Results 121-140 of 40,856 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy knows, in addition to the establishing the Red Cross compensation scheme, we instructed Microfinance Ireland to work with businesses to try to put low-cost loans of up to €25,000 in place to help them from a cashflow point of view. I know that does not necessarily cover some of the questions the Deputy asked but it is worth raising. It is important to say that this is a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I hear the concern regarding the hospitality and food sector. I have seen that for myself. We have seen some quite high-profile cafés and restaurants going out of business. Let me set the context. It is important to say this. Considerably more businesses are being set up than are closing down. Last year, five times as many businesses were set up as were lost. That being said, in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I will leave that last question to Deputy Calleary, seeing as he was specifically asked about it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: We are very reliant on the local authorities to get this payment out as quickly as possible. They have been hugely helpful. The CCMA and the LGMA have been very helpful. This was a big ask of them with very little notice, in truth. We put this scheme in place at budget time. It involved a lot of money going out to a lot of businesses in a relatively short space of time and it became very...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: We can have another go at it, perhaps with a slightly different slant, because it is a good question. I propose to take Questions Nos 6, 9 and 35 together. I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with SMEs nationwide by supporting their growth, helping them to find new markets and stimulating job creation. I know that at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: There were a lot of questions there and I will go through them. First, I refer to the Deputies who have raised their areas. From a Cork perspective, in Cork County Council, we expect that 15,718 businesses may be eligible. In Cork City Council, the figure is 6,857. Therefore, across Cork city and county, there are approximately 23,000 businesses that may be eligible. These are not small...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I will finish on this. Sorry.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: It was completed.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: We only got the draft code back ten days ago. We are now looking to approve that code and we are testing it, as the Deputy would expect in any process, before finally approving it and publishing it. It is probably a matter of days before that happens. We are now in a good place. We are moving towards putting a lot more structure, permanency and acceptance around how arrangements for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 17, 20 to 22, inclusive, 25, 26, 32 and 38 together. To give a direct answer on Clare, we think that 3,955 businesses will potentially benefit. I will now answer the question more broadly because other Deputies have questions in this regard. The increased cost of business grant, announced in budget 2024, is intended to benefit particularly small...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy and I am glad to have the opportunity to update the House because, to be fair to the WRC, it has concluded its work and I have seen a draft copy as of yesterday. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act was enacted on 4 April 2023 and represents a significant advance in terms of workplace entitlements for all employees, parents and carers in particular....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: There is a sense of urgency, but we also want to get this right. We set a very clear target that the WRC would report back to me with a code of practice by the end of January and that is what happened. I need to fully consider it now, which we are doing and we will get that done quickly. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, also has to do that under the legislation. We will finalise it and it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Article 4 of the EU directive on adequate minimum wages, promotion of collective bargaining on wage setting, aims to promote collective bargaining on wages in all member states. The directive requires member states in which the collective bargaining coverage rate is less than 80% to provide “for a framework of enabling conditions for collective bargaining” and to publish an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: First, we have not set targets. We have only started the process of real engagement and consultation. That real engagement will only get started in a meeting next month. We have had some initial discussions, and obviously accept the Government's responsibilities in putting an action plan together. However, it is important to say we are a long way short of that 80% figure. Ireland's...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Fair enough.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I will try to drag it out as long as I can. I am good at that, as you know.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I hear the Deputy, and she takes a view that is consistent with trade union leadership, which is fair enough. The conversations between the different social partners have actually been constructive. The Minister of State, Deputy Richmond and I have been involved in those discussions. The Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, is involved in that too. The approach the Government is taking is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with small businesses nationwide by supporting their growth, helping them to find new markets, stimulating job creation and helping them digitalise and decarbonise. The 2023 Local Enterprise Offices Annual Employment Survey results are testament to this commitment. These jobs figures show that in 2023, the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: This Government has adopted a pro-active approach in supporting Irish businesses across multiple crises over the last number of years, including the introduction of unemployment supports during the COVID -19 pandemic, the provision of financial supports to firms facing the implications of Brexit, and more recently, through the period of increasing overhead costs. My Department is fully...