Results 81-100 of 1,517 for speaker:Emer Higgins in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Labour Court may exempt an employer from the obligation to pay the National Minimum Wage if the employer can demonstrate financial difficulty under the provisions of Section 41 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000. If an employer cannot afford to pay the minimum wage due to financial difficulty, the Labour Court can exempt them from paying the minimum wage rate for between three months...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you will be aware, as part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local Authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as reaffirmed in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REP). The South-East REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as reaffirmed in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The South-West REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 108 together. My Department, through our enterprise development agencies, plays a significant role in fostering economic growth in County Louth and Drogheda and provides a range of services to local enterprises. My Department also oversees implementation of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) including for the North-East which covers counties...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: Ireland has a robust framework of legislative protections and supports for workers who are impacted by redundancy. This includes:The Protection of Employment Act 1977, as amended, which requires employers in collective redundancy situations to consult with employees’ representatives and to notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment before implementing redundancies.The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Farm Safety (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (FSPAC) is an advisory committee to the Board of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and established under Section 38 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee was established to involve all industry stakeholders in improving occupational safety and health in the Agriculture sector. Its...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you are aware, as part of Budget 2024, the government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you will be aware, as part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local Authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you will be aware, as part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local Authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: The EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages includes two key areas: Minimum Wages, and Collective Bargaining. The Directive requires Ireland to develop an action plan to enhance collective bargaining coverage by the end of 2025. The Directive must be transposed into Irish law by 15th November 2024. My Department has received legal advice on the minimum wage elements of the Directive that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: I would recommend that anyone looking to start their own business or become self employed to first speak with their Local Enterprise Office (LEO). The Cavan LEO is located in the Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre, Dublin Road, Cavan. The Monaghan LEO is located in Unit 9, M:TEK Building, Knockaconny, Monaghan. The LEOs are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you will be aware, as part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local Authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you are aware, as part of Budget 2024, the government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: Responsibility for the Childcare sector comes under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman. There is a Joint Labour Committee (JLC) in place for the Early Learning and Childcare sector. Joint Labour Committees are independent in their functions. On the 7th September 2022 the then Minister of State for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As I have already set out for the Deputy, the Sick Leave Act which commenced on 1 January 2023 provided an initial statutory entitlement of 3 days which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. This will potentially increase to 7 days in 2025 and 10 days in 2026. Payment by employers to employees for statutory sick leave days is currently set at 70% of an employee’s average gross...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: The LEEF Subgroup on the implementation of the High Level working Group's recommendations met on 29 June 2023 and 16 November 2023. Updates on these issues were also provided at the LEEF plenary meeting with social partners on 20 November 2023 and 26 February 2024. In addition to the LEEF plenary and subgroup discussions, a technical working group has been established this year with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Process (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Private Members Bill on Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) is sponsored by the Deputy (and Deputies Paul Murphy, Richard Boyd Barrett and Gino Kenny). It is a matter for the Deputies to progress the Bill. At the Second Stage debate on the Bill, the former Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, clearly...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you will be aware, as part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local Authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: As you will be aware, as part of Budget 2024, the Government signed off on a package of €257 million for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant as a vital measure for small and medium businesses. Local Authorities, funded through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are administering the grant to qualifying businesses on behalf of the Department. Local...