Results 941-960 of 8,058 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (1 May 2024)

Peter Burke: Both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland provide innovation supports to SMEs on behalf of my Department. In the case of Enterprise Ireland, which plays a crucial role in fostering innovation among Irish SMEs, it offers a comprehensive suite of supports designed to assist small and medium enterprises in their research and innovation (R&I) efforts. These supports range from funding and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Renewable Energy Generation (1 May 2024)

Peter Burke: The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Report on Offshore Renewable Energy is comprehensive, and forward-thinking, and sets out recommendations on diverse but connected topics. Shortly after the publication of the Report, a Memorandum for Government Decision proposing the development of an industrial strategy for offshore wind was brought forward on 9...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: My Department currently has ten PSTN lines in active operation in four locations. They are used for DSL Broadband connections and emergency phones in lifts. My Department has no ISDN or leased lines.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: European Union (30 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: The information requested is currently being collated by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: My officials clarified with the Deputy's office that this question relates to innovation vouchers and not digital innovation vouchers. The Innovation Voucher Programme is funded by my Department under the Science and Technology Programme, through Enterprise Ireland. The Innovation Voucher Programme is designed to build links between Ireland's public knowledge providers (higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Research and Development (25 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: My Department is collating the information requested by the Deputy from the different funding Agencies falling under our remit and I will forward the that information directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (25 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: Searching for your first job or looking for a new job can be challenging. The Government provides a number of supports to help individuals on their journey to employment. JobsIreland.ie is the Public Employment Service of the Department of Social Protection. The website provides jobseekers with free job search and tools to create a profile to match their skills and experience with jobs....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Advertising (24 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: My Department carried out a number of advertising campaigns in national, local, online and social media during 2022 and 2023 which included, promotion of nine Building Better Business events around the country in 2023, the Small Company Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP), energy saving measures for businesses and a number of employment rights issues. The overall total advertising spend...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (24 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: Based on records available, my Department has not engaged the services of, or allocated funding to, the company in question.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputies for their questions. In my comparisons, I am talking about Northern Ireland as well. Hopefully, we do not see that as Brexit Britain. We are working hard to formulate a cost-of-doing-business package for the SME sector. I hope we will see that in the weeks ahead. We know the acute pressure the sector is under. Every time businesses came under pressure, including...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourist Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy and am happy to take him up on his kind invitation. It is so important we work closely with the sector he referred to. We had initiatives in the past such as The Gathering, and when our economy was on the floor, we saw how much that sector played a part in enhancing economic activity and getting employment back. It is at the forefront of our minds. As I said, it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: The Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with small businesses nationwide to support their growth, help them find new markets and assist them in remaining competitive and resilient. The 31 local enterprise offices, LEOs, play an extremely important role providing assistance directly to micro, small and medium-sized businesses as well as promoting...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I fully understand the pressures businesses are under throughout the economy at this time, not least those businesses in retail, wholesale or hospitality, which are key. We are supporting them, with €250 million through ICOB and a 9% VAT rate for electricity and gas out to October. There is the grant in respect of energy efficiency that I spoke about, at €15 million. VAT...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I will not take any lectures from the Opposition about protecting workers. I am proud to have been a member of a Government that put €12 billion into the economy through the pandemic unemployment payment to ensure that people had certainty of income right through very difficult times in our economy. That ensured the economy was in good shape to deliver those commitments, protect...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourist Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Griffin for his kind words and also for his advocacy on behalf of the tourism sector, both as a Teachta Dála and in a previous ministerial role. The importance of the tourism sector to the economy and to communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood. It is recognised that the use of tourist accommodation to support the Government’s response to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourist Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Griffin for his response and for setting out clearly the pressures the sector is under in his constituency and right across the south and west coasts. I fully understand the pressures and the acute nature of the problem. I am due to meet with the hospitality and tourist forum in May with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. Obviously, the forum will discuss this issue. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for the question. The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically certified statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. Commencing on 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to three days’ sick leave, which increased to five days on 1 January 2024. This could potentially increase to seven days in 2025 and ten days in 2026. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I was very clear in my answer to Deputy Nash on a living wage. I said we were going to wait for the report from the Low Pay Commission. That is the mechanism and structure that is in place, and I am not going to pre-empt that report.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: On sick pay, we are very committed as a Government to improve the rights of employees. We are in the month of April. Section 6 of the Act clearly sets out that the decision has to be made in quarter 4 and a ministerial direction has to be given on 1 January next year. I make all my policy decisions based on evidence. Through the year, I will look at how the economy is progressing and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Living Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Nash for his kind words. As the Deputy will be aware, in 2021 the Low Pay Commission was asked to examine the programme for Government commitment to progress to a living wage and provide recommendations on how best to achieve this commitment. The Low Pay Commission’s recommendations were received and considered and in November 2022, the Government agreed that a...