Written Answers Nos. 432-451
432. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the average period of weeks for a major capital project to go through the entire approval gate three process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4241/26]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the Infrastructure Guidelines, which set the value for money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. Management and delivery of investment projects and public services within allocation and the national frameworks, including the Infrastructure Guidelines, is a key responsibility of every Department, Accounting Officer and Minister.
The introduction of the Infrastructure Guidelines in 2023 focused on reducing the administrative burden in delivering major capital projects which came as part of the Government’s six priority action to maximise delivery of projects. This was implemented through reducing the number of approval stages and streamlining the requirements for major projects, while retaining international best practice governance and oversight arrangements already in place. This ensures that vital infrastructure projects will be delivered on time and in a manner that ensures value for money through detailed evaluation, appraisal and planning.
The time it takes a major capital project to go through the Approval Gate 3 process can vary. Approval Gate 2 provides approval to commence the process of final detailed design work, procurement, tender evaluation, and final contract negotiations, before seeking consent from Government at Approval Gate 3 to award the contracts. All these external processes can also vary considerably based on the scale and complexity of the project being proposed.
As set out in the Infrastructure Guidelines, an Accounting Officer and Approving Authority can seek Government consent to approve a project to proceed, once they are satisfied that the Final Business Case meets the required standard, that there is a justification for the proposed project, that it is affordable within funding constraints, and that it is high priority relative to competing proposals.
In December, the Government published the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan to help drive the efficient delivery of infrastructure across Ireland. This report contains thirty specific, time bound measures designed to remove barriers. Any potential reforms to the Infrastructure Guidelines will be considered collectively, and as with previous updates to the appraisal framework, any changes made will reflect international best practice with the aim to ensure value for money for the tax payer in delivering on the infrastructural requirements of the State.
433. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the legal status of the ‘administrative guidance’ proposed under action 23 of the ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan’; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4242/26]
View answer434. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the reason he is proposing that timelines for projects going through the infrastructure guidelines process would only be laid out as ‘administrative guidance’, rather than as statutory timelines, as proposed under action 23 of the ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan’;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4243/26]
View answer435. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the consequences for Departments that fail to meet new timelines, set out in administrative guidance, for advancing capital projects under the infrastructure guidelines, following the implementation of the changes proposed under action 23 of the ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan’; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4244/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 433, 434 and 435 together.
As referred to by Deputy O'Gorman, Action 23 in the Accelerating Infrastructure report commits the Government to streamline and speed up the project approvals process by amending the Infrastructure Guidelines. In line with sub action 23 (i) (to be undertaken by Q1 2026), my Department is proposing to issue a circular in the coming weeks to give effect to the changes set out in the action plan. The specific immediate changes to the Infrastructure Guidelines are as follows:
In relation to Major Projects, the threshold will increase from €200m to €500m for sectors with a well established track record of delivery;
The External Assurance Process (EAP) will be replaced with a streamlined and time-bound internal review by the major projects unit in the Infrastructure Division of my Department; and
Major projects at Approval Gate 2 will no longer need Ministerial approval and may now be approved solely by the Accounting Officer of the Government Department that is funding the proposed project.
The specific chapters of the Infrastructure Guidelines where amendments are required will then be updated in 2026 to reflect this as well as further recommendations within the Action Plan including the recommendation to introduce administrative guidance on timelines for Preliminary Business Case (PBC) preparation (3–6 months) and mandate a maximum length. Officials in my Department will be engaging with sectoral experts in other departments prior to issuing guidance on this.
Allied to this action, my Department is also committing to deliver key legislative reforms that will mandate whole-of-State cooperation for projects of a critical nature, through the delivery of a Critical Infrastructure Bill under Action 2 of the report. As identified in the report, this Bill will explore options during drafting for incorporating statutory timelines, positive presumptions, and other measures to reduce procedural delays.
In relation to holding sectors to account, the report also identifies administrative reforms will strengthen my Department's role in providing greater visibility to Government on the status of projects, planning timelines, and judicial review activity. This enhanced oversight will support the early identification of barriers and facilitate targeted interventions. As set out under Action 19 of the report, the preparation of this information, in the form of project tracker reports and infrastructure dashboard metrics will support the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure and NDP Delivery with data-driven insights and recommendations to drive accountability across the public sector delivery entities.
Considering the broad range of actions set out in the Accelerating Infrastructure report, the intent of the Programme for Government commitments will be delivered and my Department will lead on the programme of reducing procedural delays within infrastructural delivery sectors.
436. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4377/26]
View answerThe former Rocket House at Dún Laoghaire Harbour is vested in the Minister for Transport. The Department of Transport has requested the Office of Public Works (OPW) to assist with the disposal of the property as it is surplus to the requirements of the department and the Irish Coast Guard.
The OPW is in the process of preparing the property for transfer to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council under the protocols set out in D/PER Circular 11/15: Protocols for the Transfer and Sharing of State Property Assets.
The OPW is liaising with the Department of Transport and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office in relation to outstanding title issues and Tailte Éireann is in the process of finalising a valuation on the property.
The CSSO is preparing Contracts for Sale and these will issue to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council when the valuation has been received and the title issues have been addressed.
437. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of serving Ministers and Ministers of State who, as of the most recent date for which figures are available, have not yet repaid monies overpaid to them by the State arising from payroll or pension deduction errors; the total amount currently outstanding; and the timeline by which all such repayments are expected to be completed. [4386/26]
View answer438. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether serving Ministers and Ministers of State who were overpaid by the State due to payroll or pension deduction errors are subject to the same recovery procedures, repayment timelines, and enforcement mechanisms as apply to members of the public who receive overpayments from the State; and if not, to outline the differences and the policy basis for those differences. [4387/26]
View answer439. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the steps taken to identify, rectify, and prevent payroll and pension deduction errors within the National Shared Services Office that resulted in overpayments to Ministers and Ministers of State; the internal controls now in place to prevent recurrence; and whether any independent review, audit, or assurance process has been commissioned in this regard. [4388/26]
View answer440. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether any interest, penalties, or administrative costs arising from delayed recovery of overpayments to Ministers and Ministers of State have been borne by the Exchequer; if so, the total cost incurred to date; and whether any such costs have been, or will be, recovered from the individuals concerned. [4389/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 437, 438, 439 and 440 together.
The errors concerned were identified by the NSSO following Government formation in early 2025. The NSSO commenced a review to clarify the matters which were distinct and complex. As part of this review, the NSSO carried out a comprehensive review of its processes, and worked with its Client Departments and with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
Once these matters had been clarified, engagement commenced and has been ongoing with those impacted since June 2025. Throughout the process, the NSSO has engaged on an individual basis to address queries and clarifications.
In relation to current ministers, the majority of persons impacted have signed up to a recoupment plan and work is ongoing by the NSSO to finalise the remaining plans or arrangements.
Since June 2025, all current Ministers on NSSO systems are on the appropriate pension schemes and associated ASC rate.
Monetary values to be recouped relate to the pensions of the individuals involved. As these are personal matters, information relating to specific amounts for individuals cannot be disclosed. Therefore, to provide further information on the breakdown of those impacted would raise matters of privacy and confidentiality regarding individual personal pension information. This would have implications with respect to GDPR and the Data Protection Act, 2011.
There were no interest or penalties associated with these repayments as this issue was no fault of the individuals involved. Administrative costs have been met by the NSSO from within existing resource allocation.
There is an independent, external audit of the NSSO mandated by myself underway which is expected to be completed in the first half of this year. An external audit firm, RSM Ireland, has been appointed through the appropriate procurement process to carry out the audit. This is being overseen by the Chair of the Advisory Board of the NSSO.
The NSSO is fully committed to ensuring that all monies owed to the State are fully recouped and is engaging with impacted individuals to finalise recoupment plans and arrangements.
441. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if a panel of pre-approved AI consultants and service providers has been assembled or will be assembled by the OGP to enhance the accessibilities of Government departments and State agencies to verified expert advice and support in both examining the potential for public service AI use and the implementation of new AI projects. [4391/26]
View answerThe Office of Government Procurement, a Division within my Department, operates as a Central Purchasing Body (CPB) establishing Framework Agreements and Dynamic Purchasing Systems for commonly required goods and services across 11 master categories of expenditure (Professional Services, Banking and Insurance, Consultancy and Advisory, Electricity and Gas, ICT, Facilities Management, Office Supplies, Travel Management, HR Services, Fleet, and Corporate Office Support Service).
A central solution for the provision of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Software is available to public sector bodies (which includes – Training, Support, and Services Framework, includes Process Mining, Intelligent Automation, Chatbots and Intelligent Document Processing).
In addition, the OGP is currently working to assess the feasibility of establishing a central arrangement for the provision of AI solutions and services to Public Service Bodies. A Pre-market consultation on this matter will be issued to the market in Q1 2026.
The OGP currently does not have a panel of pre-approved AI consultants.
442. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if details are centrally collated on the total mileage payments to staff across all Government departments and State agencies; the overall number of journeys and distance covered by mileage payments; and the proportion of journeys/payments accounted for by low or no emission vehicles. [4392/26]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) collates the total distance travelled by employees of public bodies and this includes journeys by no emission vehicles. In this context, each public body records the relevant information and shares it with the SEAI. Earlier this month, my Department provided its own figures to the SEAI for 2025 and I have included that information in the table below for the information of the Deputy. The SEAI publishes these figures on its website and the 2024 figures for the entire public sector can be found on page 22 of the SEAI report at the following link www.seai.ie/sites/default/files/publications/Public-Sector-Annual-Report-2024.pdf.
Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
|
Car Type |
KM |
|
1. Engine Capacity > or = 1501cc |
116,901 |
|
2. Engine Capacity 1201cc -1500cc |
38,503 |
|
3. Engine Capacity < or = 1200cc |
13,396 |
|
4. Electric Vehicle |
25,263 |
443. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if there has been any value-for-money or environmental impact assessment conducted of the State’s mileage payment system to Government department and State agency staff. [4393/26]
View answerMotor travel expenses reimburse officers for the cost of using their own car on official duty. The method used for calculating the rates is based on the actual costs of various factors such as fuel, insurance costs, maintenance among others and the rates should not be viewed as a source of emolument or profit.
Circular 11/1982, Travel and Subsistence Regulations provides that officers may only use their own cars where no suitable public transport is available. It is a matter for each department/office to ensure that only necessary travel is undertaken, and that officers only use their own cars where no suitable public transport is available to ensure motor travel costs are kept to a minimum.
444. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for an update on the redevelopment of a visitor’s centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4467/26]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the care, management and presentation of the State-owned National Monument at Clonmacnoise, County Offaly and its visitor centre.
The OPW is advancing a significant redevelopment of the visitor facilities at Clonmacnoise, supported through the EU Just Transition Fund, working in partnership with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fáilte Ireland.
The project secured Ministerial Consent from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in May 2025. Detailed design development and interpretive planning is complete, encompassing exhibition design, interpretive content, audio-visual elements, accessibility improvements and sustainability measures.
The tender for the main contract was published on 29 September 2025. Tender returns are currently being assessed, and it is anticipated that a contract with the preferred main contractor will be awarded in February 2026, with works commencing on site later that month. The programme for completion of works is expected to be approximately 12 months.
The OPW recognises the outstanding cultural and historical significance of Clonmacnoise and remains fully committed to delivering enhanced visitor facilities that respect the integrity of the monument and provide a high-quality, accessible and engaging experience for visitors.
445. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to address concerns regarding the proposed short-term rental regulations; when clarity will issue on the requirement for hosts to register with Bord Fáilte; what this registration will involve; whether an annual fee will apply; if so, the amount; whether properties will be subject to inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3884/26]
View answer447. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assessment undertaken by his Department of the potential negative impact of the proposed short-term letting regulations on rural tourism, local employment, and overall tourism capacity, given that short-term lets represent a significant proportion of available tourist beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4402/26]
View answer465. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to address concerns regarding the proposed short-term rental regulations, specifically when clarity will issue on the requirement for hosts to register with Bord Fáilte; the details of what this registration will involve; whether an annual fee will apply; the amount; whether properties will be subject to inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3882/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 445, 447 and 465 together.
As set out in the Government's new Policy Statement A New Era for Irish Tourism, which I published last month, the introduction of regulatory controls for the Short Term Letting Sector is to ensure that the tourism sector develops in a way that recognises and is complementary to the wider needs of local communities, both economically and socially.
In April last year, I secured Government approval for the General Scheme of the Short Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill. When enacted, the Bill will provide the statutory basis for the introduction of regulatory controls including a national register for the Short Term Letting (STL) sector. Fáilte Ireland will implement and manage this register from 20 May 2026, ensuring compliance with the EU Short Term Rental Regulation, adopted on 11 April 2024.
I am pleased that the tourism sector has broadly welcomed the introduction of a STL register.
The new Housing policy, proposed by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne T.D., and approved by Government on 15 April will generally preclude new planning permissions for STLs in large towns and cities. The Department of Housing is working to give effect to this decision and Minister Browne will progress any required legislative changes. Planning guidance on short term letting will be issued through a National Planning Statement which will be published before the STLT Bill is enacted to provide clarity for the tourism sector. I continue to engage with Minister Browne in this regard as I am acutely aware that providers need certainty in this regard.
As we await the publication of the National Planning Statement for short term letting by Minister Browne, I and my Department continue to consider the full implications for the tourism sector.
From 20 May 2026, all STL hosts offering accommodation for periods up to and including 21 nights will be obliged to register with Fáilte Ireland via a digital system and confirm their compliance with planning requirements. Registration will take 5 minutes and will generate a unique registration number for each STL unit registered. This number must be displayed when listing the STL unit on any online platforms.
According to the Short Term Rental Regulation a nominal registration fee may apply and the matter of appropriate fees for this sector is currently under consideration.
When registering, STL hosts will need to submit their name, address and PPSN for identification purposes, the precise address of their STL unit and state whether it is part or whole of their primary or secondary residence, provide details on the maximum guest and bed place capacity in the unit and provide confirmation of compliance with building, fire and planning requirements by self-declaration. STL units will not be subject to inspection by Fáilte Ireland, as no accommodation standard or classification scheme will apply to these units.
There will be a legal requirement for STL hosts to clearly display, once issued, the STL registration number on any online platform where their STL unit is listed e.g., Airbnb, Booking.com or Expedia.
Following registration, Fáilte Ireland will verify the details provided by the STL host and will have the power to suspend registration numbers where incorrect or false information has been provided.
Fáilte Ireland estimates that, approximately 34,020 STL properties were advertised online in the State in October 2025, based on screen-scraped data from four major booking platforms. Up to 64% were listed as “entire” houses or apartments. This represents a 26% increase from an estimated 26,960 units in October 2022. In Sligo around 660 STL units were listed in October 2025, with 420 STL units listed in Leitrim for the same month. 70% of the units in both counties were advertised as entire properties, for Sligo this represents a 13.8% increase from an estimated 580 units in October 2022 and in Leitrim a 13.5% increase from an estimated 370 properties in October 2022.
The short-term letting (STL) sector can be flexible and transient, and often STL accommodation is not available on a consistent, year-round basis in the same way as hotel accommodation. While STLs appear to account for a significant proportion of total bedspace capacity, recent analysis of Fáilte Ireland and Eurostat data shows that actual occupancy varies significantly, ranging between 3% and 36%, reflecting fluctuating availability and usage patterns. Data from both the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Eurostat indicate that in 2024 approximately 9% of visitors to Ireland were accommodated in STL accommodation.
With regard to overall tourism accommodation capacity, data from Fáilte Ireland for Q1 2025 indicated that the total number of bed spaces in Fáilte Ireland non-STL Registered Properties is 227,400. Fáilte Ireland's analysis of the accommodation development pipeline indicates that there are an additional 12,750 tourist bed spaces under construction with 9,250 of these bed spaces to be completed during 2026. Planning permission has also been granted for a further 37,550 bed spaces nationally.
Overall, I am satisfied that Ireland has adequate tourist accommodation capacity to meet current demand, notwithstanding occasional high-demand compression weekends, typically driven by major music or sporting events.
Tourism remains a vital part of the Irish economy, supporting 227,000 jobs and generating €6 billion in 2024. I fully recognise concerns about the impact on rural tourism and local economies of reducing short-term let (STL) availability. However, addressing Ireland’s housing needs is a priority, and Government must use every lever available, including returning some short-term letting (STL) properties to the long-term rental market.
My Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have and continue to engage with all stakeholders through roundtable meetings, online webinars and stakeholder engagement meetings, the most recent on 29 April and 30 June respectively. These meetings are held to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the new STL registration requirements in advance of their introduction from 20 May this year and to provide information on the National Planning Statement for Short-term letting.
To ensure all accommodation providers and intermediaries who advertise accommodation (platforms) are aware of the registration and reporting obligations from next May, my Department launched a communications campaign on 28 October. Phase two of this campaign will launch in the coming weeks.
My Department has also developed a webpage where information is easily accessible for the sector and this is available at enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/the-business-environment/tourism/short-term-letting/.
446. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if a fund can be put in place to assist regional airports such as Kerry with route development, in order to attract airlines and develop new routes, and prevent all route development being centralised in Dublin under the Dublin Airport Authority; if he accepts that the current system is totally unbalanced, unfair and anti-regional; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3967/26]
View answerEnsuring strong regional access via our regional airports is a key component in supporting broader economic activity in the regions. Through sustained support for Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, this Government aims to promote Ireland as a high-quality, accessible destination for both domestic and international visitors, achieving balanced tourism distribution across all parts of the country.
The Regional Co-operative Marketing Access Programme operated by Tourism Ireland maximises the opportunities presented by new and existing regional air and sea access to drive increased visitor numbers to the regions of Ireland by stimulating demand through cooperative marketing campaigns with airlines and sea carriers.
In Budget 2026, €4 million has been allocated under the Overseas Tourism Marketing Fund to the Regional Co-operative Marketing Access Programme.
The Programme complements Tourism Ireland’s overall marketing strategy of inspiring visitors to visit the island of Ireland while sustainably supporting local economies and communities through increased direct bookings to the regional airports, including Kerry airport, and seaports across Ireland.
All co-operative campaigns under the Regional Co-operative Marketing Access Programme have a minimum 10:1 return on investment.
448. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to make additional provisions for employees requiring time off work to attend medical appointments for cancer treatment; his views on the need to ensure that such persons are not penalised by way of non receipt of annual increments due to attendance at appointments; to detail whether such provision, specifically as it relates to aftercare hospital and GP appointments. [3361/26]
View answerThe legislation under my remit does not include specific provisions for employees to take time off work to attend medical appointments for cancer treatment.
The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 provides working time protections such as entitlements to rest breaks, daily and weekly rest, maximum weekly working hours, public holidays and annual leave, among other provisions.
Entitlements to paid annual leave are set out in Section 19 of the Act. All employees, whether they are full-time, part-time, temporary or casual, earn annual leave entitlements from the time they start work. Section 19(2) of the Act states that a day which would be regarded as a day of annual leave shall, if the employee concerned is ill on that day and furnishes to his or her employer a certificate of a registered medical practitioner in respect of his or her illness, not be regarded, for the purposes of the Act, as a day of annual leave.
Ireland’s Statutory Sick Leave scheme was introduced under the Sick Leave Act 2022 and commenced in January 2023, initially providing employees with three paid sick days per year. This statutory entitlement increased to five days on 1 January 2024, giving workers greater paid protection during short term illness. The scheme requires employers to pay 70% of an employee’s normal earnings, up to a maximum of €110 per day.
The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, which inserts Section 13A into the Parental Leave Act 1998, provides up to five days of leave without pay for employees who need to give personal care or support to persons with a serious medical need who have a specified relationship with the employee, such as spouse or cohabitant. This Act falls under the remit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
449. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to have a trade and investment mission to Australia in the first half of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3416/26]
View answerEach year my Department engages with Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and IDA Ireland to prepare a programme of trade missions and events which support the goal of securing high-level market access for companies based in Ireland who are aiming to grow business overseas and increase domestic employment and showcasing opportunities for foreign direct investment in support of high-quality jobs and regional development throughout Ireland and to promote Ireland as a destination for Tourism and increase Ireland's market share of the Tourism market.
In line with the recently launched Market Diversification strategy our agencies have been engaged in focussing on geographical areas which will benefit Ireland and which represent the strongest growth opportunities for Irish companies. These missions will focus on promoting the innovative capabilities and competitive offerings of Irish companies to international buyers in sectors including tourism, internationally traded services, fintech, high-tech construction, engineering, ICT and life sciences.
My Department is working closely with our agencies to finalise the 2026 Ministerial programme.
450. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the position regarding the implementation of 16.7% uplift on personal injury guidelines following the independent report carried out by the Injuries Resolution Board, which was launched by the Minister on 16 October 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3426/26]
View answerFurther to my reply to you on this matter on 9 December 2025 to PQ 69749/25.
Responsibility for the Judicial Council Act 2019 under which the Personal Injuries Guidelines fall, lies with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
My colleague, Jim O Callaghan as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, received Government approval to draft a general scheme of a Bill to amend the Judicial Council Act 2019. My officials have collaborated on the drafting of this Bill to make reviews of the Personal Injuries Guidelines more comprehensive and transparent. The General Scheme of the Bill is intended to be brought to Government shortly and will be referred for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny.
Both Minister Burke and I will continue to attend meetings of the Cabinet Committee Subgroup on Insurance Reform, working alongside colleagues across Government to advocate on behalf of business and consumers to drive the insurance reform agenda, taking account of the wider issue of competitiveness and impacts on our economy.
451. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware of the move by Enterprise Ireland to roll back remote working entitlements of staff members; his views on whether this complies with Government policy supporting remote working; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3522/26]
View answerThe development of its blended working policy is an operational matter for Enterprise Ireland management.
I have been advised that since the pandemic, Enterprise Ireland has operated a blended working model across the organisation, which currently requires a minimum of two days in-office.
It is currently engaging with staff and the relevant unions on how the blended working model, in Ireland and internationally will evolve in line with the delivery of a world class service to Irish businesses and the needs of the organisation for 2026 and beyond.
