Job Losses
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-24
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Alan Dillon (FG), Mayo

I thank the Deputies for their contribution. The Government fully understands the impact jobs losses have on workers, their families and communities. In the immediate term, we are very much providing the supports, which are being mobilised. We are also engaging with the IDA, the State agency, in terms of redeployment. That is actively being pursued. Engagement with the company is ongoing.
Looking beyond the immediate situation here, we have recognised that technological change, in particular AI, will certainly reshape our labour market. We have been very clear on that. My Department continues to monitor this very closely and the impact it will have on our labour market. We have engaged with the research from the expert group on future skills needs, which very much highlights the rapid growth of AI adoption in Ireland, the strong demand for AI-related roles and the robust pipeline we have in terms of skilled workers that are emerging. It is important to re-emphasise that notwithstanding the adaptation that will be required and the significant challenges that will present in terms of how that transition is managed, that is why we have funding for research which is very much focused on future skills needs.
We are also supporting lifelong learning in terms of reskilling and monitoring the labour market in real time. We are not being passive in this space. We are very much engaging with the Department of further and higher education and many industrial sectors. Our responsibility is twofold: to support workers affected today but also to ensure that workers are equipped for the jobs of the future. Ireland's workforce is ready to grow and thrive in an AI environment.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:06+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-24