Results 1-20 of 449 for going forward speaker:Simon Coveney

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: ...a lower VAT rate for the hospitality sector as a whole, through a 12-month period if we were to retain it this year, would be approximately €788 million. Many people made the case that if we are going to spend €788 million, we should be spending it to support other sectors as well rather than just the hospitality sector. These are choices that the Government had to make. ...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: ...an interest, though. I thank the committee for the opportunity to present my Department's 2024 Revised Estimate. I have a reasonably long introduction to read, but I hope it will give members a good sense of the overall Estimate and the priorities within it. My officials have provided the committee’s secretariat with briefing on the details of our Estimate. I hope it is of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of the Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (7 Dec 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...the Chair and members for the invitation here to speak. I am accompanied by Mr. Joseph Cummins and Mr. Alan Dempsey from the climate action and energy policy unit in my Department. I am looking forward to engaging with the members and discussing the role of my Department in accelerating the sustainable transition of our economy and, ultimately, our society. As the committee will be...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...importance of the CGSs in allowing indigenous businesses, particularly SMEs, to access finance is demonstrated by the experience of the Covid-19 scheme. Total lending under that scheme was more than €700 million. It is not a small amount of money that is going out to SMEs across the economy. Under that scheme, which was available from September 2020 until June 2022, the...

Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (15 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: .... Essentially, the Bill will further enhance the protections of employees in a collective redundancy in a way that does not unduly impede enterprises in the conduct of their businesses. Before I go through the specific provisions, I wish to give some background and context to the legislation. This Bill is being introduced in response to the commitment in the programme for Government to...

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: I will but it will be ten minutes each. Budget 2024 is primarily a cost-of-living budget. With high energy prices and the ongoing impacts of the war in Ukraine, the measures brought forward in this budget and announced by my colleagues, the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, are designed to cushion the impact of continuing high inflation by increasing the amount of money in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (29 Jun 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...for this grant. The scheme has been extended to end of July 2023 and the monthly cap has been raised from €10,000 to €15,000 since 1st March 2023. The Government also approved the following which will help businesses going forward.The temporary reductions in VAT on gas and electricity, from 13.5% to 9%, has been extended to 31 October 2023 at an estimated cost of €115...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Relations (15 Jun 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...exclusive competence when negotiating trade agreements with third countries. On that basis, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been clear that China’s position on the war in Ukraine will be an important factor going forward in EU-China relations. Ireland will continue to advocate on behalf of Ukraine without reservation and we will continue to ensure that our trade...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...still some 30,000 businesses, or slightly under that figure, that have availed of it so far. Let us not forget that businesses can claim right back to last September and through until the end of May, and the Government has the capacity to extend it by a further two months if we think it is the right thing to do, and that is without any new legislation as it was built into the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: On the grocery prices issue, there has been a change of tone from Government. We want a response from the retail sector to the reality that price inflation is reducing across the economy but price inflation within the food retail sector is not. One is running at double the other. We need to understand, from a retail perspective, why that is. We want consumers protected in terms of retail...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Policy (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...exclusive competence when negotiating trade agreements with third countries. On that basis, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been clear that China’s position on the war in Ukraine will be an important factor going forward in EU-China relations. Ireland will continue to advocate on behalf of Ukraine without reservation and we will continue to ensure that our trade...

Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (26 Apr 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...fundamental undermining of a peace guarantee. The Irish people are fair to their core, but they will not accept an unravelling of the Good Friday Agreement now or in the future. They will not accept going backwards. The recent anniversary celebrations were inclusive and respectful and those who organised and participated in them have a lot to be proud of and should be thanked....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (23 Feb 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...visits, but I will give the Deputy any information on the issue that I can. I will correspond with him in that regard. He and I discuss the site constantly. We must try to find a way to move it forward. Regardless of whether it becomes a site for multiple companies to develop on or just one large player, it is a large site at 68 ha. If it were to be filled by a single large...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cost of Living Issues (23 Feb 2023)

Simon Coveney: ...to TBESS can be implemented. There will also be a new scheme for grants to businesses who rely on oil and LPG as their energy source. The Government also approved the following which will help businesses going forward. - The temporary reductions in VAT on gas and electricity, from 13.5% to 9%, will be extended to 31 October 2023 at an estimated cost of €115 million. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Budgets (22 Feb 2023)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 58 to 60, inclusive, 62 and 63 together. The Government’s Supplementary Estimates set out the net need for additional funds for a Vote above the level approved in the Revised Estimates for Public Services for that year. As the Supplementary Estimates process takes place later in 2023, I can only provide you with details on the funding allocated...

Co-ordination of International Protection Services: Statements (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Coveney: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. I want to give Deputies some reassurance. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, and his Department, have done an heroic job over the past 12 months. It has not been easy. They have been put under enormous pressure. Nobody anticipated what has unfolded over the past 12 months. We have...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (9 Feb 2023)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Chair. It is good to get the opportunity to sit before the committee for the first time in this brief. I look forward to working with everybody. I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss my Department’s 2023 Estimate with the committee this evening. I am grateful to the committee for facilitating the change in the time for today's meeting. My officials have...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Projects (14 Dec 2022)

Simon Coveney: ...facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the PSPC report have now been completed, and/or are being progressed as part of normal business. A range of other initiatives have been introduced including commissioning from the ranks, the re-entry of former PDF personnel with specific skills, a sea-going commitment scheme for Naval Service Personnel, an Air Corps Service...