Results 61-80 of 8,196 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Living Wage (29 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The Central Statistics Office advises that, as per the Labour Force Survey, in 2024 there were 157,100 employees, who reported that they earned the National Minimum Wage, with a further 38,200 employees, reporting that they earned less than the National Minimum Wage. Based on this, a total of 195,300 employees reported that they earned the National Minimum Wage or less. Employees can earn...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Living Wage (29 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The Government is committed to fair wages. The recent substantial increases in the National Minimum Wage have been ahead of inflation and have brought about real wage increases for lower-paid workers. These increases demonstrate our commitment to fair wages. I fully expect the National Minimum Wage to increase in the coming years. I want to ensure that it increases in a sustainable way...

Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bill makes changes to the insolvency payments scheme. This scheme fulfils a vital function. It protects workers in the event of their employer's insolvency. It covers certain pay and pension-related entitlements...

Seanad: Economic Competitiveness: Statements (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Members for the opportunity to address the House on the important issue of Ireland's international competitiveness and, in particular, on the approach by the Government to strengthen Ireland's competitiveness and productivity performance. This is my first time addressing the Seanad during this Dáil term and I look forward to working with all...

Seanad: Economic Competitiveness: Statements (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank all nine Senators for their contributions. I appreciate the eight areas Senator Nelson Murray focused on in her contribution. She quite rightly pointed out we have a significant employment in our economy. At this point in time, we have put an additional 90,000 jobs into the economy in the past year. That is and additional 90,000 families with an income. We are trying to improve...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Priorities (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: An assessment of the yearly cost of a new public holiday was conducted by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection as part of a broader report on the ‘Cumulative Impact of Changes to Working Conditions’ published in 2024. As there is limited historical information on the impact of an extra public holiday within an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The funding provision to Enterprise Ireland covers two subheads on the Department’s Vote, Subheads A7 and B4, which span general supports to indigenous firms and for research and development/innovation supports. My Department has allocated a total of €383.639 million in respect of these subheads in 2025. The cost of increases of 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50% are set out in the table...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: IDA Ireland received an additional €15.5 million amounting to €283,083m in funding for 2025 in recognition of the increasing competition internationally for FDI. In that regard, IDA Ireland continues to target significant FDI investment in 2025, with a focus on Research Development and Innovation, Sustainability and Digitalisation. The additional funding will help IDA to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: InterTradeIreland is funded jointly by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Ireland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, with a budget allocation of €12.57m in 2025. The estimated cost of increasing InterTradeIreland funding by 5%, 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%, in set out in the table below. Percentage increase Total - Euros ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The expenditure for all Departments on research, development and innovation (RD&I) is available as part of ‘The Research and Development Budget’ published annually by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. This report outlines all RD&I expenditure and future allocations by Government Department and by the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is one of four National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027 Funds under Project Ireland 2040. €500 million has been allocated to the Fund up to 2027 for co-funded collaborative projects. It is aimed at encouraging collaboration and innovation in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies, on a commercial basis, targeted at...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Living Wage (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The Low Pay Commission makes an annual recommendation to me on the appropriate rate of the National Minimum Wage. Each year, the Low Pay Commission, using the most up-to-date data available to them, estimates hourly median wages. These estimates are derived from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the CSO’s Structure of Earnings Survey (SES). The CSO...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The National Minimum Wage Acts allow for lower, or sub-minimum rates of the minimum wage for those employees aged under 20. Those aged less than 18 years can be paid 70 per cent of the full minimum wage rate, while those aged 18 years and 19 years can be paid 80 and 90 per cent of the full rate, respectively. I welcomed the Low Pay Commission’s report on these rates, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The report “A study of minimum wage employment in Ireland using online job vacancy data” was published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The report was funded by the Low Pay Commission under the terms of their research partnership agreement with the ESRI. I welcome the publication of this report which provides further insight into minimum wage...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: The Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages in the European Union was published on 19th October 2022 and was transposed in Ireland via the Statutory Instrument S.I. No. 633/2024 - European Union (Adequate Minimum Wages) Regulations 2024, meeting the deadline of the 15th November 2024. The Directive aims to ensure that workers across the European Union are protected by adequate minimum wages...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: My Department considers hiring external consultants in cases where there is not the necessary expertise to deliver the project in-house, in cases where an external assessment is deemed essential, or in cases where a project must be completed within a short time scale, and although the expertise or experience may be available in-house, performing the task would involve a prohibitive...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together. The Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) scheme and the Power Up grant paid out over €400 million to SMEs across the country in 2024. The ICOB grant was divided into two payments and paid out a total of €244 million to SMEs during 2024. The second ICOB payment specifically targeted businesses in the retail, hospitality...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together. The Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) scheme and the Power Up grant paid out over €400 million to SMEs across the country in 2024. The Power Up grant specifically targeted businesses in the hospitality, retail and beauty sectors and €158.7 million was paid in grants to over 39,000 businesses. The attached table sets...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (28 May 2025)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 182 and 183 together. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) compiles statistical data in relation to Goods exports and imports. CSO data for goods trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2018 - 2025 are shown in the table below Goods Imports Goods Exports Goods Trade €million ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (27 May 2025)

Peter Burke: Regional development is a key element of Government's enterprise policy, as set out in the Programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise, and is a key focus of the work of my Department and its agencies including the IDA. IDA Ireland is targeting 550 of a total target of 1,000 investments to regional locations under its new strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for...