Information and Communications Technology
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-08
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Joe Neville (FG), Kildare North

I welcome the response, as well as the many announcements that have come in and the efforts that have been made. Even going back to last year's budget, one thing I highlighted beforehand and discussed was the importance of the R and D tax credit. We can see how companies like Intel benefit, and I would argue that a lot more Irish SMEs should. We should make it easier for them separately, but that is a different point. We have tax innovations in this way, which have strengthened the opportunity for the likes of Intel. At the same time, we need to ensure we have a plan in place, not only for Intel but for other companies that may wish to come here, as the Minister of State has outlined.
Semiconductors are also a strategic opportunity from an Irish perspective. We are ahead of the curve from a European point of view in north Kildare in that we have Intel, which many other countries in Europe do not have. We have a knowledge base and a history. Intel has been there since I was a child. With that local knowledge and capability, we want to ensure Ireland stays a step ahead.
I want to ensure we stay ahead of the likes of the Netherlands, Germany and Italy because ultimately, while we are all part of the EU, there is a lot of competition in this regard. We need to make sure Ireland continues to be at the forefront of such a strategic endeavour. We have seen the discussion worldwide about America wanting to get semiconductors because of their importance from a military perspective, and that will have consequences in Europe. We need to make sure Ireland is at the forefront. I know this is outlined in the plan, but ultimately, it is about getting those concrete steps to ensure that happens.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-08/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-08