The Government is targeting the creation of 1,000 new start-ups under plans to come to Cabinet on Tuesday.
Enterprise minister Peter Burke will bring a memo on Start-up Ireland, which is being hailed as “a landmark initiative” which will also aim to boost the turnover of the start-ups by 20%.
Under the plan, high-potential start ups will be awarded €100,000 investment with all supports co-ordinated from a new Dublin city centre hub, co-located with Enterprise Ireland’s new HQ which aims to connect founders with investors, mentoring, supports, and international markets.
There will also be a specialised AI Accelerator programme, matching promising Irish AI (artificial intelligence) companies with global leaders such as Google, AWS, Anthropic, and OpenAI. They will be enrolled on a 12 week programme with technical expertise and access to €1m in technology and cloud credits.
Separately, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and drugs minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor will launch Ireland’s new drugs strategy, which will focus on prevention and early intervention, recovery and social integration, and cross-government co-ordination.
Cabinet will be told that the plan provides for “more equitable access to high-quality services across HSE health regions, an active role for individuals and families with lived and living experience in service planning and delivery, and increased health supports for people in contact with the criminal justice system”.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Mr Burke will update Cabinet on the upcoming International AI Summit due to take place on Wednesday.
Mr Martin will seek to establish a new Cabinet committee on AI, focusing on the impacts of the technology on society, the economy and labour market. The new committee will also look at AI regulations as well as its use within the public service.
Housing minister James Browne will seek Cabinet approval to launch the 2026 Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme which allows councils or approved housing bodies to repair damage to social housing projects which have been damaged due to defective concrete.
Either councils or AHBs will engage with contractors, with funding provided directly by the Department of Housing.
While repairs are underway, tenants will be rehoused by either a council or an AHB.
Separately, higher education minister James Lawless will seek Cabinet approval to start an independent review of Ireland’s doctoral education system.
The review wants to ensure Ireland’s PhD system delivers research talent to improve the State’s innovation and competitiveness.
In particular, it will examine how Ireland can increase the number of PhD students and graduates and expand industrial PhDs by expanding co-operation between universities and industries.
- Paul Hosford, Deputy Political Editor
- Tadgh McNally, Political Reporter
