Written Answers Nos. 183-194
183. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation when a facility in County Cork (details supplied) will be reopened to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67587/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraConna Castle is a significant heritage site under the ownership and management of the Office of Public Works. It is a five-storey 16th-century tower house located in East Cork, which has seen ongoing conservation investment by the OPW over a number of years.
I am pleased to confirm that the Office of Public Works is currently making arrangements to have a key held locally that can be made available for visitors.
184. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the amount the OPW collected in rent fees from external cafes/restaurants within OPW heritage sites in 2025; when the contract with each of these services expire; and how are rent fees for these services arranged, by location in tabular form. [67630/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works are collating the information and will respond directly to the Deputy
185. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his plans to ensure the urgent delivery of a dedicated 'changing place' toilet facility within the Leinster House campus to ensure that any disabled guests or visitors to Leinster House have access to accessible, clean and appropriate toilets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68023/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for the conservation, maintenance and care of a range of high-profile historic buildings across Dublin including Leinster House and Government Buildings.
In 2024, an accessibility audit of Leinster House was commissioned by the Houses of the Oireachtas. The purpose of the audit was to provide expertise, insight, and recommendations for a more universally inclusive parliament. The recommendations help to identify priority accessibility works required in the short term and to assist with the planning of larger upgrade works within Leinster House.
The OPW is carrying out feasibility studies in relation to spaces that have been identified for the potential installation of additional accessible toilet facilities. The design and installation of these facilities will be guided by the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations and will balance the historic nature of the buildings with the need to improve access for people with disabilities.
186. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the protections in place to protect people, from being made redundant, who have a medical condition that prevents them from working in the workplace but are working satisfactorily and productively from home. [67376/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a range of protections under employment law for employees facing redundancy or the loss of their job.
Redundancy is where an employee loses their job because their employer is closing their business or reducing the number of staff. It occurs when a job no longer exists, an employee is let go and they are not replaced. This is set out in the Redundancy Payment Act 1967, as amended.
Where a genuine redundancy situation arises, an employee with more than two years’ service with that employer and who is in insurable employment within the meaning of the Social Welfare Acts is entitled to a statutory redundancy payment.
In general, dismissal of an employee due to redundancy is not deemed to be an unfair dismissal. An employee with more than one year’s service is protected under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, as amended. In such cases, an employer must be able to demonstrate that the redundancy is genuine and the selection criteria and the redundancy process is substantively and procedurally fair.
Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, all employees have the right to make a statutory request for remote working. By law, their employer must provide a reasoned written response to this request. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has a published Code of Practice which provides practical guidance on such requests here: www.workplacerelations.ie/en/what_you_should_know/codes_practice/code-of-practice-for-employers-and-employees-right-to-request-flexible-working-and-right-to-request-remote-working/.
In addition, under the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, discrimination on the grounds of disability is prohibited. Employers are required to consider “reasonable accommodations” for persons with a disability.
Where an employee believes their employer has breached their employment rights, they can make a complaint to the WRC. In most cases, complaints must be made within 6 months of the alleged breach. The WRC can extend this to 12 months if the employee demonstrates reasonable cause.
187. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the type of training provided to staff within his Department in the use of, or understanding of artificial intelligence; if a programme is planned for all staff on their obligations under the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67461/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn on-demand "AI in the Public Service" eLearning course is available to all staff in my Department. It was developed by the IPA in conjunction with industry experts in the field of AI and provides introductory training on AI principles, applications, ethics and regulation. Additionally, it provides information specifically to the public service regarding legal requirements, responsibilities, and opportunities related to AI.
An internal Department program of staff training on the use of Generative AI is ongoing. This includes workshops run by CeADAR, Ireland's Centre for AI, "Lunch and Learn" events and "ICT Tips" emails. This program of training will continue into 2026 and will expand into other aspects of AI and related topics such as the AI Act, Cyber Security and Data Protection.
188. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the vacancies by job title currently at the corporate enforcement authority; the estimated timeframe for filling each of those vacancies, in tabular form. [67631/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrent Vacancies - CEA Civil Servants
|
Job Title |
Grade |
Status |
|
Members of the Authority x 2 |
PO1 + Allowance |
Competition currently advertised. |
|
Senior Digital Investigation Manager |
AP |
Competition to be advertised in due course. |
|
Senior Legal Advisor |
AP |
Competition to be advertised over the Christmas Period. |
|
Senior Enforcement Manager (Civil) |
AP |
Competition to be advertised over the Christmas Period. |
|
Senior HR Manager |
AP |
Awaiting assignee from PAS. |
|
Senior Governance & Support Operations Manager |
AP |
Successful candidate due to commence in December 2025. |
|
Human Resources HEO |
HEO |
Competition to be advertised over the Christmas Period. |
|
EO x 2 |
EO |
Awaiting assignees from PAS.
|
Current Vacancies - An Garda Síochána Officers
|
Job Title/Grade |
Status |
|
Inspector x1 |
The CEA is working in collaboration with An Garda Síochána on the filling of the vacancy. |
|
Detective Sergeants x2 |
The CEA is working in collaboration with An Garda Síochána on the filling of vacancies. |
|
Detective Gardaí x5 |
The CEA is working in collaboration with An Garda Síochána on the filling of vacancies. |
189. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the 2025 budget allocation for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, in tabular form. [67632/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for promoting compliance with and enforcement of competition and consumer protection laws in Ireland.
The 2025 budget allocation for the CCPC is set out in tabular form below:
|
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission |
2025 (€000) |
|
Non-Pay (Admin & General Expenses) |
8,374 |
|
Pay (Admin & General Expenses) |
17,998 |
|
Pension (Admin & General Expenses) |
736 |
|
Total – Admin & General Expenses |
27,108 |
|
Levy – Grant for Financial Information & Education (Pay) |
1,339 |
|
CCPC Overall Budget Allocation |
28,447 |
190. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will conduct an urgent review of a company's model (details supplied) to determine if the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisees/subcontractors constitutes de facto employment; and the steps which will be taken to ensure workers in similar models are afforded full employee rights and protections for example, redundancy and minimum notice in the event of future corporate insolvencies. [67662/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Ireland, there are a number of statutory bodies whose remit includes determining the employment status of a person. Each of these bodies make their determinations independently of each other in respect of the particular functions for which they are responsible. While Revenue has responsibility for determination of employment status of a worker for taxation purposes, responsibility for determination of employment status of a worker for PRSI purposes falls to the Department of Social Protection (DSP).
Where an employee considers their employment rights have been breached they may refer a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) for adjudication. Whether a person is an employee under employment rights legislation may be determined by the WRC’s Adjudication Service and the Labour Court (on appeal) as a preliminary issue, when adjudicating on employment rights complaints.
191. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in view of recent high-profile receiverships affecting franchise networks, if his Department plans to introduce dedicated franchise legislation in Ireland, similar to that in other jurisdictions (e.g., Australia or certain US States), which would mandate a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and establish a code of conduct to ensure fair contractual terms and transparency. [67664/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland does not have specific franchising legislation. Franchise agreements are governed by general contract law, in addition to, where applicable, competition, consumer and other national and EU legislation. Franchise agreements are not a matter of company law.
The European Commission has confirmed that it does not intend to propose specific legislation on franchising. A recent comprehensive consultation process conducted by the Commission in which a broad community of stakeholders participated identified no specific issues in respect of franchising.
EU legislation lays certain ground rules to provide for legal certainty and fair conditions for franchisors and franchisees. For example, franchise agreements must comply with both Irish and EU competition law, notably Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Article 102 TFEU. The EU Commission’s Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (2022) concerns vertical agreements, and it has a section that sets out how this regulation operates in relation to franchises. From a domestic perspective section 4 of the Competition Act 2002 prohibits agreements between businesses that prevents, restricts or distorts competition in the trade of goods and services in Ireland. Section 5 prohibits the abuse of a dominant position. These provisions align with Articles 101 and 102 TFEU which prohibits the same conduct on an EU level.
In addition, all traders, including those involved in franchise agreements must adhere to Irish consumer protection legislation, including the Consumer Protection Acts 2007 and 2014 and the Consumer Rights Act 2022. Franchisees, as traders must ensure compliance when selling to consumers.
When a business becomes insolvent, a suite of legislative provisions provide protection for creditors, employees and consumers. Processes set out in the Companies Act 2014, such as examinership and SCARP, are available to support the debt restructuring of insolvent companies that have a reasonable prospect of survival.
Limited liability is designed to encourage and foster honest enterprise by permitting individuals to engage in entrepreneurial activity while limiting personal exposure to financial loss in the event of commercial failure. However, the law demands that, in return for the privilege of limited liability, those availing of it act in good faith and abide by minimum requirements of governance, transparency and commercial probity.
Company law provides for robust compliance and enforcement mechanisms and sets out the clear legal duties that directors’ have in respect insolvency, as well as specific provisions in relation to reckless and fraudulent trading.
The Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA), in particular, promotes high standards of corporate behaviour: It promotes compliance with company law; investigates instances of suspected breaches of company law; takes appropriate enforcement action in response to identified breaches of company law; supervises the activities of liquidators of insolvent companies; and operates a regime of restriction and disqualification in respect of directors of insolvent companies. Where a breach of company law has been established, the CEA will take action.
192. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will address the concerns regarding remote work and rural communities, raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67668/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Remote Work Strategy, 'Making Remote Work', was launched in January 2021. The Strategy identified 15 actions to be undertaken to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature of the Irish workplace and all of these actions have been successfully delivered. The Programme for Government re-affirms the commitment to promoting flexible working arrangements that benefit both workers and employers and Government is committed to facilitating remote and flexible working in a way which maximises economic, social and environmental benefits.
The right to request a remote working arrangement has been available to all employees under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 since the 6th of March 2024.
The Act acknowledges the global transformation in work practices brought about by remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic. This shift fundamentally changed the way many of us work, and the provision of this statutory framework was extremely timely.
However, Government cannot dictate terms agreed between an employee and employer. Providing a right to request supports and facilitates remote working in Ireland, and at the same time, supports a productive and competitive business environment.
As required by Section 29 of the legislation, my Department has recently commenced a review of the operation of the remote working provisions of the Act. The purpose of this review is to assess the effectiveness of the legislation in providing the entitlements, to evaluate the clarity of the legislation and to identify any unintended consequences of the legislation.
Remote work plays a vital role in broadening access to the labour market, reducing commuting times, and allowing people to spend more time with their families. Ensuring that the legislation underpinning remote work is effective is key to supporting these benefits.
As part of this review, I launched a public consultation on 18 November, which I note your constituent has responded to. Responses to the public consultation will inform a final report of the review, which will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas in March 2026. The consultation is currently available on my Department’s website and will close on 9 December. This is an important statutory review and I welcome as much engagement as possible with the public consultation.
In addition to this work, Government has developed and introduced a suite of policies and supports for remote working, including:
• The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, together with my Department, is leading the development of a National Hub Strategy which will inform the future direction of the National Hub Network. The National Hub Network, facilitated by the connectedhubs.ie platform, was launched in 2021. Underpinned by significant Government investment, there are currently 400 facilities across the country on-boarded to the online platform.
• The Working in Ireland Survey, which is co-funded by my Department, is currently being carried out by University College Dublin. The survey investigates a variety of employment quality factors across the entire island of Ireland, including work-life balance.
• The Department of Taoiseach has also requested that the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) undertake research into the Evolution and Impact of Remote and Hybrid Working in Ireland. A working group has been established to oversee the research, which is expected be completed by mid-2026.
• Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy sets ambitious targets for the continued development of the digital infrastructure which enables successful remote working in Ireland. The Programme for Government sets a number of targets which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including homes, farms, and businesses nationwide, by 2026.
• An income tax deduction for people working from home.
The right to a request flexible working arrangement, such as adjusted working patterns or reduced hours, is available to parents and carers under the Work Life Balance Act. The flexible working provisions of the Act are under the remit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
193. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will provide a schedule of payments made to online personalities in respect of paid partnership arrangements for social media content by Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland in 2024 and to date in 2025; if he will provide a breakdown by amount; name of online account, and/or personality that received payment and the promotion concerned; and if he will also provide details of any payments withheld and or returned to the Bodies. [67765/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial media marketing and content creator collaborations are one component of Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland’s marketing strategy. Social media is a key way in which potential holidaymakers are inspired for their choice of destination, including from overseas markets. The payments made by each of the Tourism Agencies for the periods 2024 and 2025 to end of October are set out in the tables attached. There were no payments in 2024 or 2025 withheld from content creators for any work carried out or returned to either Body. The individual payments made to each content creator are not listed as that is commercially sensitive information.
194. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the action his Department will take to protect consumers in terms of price gouging arising from dynamic pricing used by airlines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67861/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is working on measures to strengthen competition and consumer protection, in line with both commitment from the Programme for Government and actions from the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, which includes targeted reforms within the CCPC’s remit. The Department is undertaking a review of the current legislative framework governing consumer protection fines, with the objective of strengthening enforcement provisions and ensuring greater deterrence against breaches.
Traders in Ireland are free to set and change their prices for goods and services, based on demand, once they do so independently and in line with consumer protection legislation.
Dynamic pricing is a common practice in sectors such as the airline and hotel industry, where prices vary based on demand and timing. The practice is not prohibited if it complies with consumer protection law. Price gouging is not legally defined but generally refers to charging excessive prices during crises.
Consumer law requires traders to provide certain information to consumers before purchase and prohibits misleading, aggressive, or unfair practices. This includes the total price, inclusive of taxes and fees, allowing consumers to make the informed decision in advance of the sale, whether to purchase or not.
The CCPC is the independent statutory body which enforces these rules and can act against any non-compliance. Any consumer who feels they have been misled or subjected to unfair pricing practices can contact the CCPC.
