Written Answers Nos. 105-125
109. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress to date on the Cavan town flood relief scheme; the expected timeline for this project to proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10809/26]
View answerThrough the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme, (CFRAM), the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), in 2018. Since 2018, and working with local authorities, the OPW has trebled, to some 100, the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction. The Government has committed funding to support the delivery of flood relief schemes under the National Development Plan to 2030.
Cavan County Council is the lead authority for the delivery of Cavan Town Flood Relief Scheme to protect 110 properties. The OPW is funding 1.5 staff members in Cavan County Council to lead the delivery of flood projects across the county and the Council is working in partnership with the OPW.
Engineering and Environmental Consultants were appointed to the Scheme in May 2022. The development of Cavan Town Flood Relief Scheme is overseen by a project Steering Group with representatives meeting monthly from the OPW and Cavan County Council. There are five distinct, sequential and related stages in the scheme development. Aligned to the decision gateways of the Infrastructure Guidelines these stages are assessing the flood risk and identifying options; seeking planning consent, detailed design, construction and maintenance. Public consultation forms part of the design and planning stages and the project website available on floodinfo.ie provides updates on the schemes progress.
Emerging options for the scheme are expected in Q2 2026 and the next public consultation day is scheduled for Q3 2026. The preferred option, once selected, is due to be submitted for planning in Q1 2028.
The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2009. The purpose of the scheme is to provide 90% funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding or coastal erosion problems within their administrative areas. The scheme generally applies where a solution can be readily identified and achieved in a short time frame. The OPW expect to advise Local Authorities of the revised criteria and details for the scheme shortly, including an increase in the funding limits for each project from €750,000 to €2m.
Since 2009, OPW has approved funding under this scheme of circa €518,566 to County Cavan for some 11 projects. This includes funding of €55,264 in April 2025 for interim works at Pollamore for a temporary flood plain storage area and delay flood peaks reaching the mouth of the culvert downstream at the Business Park. These works are now completed.
110. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will consider extending opening times of an amenity (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10833/26]
View answerFarmleigh Estate was acquired by the State in 1999 and encompasses Farmleigh House, seventy eight acres of gardens, a lake and parklands with two gallery/exhibition areas, outdoor buildings and a farmyard.
The primary use for Farmleigh is as a secure State guest house. Farmleigh has accommodated high profile visitors such as US presidents, the late Queen of England and other members of the British royal family and many heads of State. Farmleigh also hosts international diplomatic meetings and conferences in a secure environment as well as Irish government business on a regular basis.
Farmleigh House and Estate adjoins the Phoenix Park which includes more than 1,750 acres of recreational space. The Phoenix Park is open to visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. The main gates at Parkgate Street and Castleknock Gate are open 24 hours. The side gates to the Park are open from approximately 7am until around 10.45pm.
Given its proximity to the Phoenix Park, and the availability of recreational space in the Park for visitors the OPW is not considering an extension of the opening hours of Farmleigh Estate itself at the present time.
111. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the reason the window for accepting and processing travel pass scheme applications is limited; if there are plans for the NSSO to expand this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10854/26]
View answerThe NSSO has reinstated the agreed service provision of two annual application windows for the Travel Pass Scheme from 2026, following notification to all its customers and HR units in 2025.
The scheme operates on a 12-month contractual basis for the client Departments who wish to avail of this scheme, and as such, applications cannot be processed outside the two application windows. Applications will continue to be facilitated for annual tickets commencing each January and June, with advance notice issued to all NSSO customers.
Adjustments were made to this process during the COVID-19 period due to extended ticket validity offered by transport providers, and the NSSO has now returned to the agreed service.
112. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation when funding will be made available for approved projects to remove river conveyance blockages (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10863/26]
View answerLocalised flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and a Local Authority may carry out flood mitigation works using its own resources. In general, the responsibility for all watercourses outside of the remit of both the Local Authority and the OPW is the riparian owner concerned. Riparian owners have an important role in ensuring that watercourses crossing their lands are managed and free flowing. A guide to the rights and responsibilities of riparian owners is available at:
https://static-floodinfo.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/static/floodmaps/docs/riparian-guide-january-2020.pdf
Local Authorities may apply to the OPW for funding for flood mitigation works under the OPW's Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. This scheme was introduced by the OPW on an administrative, non-statutory basis in 2009. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works, or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.
Since its introduction in 2009, some €70 million has been approved under the Scheme for some 900 local authority led projects that are delivering flood mitigation and coastal protection for some 8,000 properties.
On 21st August 2025, I announced an increase in funding supports are to be made available to Local Authorities under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme. I also announced €3m in funding is to be made available to Local Authorities for approved projects to remove river conveyance blockages, which are causing an increase in flood risk from rivers to properties.
The OPW is finalising the details of these revisions and I expect to advise Local Authorities of the revised criteria for the Scheme, including the €3m fund for the removal of river conveyance blockages shortly.
113. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if the OPW have acquired a site for the provision of a new HQ for Garda North division; if not, when he expects the OPW to acquire a site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10949/26]
View answerThe Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration published their Sectoral Investment Plan on the 4th December 2025.
The second half of their Sectoral Investment Plan will focus on bringing the projects for Dublin Metropolitan Region North (DMR North) to construction in 2028.
On the basis of these priorities now published, the Office of Public Works will be engaging with An Garda Síochána and the Department to support them in identifying and appraising the most suitable site to support the Department's objectives.
114. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has sought or received advice from the Office of Public Works regarding flooding and wave overtopping at the Clontarf Baths area; whether any emergency or interim flood mitigation measures are being considered; whether funding may be made available for such measures where appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10957/26]
View answerDublin City Council has advised that very strong easterly wind combined with high tide on Thursday 5th February 2026 resulted in parts of the existing sea wall at Clontarf becoming overtopped by waves at a number of locations. The worst affected area was in the vicinity of Clontarf Baths and Oulton Road, where waves overtopped the sea wall and formed a pool across the full width of the promenade and Clontarf Road, and consequently accessed a number of gardens.
Dublin City Council’s emergency on-call drainage crew responded by protecting gardens with sandbags, with the property owner’s permission, and opening the manholes to drain away the seawater. Dublin City Council has advised that no reports of either house or building flooding from this event have been received to date.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) understands that the Council is planning to prepare an application for funding to the OPW’s Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protect Scheme, to install temporary flood barriers as flood protection in the Clontarf Baths area. The Council's proposal will be similar to the interlocking barriers currently installed near Alfie Byrne Road, as temporary flood protection for Clontarf in advance of the delivery of the permanent scheme. The Council is considering the application against the criteria for this scheme, including the technical and economic requirements.
115. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on plans to modernise the Limited Partnership Act 1907 legislation. [10868/26]
View answerMy Department will bring forward legislation to modernise the limited partnership regime. The Miscellaneous Provisions (Registration of Limited Partnerships and Business Names) Bill has been included on the Government’s Legislative Programme under “Other Legislation”. The Bill will repeal and replace the Limited Partnerships Act 1907 and the Registration of Business Names Act 1963, establishing a modernised framework that strengthens transparency, enhances regulatory oversight, and ensures the regime is fit for contemporary enterprise needs.
These objectives will be achieved by additional information and reporting requirements; additional powers for the Registrar consistent with those for companies to ensure the integrity of the Registers are upheld; and enhanced enforcement and compliance provisions; whilst retaining the nature of the limited partnership framework.
Government approval was received on the 9 July 2024 for the drafting of the Bill. A General Scheme with 6 Parts and 52 Heads was submitted to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to the Government for drafting in July 2024. My Department has been engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government in relation to the drafting of the Bill on an ongoing basis. It is intended, subject to completion of drafting, to introduce the Bill into the Oireachtas in the second half of the year. My Department has engaged with stakeholders, including those with an interest in enterprise funding structures, to inform the ongoing development of the new framework.
116. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the capital budget of IDA Ireland for each of the years 2008 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [10700/26]
View answerFunding of IDA Ireland is subject to the annual Estimates process with Oireachtas Grants supplemented by "Own Resource Income" (ORI) generated primarily from property transactions. IDA's Capital budget includes funding for grants to industry as well as the agency's Regional Property Programme.
Central to IDA’s strategy, ‘Adapt Intelligently’ is an emphasis on partnering with existing clients to identify opportunities to strengthen long-term investment in Ireland, alongside attracting new investment to Ireland in FDI growth drivers including digitalisation and AI, semiconductors, health, and sustainability.
While Ireland’s long-standing track record as a resilient, stable and innovative location in which to do business provides a strong foundation for attracting new investment, with increasing competition for investment decisions are influenced by the value proposition of different jurisdictions and critically by IDA’s targeted support.
IDA Ireland doesn’t just focus on attracting new investments; it also provides ongoing support to existing clients to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations. IDA’s client grant budget is a priority for the agency in this regard. The capital allocation is critical to supporting clients to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations through investment in RD&I, digitalisation, talent development and sustainability, and to the attraction of new investors to Ireland in an increasingly competitive environment.
Importantly, a robust property and infrastructure ecosystem can be a key differentiator in winning FDI projects and IDA’s Regional Property Programme ensures the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations as required by current and prospective clients of the IDA itself as well as Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs. In this regard, IDA’s Regional Property Programme 2025 - 2029 will consist of 23 projects across 21 locations in 8 regions and primarily manufacturing buildings and includes partnering with local authorities to deliver Advance Planning Permits. IDA also continues to acquire land and provide infrastructure to support clients across the portfolio of existing business & technology parks and strategic sites nationally.
The IDA’s capital budget is critical to delivering on IDA’s ambitious targets, including to underpin engagement in Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPECI) and to support initiatives under the European Chips Act, as well to maintain an ongoing focus on sustainability and digitalisation, deepen investment in RD&I and investment in ecosystem actors and national competency centres including the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Digital Manufacturing Ireland (DMI) and Tyndall National Institute, as well as the development of Next Generation Sites.
The following table outlines IDA Ireland's Capital Funding from 2008–2026 and the figures include the exchequer capital funding drawn down, plus capital own resource income generated and applied in each year. The figure for 2026 includes the IDA's REV (Revised Estimates Volume) allocation plus the projected capital ORI for this year.
|
Year |
Total €000 |
|
2008 |
139,367 |
|
2009 |
108,919 |
|
2010 |
143,900 |
|
2011 |
127,530 |
|
2012 |
109,140 |
|
2013 |
99,398 |
|
2014 |
118,079 |
|
2015 |
132,078 |
|
2016 |
125,460 |
|
2017 |
149,611 |
|
2018 |
128,210 |
|
2019 |
177,529 |
|
2020 |
154,502 |
|
2021 |
167,474 |
|
2022 |
219,041 |
|
2023 |
196,746 |
|
2024 |
244,483 |
|
2025 |
242,273 |
|
2026 |
270,110 |
|
Total 2008-2025 inclusive |
3,053,850
|
117. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware of an issue in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10704/26]
View answerThe attraction and retention of recent graduates in the labour market is an important facet of ensuring Ireland continues to foster a highly skilled workforce which operates within a wider rules based economic migration system.
Ireland operates a managed employment permits system, designed to maximise the benefits of economic migration while minimising disruption to Ireland’s labour market. The system is governed by the Employment Permits Act 2024, which provides the legislative framework for granting employment permits to non-EEA nationals seeking to work in Ireland.
The graduate 1G visa is within the remit of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. This programme allows legally resident Irish educated non-EEA graduates who hold a level 8 or level 9 award from a recognised Irish awarding body to remain in Ireland after their studies for a period of twelve months. This permission facilitates seeking graduate level employment and applying for a general employment permit, a critical skills employment permit or research hosting agreement.
The restriction on the granting of an employment permit based on the ratio of EEA employees to non-EEA employees, known as the 50:50 rule, is one of a set of measures designed to protect the domestic/EEA labour market. It is set out in sections 22 and 39 of the Employment Permits Legislation.
Any company that wishes to use the Employment Permits System must make a declaration as to the number of EEA and non-EEA employees that they employ as part of the application process. An application for an employment permit can only be considered where, at time of application, at least 50% of the company's employees are nationals of the EEA (including Ireland), the Swiss Confederation, the UK or a combination of these. This underpins the Government’s employment creation objectives by requiring employers in the State to hire in a balanced manner from the local labour market (both within Ireland and across the EEA) and ensures that the State complies with EU Union Preference obligations.
Graduates of Irish third level institutes, including non-EEA graduates, continue to form an important element of Ireland’s highly skilled workforce. This is recognised in the Department of Justice’s Stamp 1G immigration permission. I can confirm that, should the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science or the Department of Justice seek to introduce any new measures to improve the transition of non-EEA graduates into the labour market, my department will engage constructively on their assessment and implementation.
118. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the statutory, policy, or administrative basis on which his Department considers that responsibility for commissioning residential construction productivity metrics, including residential-specific gross value added and labour input indicators, rests exclusively with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and to confirm whether his Department accepts any shared responsibility for ensuring that productivity in the residential construction sector is measurable for enterprise, labour-market, and competitiveness policy purposes. [10743/26]
View answer119. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether his Department has, at any time since 2022, formally considered requesting the Central Statistics Office to develop residential-specific construction productivity indicators; whether any internal advice, briefing note, or submission was prepared on this issue; and, if no such consideration occurred, the reasons residential construction productivity has not been treated as a priority data requirement for enterprise and competitiveness policy. [10744/26]
View answer120. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether his Department has sought advice from the Central Statistics Office or Eurostat on the feasibility of publishing residential-specific construction productivity data within the existing EU statistical framework; whether any barriers were identified; and if no such engagement has taken place, the reason his Department has not explored available statistical or regulatory pathways to enable more granular productivity analysis in a sector central to national economic performance. [10745/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 119 and 120 together.
Construction productivity statistics are primarily a matter for the CSO. The CSO has advised my Department that it is unable to produce more detailed information on productivity in residential construction due to the limitations of available data. The underlying data sources do not allow for the distinction of construction on residential buildings to be made.
121. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether his Department has defined any sector-level performance indicators for the Built to Innovate initiative, beyond firm-level project assessments; to measure impacts on residential housing output, construction timelines, or unit delivery costs; and if not, the reason his Department satisfies itself that the initiative contributes meaningfully to national housing delivery and productivity objectives. [10746/26]
View answer122. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the rationale for scheduling the first independent external evaluation of the Built to Innovate initiative for 2027, notwithstanding that €6.8 million in public grant approvals have already issued; and to confirm whether his Department considered commissioning an earlier evaluation to inform decisions on programme continuation, expansion, or redesign. [10747/26]
View answer123. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether any further funding allocations or programme expansions under the Built to Innovate initiative will proceed in advance of an independent external evaluation; whether his Department has considered making future funding contingent on demonstrated sector-level productivity or housing delivery outcomes; and if not, the governance arrangements relied upon to ensure value for money for additional Exchequer funding. [10748/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 122 and 123 together.
Enterprise Ireland’s Built to Innovate initiative is based around existing Enterprise Ireland supports. It is not a standalone funding programme, but rather a framework that brings together a range of existing grant aid offerings and opens them to Irish residential construction companies to enable them to innovate and adopt Modern Methods of Construction.
Enterprise Ireland evaluates applications to the Built to Innovate programme using structured assessment criteria aligned to each programme's goals of improving productivity, innovation, and cost efficiency in Ireland’s residential construction sector. Productivity and Innovation Projects are evaluated on whether the project introduces a new process, or significantly improves an existing one, and can demonstrate a measurable impact on reducing the cost of home building in Ireland.
Enterprise Ireland evaluates whether the proposed project aligns with the programme’s core objectives of enhancing:
• Usage of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)
• Lean construction processes
• Digitalisation and enhanced data use
• Research and innovation related to construction productivity
Each of the Built to Innovate grant streams has its own more detailed criteria.
Under the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in public housing delivery, Enterprise Ireland commissioned RSM in April 2024 to evaluate the Built to Innovate Initiative in order to provide some baseline information about its effectiveness and impact. RSM issued its findings in October 2024. Enterprise Ireland will evaluate the Built to Innovate programme in 2027; this is five years since the initiation of the Programme.
124. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether the cross-departmental data analytics working group established under Housing for All has assigned clear Ministerial accountability for the measurement of residential construction productivity; whether any recommendation was made to establish a dedicated residential productivity framework; and if no such recommendation was adopted, the reasons. [10749/26]
View answerThe cross-departmental data analytics working group was established and is chaired, by Department of the Taoiseach.
125. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures or supports, his Department plans to implement for SMEs to deal with the rising costs of sending parcels via An Post for businesses and the lowered weight limit for prepaid labels from 10kg to 5kg; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10796/26]
View answerThe cost of parcels is a commercial matter for An Post – a commercial semi-state body that operates under the aegis of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
However, the Government fully recognises that rising business costs have posed real challenges for firms in recent years, driven by a range of factors including inflationary pressures and wider international developments.
My Department and its agencies are taking a wide range of actions to address cost and regulatory challenges and to strengthen the business environment. This includes establishing the Cost of Business Advisory Forum (June 2025), publishing the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity (September 2025), and providing continued support and advice to businesses across all sectors.
