be discussed as part of the Government’s annual competitiveness summit in July 2026, with a first implementation report to be submitted for discussion at the summit. Monitoring the success of this action plan will operate across two distinct but complementary dimensions. The first focuses on practical delivery, tracking the timely and effective implementation of specific actions and commitments across government.”
“The preparation of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, which was published on 10 September 2025, was a commitment under the programme for Government. Its delivery was expedited in response to international economic developments. The overarching objective of the action plan is to maintain and improve Ireland's position as a competitive and productive economy capable of withstanding shocks, building on our strengths and developing our indigenous enterprise base while continuing to attract investment and talent from abroad. Ireland holds a strong competitive position globally. This is reflected in our current position as the seventh most competitive country worldwide in the latest IMD world competitiveness rankings 2025. Among EU member states, Ireland ranks second.”
“We now have very significant grants, on the positive side, but the Government has also demonstrated that it will take action if properties are not brought back into use, particularly when we have a housing challenge. It is important that we see conversion rates increase and the policy balance that we have now will achieve that.”
“I would argue that we have a number of new schemes, particularly the one announced this month, which will make a difference to dereliction and reduce costs for businesses. We know from the evidence that traditional retail and hospitality are under significant pressure due to costs. What I have tried to do in the Department is bring about significant simplification measures. I have also tried to get additional grants in to small family businesses, which provide two thirds of employment across our economy. We can see that through our energy efficiency grant which reduces costs, or grants for growing their digital platform. We are very fixated on doing that. New changes were also made by the Department of Finance in relation to dereliction, going through the Revenue Commissioners. That will involve a carrot-and-stick approach.”
“That will be a big asset. We have a cost-of-business advisory forum, which is due to report in the coming weeks. That will look at business costs and how we can reach a position where we are taking less money from businesses by reducing their utility costs and growing their revenue, which is key to keeping them sustainable.”
“The town centre first policy has 33 actions right across government to enhance our town centres and villages. It is from the ground up and is community-led, to really accelerate those resources. The grant that I referenced of €135,000 will be of assistance in bringing on accommodation over the shop. We established our small business unit within the Department just a year ago and it has introduced a number of supports which are really targeted at our small business sector. As evidenced by Central Statistics Office data, all 13 sectors in our economy are now growing. There are challenges in town centres and that is why these grants are specifically targeted to bring them back to life. We can see the direct results of that, as well as through the croí cónaithe initiative, which is bringing homes back into use and accommodation over the shop.”
“The retail forum allows key issues of relevance to the retail sector to be discussed with a view to identifying practical actions which could be taken by the Government, or by industry itself, to support the sector, with particular emphasis on achieving sustainable jobs growth in the sector. The work of the forum is driven by its members and the issues that they have identified as being critical to examine to support sustainable jobs growth in the retail sector. A broad range of supports for the retail sector, including training programmes and funding to help retailers adapt to new challenges and opportunities in retail, can be found on the national enterprise hub at www.neh.ie . This all-of-government service, staffed by expertly trained advisers, is focused on helping businesses to access a range of Government supports.”
“In March, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, launched the vacant over-the-shop grant, which will provide funding of up to €135,000 to support bringing above-the-shop vacant spaces into residential use where the commercial element is remaining. This grant is one of a number of measures, including a targeted top-up of the vacant property refurbishment grant and the expert advice grant, aimed at unlocking unused spaces in cities, towns and villages by converting vacant and derelict buildings and unused above-the-shop areas into residential homes.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question. It is very important that we all acknowledge the importance of having vibrant towns and villages and that local shops and the retail sector are an important part of achieving that aim. The retail sector provides highly important employment, with over 220,000 people directly employed in retail, contributing to the economy of every city, town and village in Ireland. As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht developed the town centre first policy, which was launched in 2022. This is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.”
“The Government carefully considers the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission when determining the appropriate national minimum wage. The commission, when making its recommendation for the minimum wage, has a statutory obligation to have regard-----”