142. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is exploring new measures to assist with the cost of doing business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45347/26]
Sentiment score: 0.01
Essentially, what I am asking about is the cost of doing business. With rates, insurance, electricity and labour costs, the costs of doing business over the past few years have soared and while the Government has, at times, tried to intervene and support people, I want to know what plans the Minister has to further support businesses?
Sentiment score: 0.35
Go raibh maith agat a Aire Stáit. I appreciate the update and the work that is ongoing. A key area I want to highlight, and I know the Minister of State is hearing this regularly, is energy costs. Energy remains one of the largest overheads for SMEs, particular in the hospitality sector, the manufacturing sector and the agribusiness sector. Small businesses do not have the same purchasing power that larger entities or corporations might have. It might be feasible for a large entity to buy the energy coming from some renewable energy development but this is not feasible for small businesses and small manufacturing entities. We have so much talent in our communities. I think of all the great businesses in Galway East that have massive energy costs but do not have the scale to purchase power at that level. What is the Minister of State doing specifically to support further solar grants and energy efficiency and reduce long-term energy costs? The price of electricity is simply too high.
Sentiment score: 0.33
The Government has to go further, in particular for small and medium enterprises that do not have the scale to acquire electricity at a discounted rate. This is who we have to consider and support. I want to move on to another cost of business issue which is constantly coming up for me, in particular in recent weeks. It is with regard to rates. Commercial rates are increasingly becoming a frustration for businesses. I understand that rates were not revalued for a long time but the revaluation has led to significant costs imposed on businesses. Sometimes there is a value question. The businesses pay rates but they could be in a rural location and they just are not seeing the value of what they are paying. There has to be better engagement from local authorities on this. Has the Minister of State assessed the impact that increased rates costs are having on small and medium enterprises? What does he plan to do about this cost?
Sentiment score: 0.10
Artificial intelligence, AI, is one of the biggest economic opportunities facing Ireland over the next decade. It has the potential to transform productivity, innovation and competitiveness across every sector. What is the Government doing to position Ireland as a leader in AI adoption and development?
Sentiment score: 0.36
I am firmly of the opinion that the countries that adopt AI responsibly will yield the greatest benefits over the next generation. We can be economic leaders through AI and we can show what a society is capable of. A part of where this conversation has to be is about the societal benefits that can come from AI-gained efficiencies. With those efficiencies, however, come a lot of concerns. We have to address the challenges that there will be around job displacement and workforce skills and ensure that people can upskill, develop and wield the power that AI will give them as individuals. How is the Government going to ensure that Ireland will not simply be depending on other countries' AI but that we have some sort of AI independence? The Minister of State will have seen over the weekend that access to Fable and Mythos outside the US was shut down. How would we respond if we were dependent on AI services and they got shut down?
Sentiment score: 0.36
I would say that we need to be careful. I welcome the Grow Digital vouchers, but this would lead to businesses depending on those vouchers to get the expertise and skills to be talented with AI. The whole idea of AI is that it is going to be usable by anybody for anybody with their own critical thinking and their own ability. It is going to be about allowing people to gain the skillsets and the critical thinking capacity to use AI. I would be careful not to fund so many vouchers that people become dependent on them. Another point is that the benefits of AI need to be felt and spread right across the country. From the point of view of the Government particularly, and this is something I have called for before, an AI hub for the west of Ireland is needed. We have an incredible medical technology and medical device sector in Galway. The Minister of State knows the huge investment Dexcom has made in Athenry. I would love to see a med tech AI hub in Galway that works with these companies to deliver next-generation technologies that can impact the globe.
Sentiment score: 0.27
FDI decisions are going to be driven by talent, innovation and, ultimately, infrastructure. When I say infrastructure, I am talking about public transport, housing and everything that goes into the quality of life of the employee because, ultimately, companies are going to locate where the talent wants to be. In Galway, as I have mentioned previously, we have a significant medtech sector. It is absolutely incredible what has happened there over the past 30 years. That does not just happen. We need to see a continued push to drive more investment into Galway and into our medtech sector. Beside the site where Dexcom Ireland has been developed are additional IDA lands that are prime for development for more jobs for east Galway. That is what I push for here this evening.
Sentiment score: 0.16
I welcome the Minister of State's mention of the next-generation sites. As he knows, outside Oranmore there is potential for one of the country's most strategic sites. It was reported in the Business Post over a year ago that the Minister, Deputy Burke, was to bring a memo to the Cabinet about potential investment in Galway to upgrade the infrastructure on Mutton Island and wastewater infrastructure, and to provide a new link off the motorway and a new rail stop at the site. Can I have an update? Where is that currently? Did that memo ever come to Cabinet? Will the Minister be able to provide an update about the prospects of a company selecting that site for a chip fabrication plant or whatever the preferred option is?
Sentiment score: 0.07