Bill aims to give industrial agencies flexibility
The Government has approved legislation aimed at giving the State’s industrial-development agencies greater capacity to attract investment in environment-friendly projects.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment says that the measures will also future-proof legislation in this area, ensuring that IDA and Enterprise Ireland can move quickly to capitalise on any future changes to EU state-aid rules.
According to the department, the Industrial Development (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2026 will make the approval of grants for environmental-protection less complex, while it also streamlines the agencies’ ability to support projects linked to DSR (defence, security, and resilience).
‘Red tape’
“As EU state-aid rules change, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland need flexible legal powers to move fast,” said Minister Peter Burke.
“The change removes red tape and makes it easier for Ireland to engage with EU funding programmes,” he added.
Under the bill, the agencies will have the power to incentivise projects primarily geared towards carbon abatement and environmental protection.
For the first time, they will be able to assess projects for grant aid solely on carbon-abatement and environmental-protection criteria under the grant powers of the Industrial Development Act 1986.
Property projects
The bill will also amend the Industrial Development Act 1995 to allow the IDA to co‑invest in property and infrastructure projects with third parties, including the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF).
It also proposes to delete section 8(5) of the Science and Technology Act 1987, which requires the two agencies to secure formal Government approval before they engage in, or promote, any activity of a primarily military relevance.
Minister Burke said, however, that the agencies’ focus would not be on military activity, but on “areas that matter for our long‑term economic strength and national security”.