Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
FOI Requests — 321 requests
- Access: GrantedReceived —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Under the FOI Act 2014, I am seeking the following:
- Access: Refused Section: 15Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, I request access to the following records which are non-personal and which I believe are held by the Department of Enterprise dated between January 1, 2025, and the date of this request: • All correspondence between the offices of the department’s ministers and social media platform owners (including Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and X), and mobile network providers (including Vodafone, Three, Eir, Sky, Virgin and 48), regarding digital age restrictions, age verification technology and protections for young people using social media. Records of all briefing documents and reports provided to ministers about smartphone use for young people.
- Access: GrantedReceived —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Under the FOI Act 2014, I am seeking the following: Data relating to the numbers and kinds of employment permits granted/rejected under the Employment Permits Act 2024, including Seasonal Employment Permits, between 2 September 2024 and 1 August 2025. I would like to have the nationalities, ages and employment sector of those applying for a permit included in this dataset.
- Access: Refused Section: 15Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
I'm writing to every Department to request, under Freedom of Information law, all of the correspondence held by each department relating to corporate hospitality OFFERED to and ACCEPTED by the minister of the day Corporate hospitality means any time the minister was offered a gift or service for free - tickets to a concert, a meal, a corporate hospitality box etc I understand it might make it easier to limit this request to the ministers private office. I would also like to include declined offers I still want the request to cover the last year, so the current and previous minister
- Access: GrantedReceived —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Under the FOI Act 2014, I am seeking the following: The name of each special adviser appointed at your department in respect of the 34th Dáil. The name of the minister to whom they were appointed. The date of their appointment. The sanctioned pay rate for them. The relevant pay-scale that applies to them.
- Access: GrantedReceived —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 I am seeking a list of esubmissions submitted to the Minister for Enterprise through the e-submissions channel. I wish for my request to cover the period from 01-05-2025 - 31-05- 2025.
- Access: Part-Granted Section 37Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Under the Freedom of Information Act, I am requesting information regarding meetings and communications for the period from May 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. My request pertains to the following: 1. Minutes of the minister’s and the minister for state’s meetings with BiggerStage related to the unscripted tax credit and any briefing documents prepared for the ministers in advance of those meetings. 2. All written communications (letters, emails, texts) between the ministers and BiggerStage on the same topic. 3. All written communications between the minister and his advisors with the Department of Finance regarding the unscripted tax credit.
- Access: Part-GrantedReceived —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 I am seeking a list of esubmissions submitted to the Minister for Enterprise through the e-submissions channel. I wish for my request to cover the period from 01-02-2025 - 28-02- 2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
All correspondence between Minister Peter Burke and Douglas Alexander, dated between November 1st, 2024 and January 5th, 2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Any correspondence or briefing materials sent or received by the minister or ministers of state relating to the EU-Mercosur political agreement from 1 November 2024 to the present(22/01/25)
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Any briefings prepared for the Minister about Apple for this meeting about the company's policies and any operational challenges; • Any internal departmental correspondence about the need to set up a meeting with Apple and Minister Burke ahead of this meeting.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Multinational organisations; • Business representative groups • IDA Ireland • Enterprise Ireland • Foreign Governments/embassies. I am also seeking: • Copies of the minutes of any meetings involving Mr Burke and Mr Hughes where the Occupied Territories Bill was discussed. The time period can be limited to 24/12/2024 and 6/2/2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Copies of any presentations delivered at the meeting of the Council;
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
advisor in relation to meetings / correspondence with the following companies and individuals: CyrusOne Irish Data centres Holdings Ltd and Emma Fryer I wish for my request to cover the period from 1/5/2024 - 17/2/2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
DECC [possibly now Dept of Arts as communications brief is transferred over]; DETE; and/or Enterprise Ireland
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
WhatsApp or other messages, memos, briefing notes, and minutes of any related meetings.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Enforcement Authority Ian Drennan since Mr Burke's appointment as minister on April 9th, 2024.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
a business trip to Dublin which gave her a line to government officials. b. Any records -- correspondence including emails, briefing notes, and meeting minutes -- from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2008 which discuss who Sheryl Sandberg's phone should connect to.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Any records containing biographical information provided to the Department or held by the Department in relation to those advisers, such as: · Curriculum Vitae (CV) · Biographical summaries prepared for internal use, ministerial briefings, or external publication (e.g., press releases or website bios)
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
The timeframe I am seeking the above information is from January 20 2025 until 15 April 2025
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
· Minutes or notes taken at any meetings between Minister, his advisors, or the sec gen with Apple or its representatives since 1 January last; · Any briefings prepared for the Minister, his advisors, or the sec gen regarding Apple since 1 January last.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
legislation/regulatory data protection, between 1st February and 23rd April 2025. 3. Correspondence between the Minister for Enterprise and any IDA client pharmaceutical companies, or industry representative groups working on their behalf, between 1st February and 23rd April 2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
items categorized as “cyber-surveillance items” per the definitions set forth in Regulation 2021/821, from January 1st, 2019 to the present date.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Any records with departmental insights, analysis, suggestions or other input sent to DFAT for potential input for the Irish position on negotiations for the updated/amended EU Common Position 2008/944/CFSP
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
1.Minutes or notes of the 2-5 meetings held between Minister Burke, Special Advisors, Secretary General Declan Hughes, Assistant Secretary and Apple Distribution International Ltd between 1 May, 2024 to 31 August, 2024, as returned by Apple at the following address: www.lobbying.ie/return/114777/apple- distribution-international-ltd, as well as any correspondence following up on those meetings internally or between the Department and Apple. 2.Minutes or notes of the meeting held at Apple Park in California between Minister Burke and Apple between 1 September, 2024 and 31 December, 2024, as returned by Apple Distribution International Ltd at the following address: www.lobbying.ie/return/120072/apple-distribution-international- ltd, as well as any correspondence following up on this meeting internally or between the Department and Apple. 3.Internal correspondence, or correspondence between the Department and Apple companies, including letters, emails, notes from meetings, virtual meetings or phone calls, from June 18, 2024 to May 13, 2025, addressing the accuracy of the following statement in the notes from the meeting held on June 18, 2024 between Minister Burke and Apple: “Globally there is aggressive competition from countries trying to secure large multinationals, such as Apple, to relocate from Ireland to their shores. This is a very real threat to Ireland with Apple Finance areas looking into the prospect of moving staff. Due to digitalisation this type of reorganisation is much easier to do.”
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
virtual meetings or phone calls, concerning the response to be provided to the FOI request made by named Journalist on April 7, 2025 concerning records relative to lobbying by Amazon and Apple.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
sanctions introduced on Russia, between 1st September 2024 and 16th May 2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
A breakdown of those costs, including but not limited to: software development, project management, licensing, consulting, and other professional services. The respective balance of payment and names of the companies or contractors engaged in the development, implementation, or support of the system. The procurement process used to select these contractors, including the tender documents and contract award details. The project timelines and key milestones for the development and launch of the system. I am seeking records covering the period from January 2022 to the present.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Please include all documents provided by the lobbyingparty, as well as notes or minutes from any meetings and all departmental or ministerial correspondence returned to the lobbyingparty. Please also include internal records concerning these lobbyingevents including memos, speaking notes, briefings, and preparatory and follow-up internal correspondence. Please exclude any administrative emails related to setting up or organising meetings.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• www.lobbying.ie/return/126179/meta-platforms-ireland- ltd • www.lobbying.ie/return/126176/meta-platforms-ireland • www.lobbying.ie/return/126180/meta-platforms-ireland- ltd
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Apr, 2025 concerning Apple’s position on the EU's simplification agenda and implementation of EU legislation including the Digital Markets Act and Audiovisual Media Services Directive) I believe there was at least one meeting with minister Peter Burke and minister of state Niamh Smyth, and several with officials from the department between those dates, including with secretary general Declan Hughes.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Copies of all correspondence to/from Diageo and Minister Peter Burke. Copies of the minutes of all meetings between Mr Burke and representatives of Diageo. The time period can be limited to 23/1/2025 to 12/6/2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
2. Copies of the diary of the Minister and any Ministers of State in the department, for the calendar week of any Council of the EU meetings the department was invited to, between 20th January and 18th June 2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
1. Correspondence between the minister and officials above principal level or higher on NDRC, the organisation which operates the national start-up accelerator, from May 01 to June 18, 2025. 2. Correspondence between the department and NDRC over the same time period 3. Correspondence between the department and the Department of Communications over the same time period.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Secretary) + Named Staff (Special Advisor) and Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd related to the following Lobbying Register entry - www.lobbying.ie/return/126178/meta-platforms-ireland-ltd = Minutes from meetings (held in the period 1 Jan, 2025 to 30 Apr, 2025) between Shane Cassells (Special Advisor) Brian Keegan (Special Advisor), Niamh Smyth (Minister of State), Peter Burke (Minister), Declan Hughes (Secretary General), John Newham (Assistant Secretary) + Laura Mannion (Special Advisor) and Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd related to the following Lobbying Register entry - www.lobbying.ie/return/126178/meta-platforms-ireland-ltd
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
correspondence exchanged between departments dating from the formation of the government on 23 January 2025 to the present day, 18 June 2025.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
making supermarkets publish their Irish accounts separately from March 1 to present. 2. Any reports/memos/correspondence sent to Colm Forde by his direct reports (as noted in whodoeswhat) on the possibility of making supermarkets publish their Irish accounts separately from March 1 to present.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
3. A copy of all records held by the Department relating to the dispute between the CEA sole member Ian Drennan and gardai and the CEA's Director of Criminal Enforcement on the issue of the sole member's powers and functions in relation to gardai and their criminal enforcement powers. Mr Drennan wrote about this issue in his recent annual report. 4. A copy of all correspondence from January 2024 to date relating to the CEA's interactions with An Garda Siochana on garda staffing issues and the progression of investigations. 5. Records of any meetings between Departmental ministers and teh CEA in the same time period from January 2024 to date. Any records relating to the Director of Criminal Enforcement position.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Records of any announcements, agreements, commitments, or projected outcomes relating to job creation associated with that investment. • Any correspondence or reporting from Amcor Flexibles regarding fulfilment of those job creation goals. 3. Monitoring or Follow-Up Reports • Any internal reports, reviews, or communications (including emails or memos) assessing Amcor’s delivery on employment or expansion objectives, particularly if state support was contingent on such outcomes.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Corporate Enforcement Authority within the last two years relating to the appointment of members to the Authority. I would also like to request, under Freedom of Information legislation, all notes and minutes from meetings held between Department officials, as well as those held with officials within the CEA relating to the subject of the appointment of members to the Authority within the last two years.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
3. Any internal correspondence, briefings, memos, or decision records discussing or authorising the use of Irish State emblems by Back for Business, Fitzsimons Consulting, or Paula Fitzsimons. This includes any concerns raised, assessments made, or exceptions noted. 4. Any records, delegations, or legal instruments formally derogating authority to the Department of Foreign Affairs, allowing DFA to authorise the use of Irish State emblems — specifically in relation to Paula Fitzsimons, Back for Business, or any associated activity. *** • Any records, authorisations, correspondence, or internal memoranda confirming whether permission has ever been granted to Fitzsimons Consulting, Back for Business, Acorns, Going for Growth, or any related entity to host, display, or promote Irish State emblems — including the harp, shamrock, or official Irish Government branding — on websites, digital platforms, or servers located outside the State, particularly in the United States. • Any formal approvals for international or U.S.-based use • Any restrictions placed on where State emblems may be hosted or displayed • Any cross-departmental discussions regarding emblem use or visibility outside the State
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
Please disclose the following, both in terms of head count and full- time equivalent: 1. The number of press and communications staff. 2. A breakdown of these staff by job title (e.g. number of press officers, heads of press office, directors of communications, social media staff, etc). 3. The overall spend on salaries for these staff in the year 2024/25.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
A copy of any briefings or memos concerning any proposed, planned or confirmed (short-term) extension to the NDRC, the state’s national accelerator programme; A copy of minutes of meetings and/or presentations from meetings concerning the NDRC with officials from any of the following: Dogpatch Labs; Enterprise Ireland; DCEE; and/or DCCS;
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
I am directly affected as: • A data subject whose personal data has been processed under a State-branded programme without clear disclosure of the actual controller. • An EU-registered business owner whose dealings with these programmes have been shaped by the State’s portrayal of them as public. To be clear, my concern is not with the identity of any third party such as Fitzsimons Consulting or its sub-processors. The issue is the legal and ethical problem of a private individual operating with full State branding and endorsement without being subject to the transparency and accountability obligations that would apply to a public body. This request seeks certainty on the legal basis, governance, and data controllership for these programmes, including any Joint Controllership arrangements under Article 26 GDPR or Processor agreements under Article 28 GDPR. Scope of Request Please provide: 1. All contracts, funding agreements, SLAs, or MoUs between DETE and Paula Fitzsimons / Fitzsimons Consulting relating to Back for Business, Going for Growth, and ACORNS. 2. All Data Processing Agreements and/or Joint Controllership Agreements covering these programmes, including those with sub- processors. 3. All correspondence (internal and external) discussing which party is the controller for participant data. 4. All governance and oversight documentation relating to programme delivery, including reporting requirements, KPIs, and compliance obligations. 5. All DPIAs, risk assessments, or legal advice regarding GDPR compliance for these programmes.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
6. Records on use of State branding – authorisations, licensing, or agreements permitting the use of State logos, emblems, or ministerial endorsements. 7. Verification records showing whether Fitzsimons Consulting was ever confirmed as an incorporated entity and any due diligence conducted on its status. 8. Appointment records for Paula Fitzsimons as “National Director” of Going for Growth / ACORNS, including basis for title and whether it is ministerial, contractual, or self-assigned. 9. Survey and outcome data collection records for each programme cycle referenced in public statistics, including: • Who conducted the survey; • Legal basis for processing; • Relevant privacy notices, consent records, DPIAs; • Any steps taken to anonymise or pseudonymise data before publication; • Related contracts with KPMG or other third parties. 10. All communications with the Comptroller and Auditor General about the classification, funding, or oversight of these programmes. 11. All records evidencing the legal determination of whether these programmes are public or private for FOI/GDPR purposes, including the internal decision-making process and criteria used. Personal Data Request – GDPR Article 15 I request all personal data held on me in connection with these programmes, whether held directly by DETE or indirectly by Fitzsimons Consulting or any sub-processor. This includes: • Communications, application materials, notes, internal comments, metadata, and survey responses. • Any processing logs, retention schedules, or deletion confirmations following my Article 17 erasure request. Where data is processed on your behalf, you remain responsible as controller under Articles 26 or 28 GDPR and cannot discharge obligations by referring me to a contractor.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Records identifying which agencies, hospitals, or private recruitment firms were granted approval for these applications. • Copies of any qualification vetting or integrity checks applied to these applicants, particularly in light of the 2023 revelation of 700 “fake nurses” identified within the UK NHS system. 2. Employment Permits – Chefs (2019–Present) • Records confirming the reported 3,000 permits granted to Indian chefs. • Any economic justifications, sectoral reviews, or consultations used to support these allocations. • Records identifying which representative bodies (e.g. Restaurants Association of Ireland) lobbied for or provided input into this decision. 3. Low-Skilled Occupations (2019–Present) • Records showing the number of permits issued for roles such as: • Private security guards, • Taxi drivers, • Delivery/courier drivers. • Any briefing notes, policy papers, or internal analyses addressing whether these permits suppressed wages or displaced Irish/EU workers. 4. Oversight and Fraud Safeguards • Copies of DETE’s policies, procedures, or audits verifying the authenticity of overseas qualifications for applicants in nursing, security, or other regulated professions.
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Any reports or internal correspondence identifying risks of fraudulent qualifications, or raising concerns about systemic weaknesses in DETE’s vetting processes. 5. Malfeasance and Public Interest This request goes to the core of whether DETE has breached its statutory and constitutional duty to protect Irish citizens in the labour market. Specifically: The issuance of visas to non-EEA nurses while Irish nurses faced an explicit hiring freeze constitutes prima facie maladministration, and may amount to policy malfeasance. The allocation of thousands of permits to chefs and low-skilled occupations raises serious questions of whether DETE has facilitated wage depression and displacement of Irish workers in favour of third-country nationals. The public interest in full disclosure is therefore overwhelming. 6. Fees – Statutory Waiver For absolute clarity: • I will not be paying any fees for search, retrieval, or copying. • Section 27(5)(b) of the FOI Act 2014 requires that fees be waived where disclosure is in the general public interest. • This request concerns matters of systemic governance, fiscal integrity, and democratic accountability — not private or commercial benefit. • Attempting to impose fees in this context would be unlawful and would itself constitute evidence of obstruction in the public interest. 7. Format and Redaction • Records to be supplied in electronic format (PDF, Excel, Word).
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
• Where exemptions are claimed, I require partial release under Section 18 FOI Act 2014, together with a schedule of records identifying each withheld document, the exemption invoked, and justification for redaction. 8. Statutory Timeline Please confirm acknowledgment under Section 12(2) and ensure a decision issues within 20 working days in line with Section 13(1).
- Received —Decided —Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
– all paper and digital correspondence (emails, letters, texts, WhatsApps, faxes) between the department and OpenAI during the period – all final versions of briefing material prepared by officials ahead of these meetings – minutes for the meetings – records of all material presented at the meetings