Written Answers Nos. 476-495
476. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Cahersiveen and Iveragh region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9358/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra477. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Killarney/East Kerry region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9359/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra478. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Cahersiveen and Iveragh region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9360/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra479. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Killorglin/Mid-Kerry region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9361/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra480. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Cahersiveen and Iveragh region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9362/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra481. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Castleisland region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9363/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra482. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Listowel region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9364/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra483. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Tarbert/Ballylongford region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9365/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra484. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps the IDA is taking to attract pharmaceutical companies and multinational companies to the south; the plans in place to bring companies to the Tralee region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9366/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 476, 477, 478, 479, 480, 481, 482, 483 and 484 together.
Foreign Direct Investment is a key element of our economic strategy, with investments by IDA Ireland client companies consistently generating highly skilled jobs nationwide including Kerry and the South-West region. Central to IDA Ireland's 2025-2029 strategy, ‘Adapt Intelligently’ is an emphasis on partnering with existing clients to identify opportunities to safeguard and strengthen long-term investment in Ireland, alongside attracting new investment to Ireland in FDI growth drivers including digitalisation and AI, semiconductors, health, and sustainability.
The pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industry in Ireland is a cornerstone of Ireland’s economic success, accounting for over €100 billion in exports. Over 50,000 people are employed in the industry. Ireland has developed a cohesive and integrated Life Sciences cluster consisting of highly innovative indigenous companies, large well-established foreign direct investment (FDI) multinationals, a continually developing world-class research base, along with a strong industry-focused clinical community.
IDA is targeting 550 of a total 1,000 investments over the 2025-2029 period to regional locations, including 155 in the South-West. The first year of this strategy, 2025, saw IDA Ireland achieving the highest ever number of investments, 323, a 38% increase on 2024, which are expected to create over 15,300 additional jobs in the coming years. 183 investments, 57% of all investments in 2025, were in regional locations.
The South-West Region, comprising counties Cork and Kerry, is home to 245 IDA client companies, employing 53,535 people. There is a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies in the region.
In March 2024, Astellas, an IDA Ireland Japanese pharma client, commenced construction on a €330 million state-of-the-art facility in the Tralee Technology Park. This project is currently under construction and is projected to be fully operational by 2028. This is a transformative investment for Kerry. It will lead to significant job creation during the construction phase, and it will house more than 100 highly skilled science and engineering jobs on completion of the facility. As Astellas are already a significant employer in the Kerry region, operating an existing manufacturing site in Killorglin which attracts employees from across the county of Kerry, this recent announcement is a strong endorsement of what Kerry offers FDI investors.
Furthermore, in July 2025, Aenova, a leading pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation, announced a significant expansion of their Killorglin facility to enable development of innovative drug delivery systems in the future. This expansion is expected to create approximately 10 new highly skilled roles in the areas of RD&I, Pharmaceutical Technology and Analytics.
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, including partnering with local authorities to deliver an Advance Planning Permit in Tralee. IDA will also continue acquiring land and providing infrastructure to support clients across the portfolio of existing business & technology parks and strategic sites nationally, including in the context of developing next generation, strategic sites, including in Kerry.
IDA Ireland will continue to target investments from across the globe through its global network of offices, and to strengthen long-term investment through ongoing partnership with clients on new opportunities and talent development; to scale-cutting edge innovation and investment in RD&I; to drive sustainable change through investment in green and digital solutions; and to maximise regional opportunities.
Of course, my Department together with Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs, continue to support employment creation across the country, including in Kerry.
485. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of staff directly responsible for cybersecurity, as distinct from IT, within his Department; if a threat analyst, vulnerability manager and a cyber infrastructure engineer are employed; if not in-house, if this work is outsourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9429/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has a dedicated Information Security team within its ICT Unit, this team has overall responsibility for cyber security risk, threat analysis, and vulnerability management. This team is supplemented by external resources as required. My Department also works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure that best practice principles are followed with regard to cyber security.
For reasons of operational and national security, and informed by the advice of the National Cyber Security Centre, it would not be appropriate to disclose further details of my Department’s cyber security arrangements.
486. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the extent to which his Department examines third party supply chain vulnerability when it comes to cybersecurity. [9447/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department implements a risk-based approach to the management of its third-party supply chain. Information security is addressed within procurement contracts with requirements based on the nature of the contract and the information being processed.
With the introduction of NIS2 and the forthcoming National Cyber Security Bill my Department is in the process of reviewing its existing third-party risk management processes to ensure it meets the new requirements within this legislation.
487. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware data centres located here are being used to run an AI tool (details supplied). [9521/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am not aware of any data centres in Ireland being used to run the Grok AI tool. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment does not hold information on the specific tools operated by privately-owned data centres or by the companies that use them.
488. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No’s 149 of 7 May 2025 and 156 of 7 October 2025, and having regard to confirmation (details supplied), whether his Department continues to receive, for Q2 2025, Q3 2025 and future quarters , the full completed reporting templates from each Government Department including the value in euros fields for payments within 15 days and within 16–30 days; and if so, to further confirm whether those value fields are held by his Department in a spreadsheet, database or other structured dataset used to compile the consolidated “Government Departments Prompt Payment Returns. [9606/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that my Department continues to receive the full completed reporting templates from each Government Department including the value in euros fields for payments within 15 days and within 16–30 days.
My Department retains this information in spreadsheet format for internal purposes, (a copy of which I have provided for your information). I confirm to the Deputy that my Department remains fully committed to open and transparent reporting. The full underlying data for each Department, including all required fields, continues to be published in the individual Departmental returns, which are publicly accessible on the respective Departments’ websites.
Separately, my Department makes available on its website a consolidated report of prompt payment performance by Government Departments based on the number of invoices paid. The format of this report was agreed at the last meeting of the Prompt Payment Officer Network in November.
489. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of regulations his Department plans to reduce, streamline or repeal in order to improve competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9632/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government believes that a proactive, whole-of-Government response, is fundamental to driving improvements to Ireland’s international competitiveness. In response to international economic developments and in line with commitments in the Programme for Government, the Government advanced the preparation of an Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, which was published in September 2025. 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, supporting indigenous enterprise and continuing to attract investment and talent from abroad.
The Action Plan reflects a whole-of-government approach to the domestic drivers of competitiveness and contains 85 actions across six thematic areas. Of particular relevance to the Deputy’s question is Theme 4, “Regulating for Growth and Controlling Costs”, which focuses on coordinated regulatory reform and on reducing unnecessary burdens on enterprise, particularly SMEs. Accountability, monitoring and oversight are central to the delivery of the Plan. Each of the 85 actions is assigned a specific owner and a timeline for implementation. Just under half of the actions are due for delivery in 2026, with the remainder either delivered in 2025 or scheduled for implementation between 2027 and 2030.
Rather than setting an arbitrary numerical target for repealing regulations, the Government’s approach is to deliver systematic, targeted regulatory reform through a number of key initiatives, including:
• The establishment of a central Economic Regulators Forum to improve coordination and consistency across regulators;
• The introduction of a cross-Government Red Tape Challenge to identify and remove or simplify regulatory requirements that impose disproportionate costs on SMEs;
• Continued application of the SME Test to ensure new measures are designed in line with the “think small first” principle; and
• The implementation of legal cost reforms, including the recommendations of the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice and the drafting of a Civil Justice Reform Bill.
These actions are scheduled for delivery over the coming two to three years. The application of the SME test will continue on an ongoing basis. The SME Test is an important tool in ensuring that the impacts of new measures on small businesses are considered and mitigated where appropriate. In 2025, 33 SME Tests were applied by 10 Government Departments, compared with 26 SME Tests applied by 8 Departments in 2024. Since the establishment of the reporting framework in 2021, a total of 81 SME Tests have been applied across 14 Government Departments. Each Department is also expected to publish SME Tests on its website, ensuring transparency and accessibility. To support implementation of the SME Test, officials from my Department have delivered information sessions to several Government Departments.
In addition, my Department has established a Cost of Business Advisory Forum, which brings together enterprise representatives, Government and State agencies to identify regulatory and infrastructural issues that contribute to higher business costs. The Forum has examined energy, insurance, planning and water services to date and will consider regulation, reporting and compliance in early 2026. Its final report is due to be submitted to Government in Q1 2026.
Given that many regulatory measures arise from EU obligations and from the responsibilities of multiple Departments and independent regulators, it is not possible at this point to specify a precise number of regulations that will be repealed or streamlined. However, the Red Tape Challenge and the actions under Theme 4 of the Action Plan are explicitly aimed at delivering measurable reductions in regulatory burden, particularly for SMEs.
Progress on these actions will be monitored through regular reporting to Government, and the first implementation report on the Action Plan will be considered at the Government’s Competitiveness Summit in 2026.
Finally, as part of the Government’s commitment to deepening the EU Single Market, my Department is working to promote the implementation of the European Commission’s Single Market Strategy, which aims to lower barriers to cross-border trade in goods and services and ensure consistent application of Single Market rules. This is closely aligned with Ireland’s competitiveness objectives, given the reach of EU regulation and the combined impact of domestic and EU-level rules on Irish enterprises and consumers.
490. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether, in light of the EU–India free trade agreement and associated EU mobility signalling, his Department has assessed the projected impact on employment permit application volumes by sector and nationality in 2026–2027; whether any expansion or adjustment of Critical Skills or General Employment Permit eligibility is planned; whether permit criteria, salary thresholds, and occupation lists are being calibrated with reference to housing supply and wider public service capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9773/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. It is a rules-based system which does not discriminate by country of origin and operates independently of bilateral agreements. Employment permit policy is not linked to, nor altered by, the conclusion of free trade agreements, including the EU–India Free Trade Agreement.
There are no current plans to amend employment permit policy, including Critical Skills Employment Permit or General Employment Permit eligibility, as a consequence of the EU–India Free Trade Agreement or any associated agreements. Accordingly, the Department has not undertaken projections of employment permit application volumes by sector or nationality arising from that agreement.
Employment permits legislation prescribes a range of criteria applicable to all applications, including minimum remuneration thresholds, qualifications, and eligible occupations. Applications are assessed on the basis of these statutory criteria and are not determined by gender, ethnicity, or country of origin.
Employment permit policy is kept under constant review to ensure it remains responsive to labour market needs. This includes regular reviews of the Occupations Lists, minimum annual remuneration thresholds, and permit criteria, informed by labour market evidence and ongoing engagement with relevant stakeholders and Government Departments. These reviews take account of wider public policy considerations, including national strategies on housing supply, infrastructure capacity, and public service provision.
491. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of WTE staff, by job title and gender, working in each Enterprise Ireland offices outside of the State, by location, as of 3 February 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9836/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnterprise Ireland's network of international offices helps Irish companies to develop high-growth strategies and to enter new markets with innovative and sustainable solutions.
Enterprise Ireland currently have 194 staff employed in their overseas offices, a breakdown for which is included in the attached spreadsheet.
492. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of WTE staff, by job title and gender, working in each IDA offices outside of the State by location, as of 3 February 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9837/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraForeign Direct Investment is a key element of Ireland's economic strategy, with investments by IDA Ireland client companies consistently generating highly skilled jobs nationwide. A total of 323 investments were secured by IDA during 2025, representing a 38% increase on the previous year, and which are expected to deliver over 15,300 new jobs in the coming years.
Employment and economic impact of IDA clients on Irish economy and society remains at record levels. IDA client employment increased by 1.5% to 312,400 in 2025, which is line with national employment growth and holds share of total national employment at 11%.
Ireland continues to remain attractive to new investors with 78 of the 323 investments coming from companies new to Ireland. IDA’s 2025-29 strategy also emphasises partnering with companies to strengthen long term investment, and the efficacy if this approach is reflected in the 68 expansions from existing client companies in 2025.
This strong FDI performance in 2025 reflects Ireland’s continued competitiveness on the world stage. IDA operates a network of offices across the globe engaging with a diverse range of sectors including technology, life sciences, financial services, and advanced manufacturing.
Currently, IDA Ireland has offices in 25 overseas locations, covering 55 countries, and the agency continuously reviews its strategic approach to winning investment for Ireland. The table below sets out the number of WTE staff, by job title and gender, working in each IDA offices outside of the State by location, as of 3 February 2026.
|
Location and Job Title |
Female WTE |
Male WTE |
Total WTE |
|
Atlanta |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Austin |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Bangalore & Mumbai |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Beijing |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Boston |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Chicago |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Market Analyst |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|
Territory Director |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Frankfurt |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
1 |
4 |
5 |
|
Territory Director UK and Europe |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Irvine |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
2 |
2 |
|
London |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
New York |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Market Analyst |
|
2 |
2 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
3 |
5 |
8 |
|
Director North America |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Palo Alto |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Market Analyst |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|
Territory Director |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Paris |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Seoul/Korea |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Shanghai |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Market Analyst |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Country Manager |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Shenzhen |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Sydney |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Tokyo |
|
|
|
|
Office Administrator |
1 |
|
1 |
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
|
2 |
2 |
|
Territory Director Asia Pac |
|
1 |
1 |
|
Toronto |
|
|
|
|
Sales & Marketing Executive |
1 |
1 |
2 |
493. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if funding can be sourced to support the not-for-profit organisation (details supplied) to construct a new build extension to their present location, which will cost €2.5 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10017/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2017, my Department has approved over €150 million in regional enterprise development funding through Enterprise Ireland schemes, supporting enterprise ecosystems and regional job creation across all parts of the country. The vast majority of this funding has been allocated to projects outside Dublin.
The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and administered by Enterprise Ireland, was launched in October 2023 and remains open for applications. Under Stream 1, the scheme supports the development of local enterprise infrastructure. The scheme also provides support for clusters and consortia, the design and delivery of innovation programmes for SMEs, as well as feasibility and priming work.
Smart Regions is designed to promote economic growth across every region. I note that the Government has provided substantial funding to the Killarney Innovation Centre over almost three decades.
Enterprise Ireland, as the agency responsible for administering the Smart Regions scheme, assesses applications based on a defined set of criteria, including the proposed objectives and expected impact of the funding. As part of its remit, Enterprise Ireland also assists applicants, such as the Killarney Innovation Centre, in developing applications to align with the scheme’s aims. I understand that the project is already engaged with Enterprise Ireland around this scheme. Currently, there is no alternative scheme operated by my Department that could provide funding for the Centre’s proposal.
494. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department supports the creation of a new EU-wide legal statute, the "Innovative European Company" (as per the Draghi report on EU Competitiveness) to allow Irish start-ups to operate across the single market under harmonised corporate and insolvency rules; and if so, when he plans to introduce this.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10064/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is referring to the forthcoming proposal from the European Commission for a so-called 28th Regime on company law.
The intention is to create a new, optional EU corporate form, that would co-exist with existing national regimes, and provide a single, harmonised set of rules for companies operating across the Single Market.
Ireland sees the potential in such an initiative and looks forward to the publication of the proposal, expected in the coming weeks. Thereafter, the proposal will be examined by the co-legislators in the Council and European Parliament. It is too early to speculate on timeframes for agreement on the proposal and a future implementation date. However, Ireland will seek to make as much progress as possible on this file during the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
495. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his position on the creation of a Vice-President for simplification at the EU level; if he plans to commit to a single methodology to quantify the cumulative cost of new regulation on Irish businesses, as per the Draghi report on EU Competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10065/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is a strong focus on simplification at EU level with a view to improving EU competitiveness and ensuring there aren’t disproportionate burdens on business. The Mission letters from President Von der Leyen to each Commissioner have effectively mainstreamed the simplification and better regulation agenda, with all Commissioners tasked with reducing administrative burdens and reviewing the legislation within their remit.
The reform agenda is being strongly driven by EU leaders with the European Council calling for a “simplification revolution” by ensuring a clear, simple and smart regulatory framework for businesses and reducing administrative, regulatory and reporting burdens, in particular for SMEs. To date, the European Commission has published 10 simplification Omnibus packages, across a range of policy areas, with further proposals expected in 2026.
At a national level, the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, a commitment in the Programme for Government, is a whole-of-government strategic response to the challenges that Ireland is facing. A key focus of the Action Plan is improving Ireland’s regulatory environment under the theme “Regulating for Growth and Controlling Costs.”
Measures under this theme include introducing a ‘Red Tape Challenge’ across Government to reduce regulation for SMEs, a public consultation to identify areas of high burden, and all Government Departments to apply the SME test to all measures, in particular to policy initiatives where it is proposed to increase costs on small business.
In terms of my own Department, there is an ongoing commitment to ensuring that the regulatory environment is proportionate and fit for purpose. This includes the conduct of Regulatory Impact Analysis and the systematic application of the SME Test which has been designed to invite consideration of less stringent compliance requirements for smaller companies, where appropriate and proportionate.
