Results 1-20 of 7,211 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (28 May 2024)

Peter Burke: High-performance computing and the infrastructures that support this are important enablers of innovation, digital transformation and enterprise development in Ireland. Policy responsibility for the area of high-performance computing (HPC) falls under the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). The former national...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Education and Training Provision (28 May 2024)

Peter Burke: In preparing a response to this PQ, I understand the term workforce as referring to the general workforce in Ireland and not the staff of agencies under the aegis of the Department, thus internal training initiatives do not come within scope of this response. It is essential that Irish enterprise has access to high quality, adaptable and flexible talent. In order to meet this demand, my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (28 May 2024)

Peter Burke: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the reopening of the ICOB grant scheme from May 15th until May 29th. This is to ensure those business owners who missed the deadline can now register. They should do so without delay as the sooner they register the sooner the Local Authority can verify the information and make a payment to businesses. I have made a change to the scheme that now...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (28 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I have sought the information required from the agencies under my remit and will revert to you in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Economic Policy (28 May 2024)

Peter Burke: The Government committed to examining the recommendations of the independent Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce in detail upon the publication of its Final Report in July 2023. An initial update report, published on 21 December 2023, outlined the good progress that has been made towards implementing many of the Taskforce’s recommendations, while highlighting that several proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (28 May 2024)

Peter Burke: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the reopening of the ICOB grant scheme from May 15th until May 29th. This is to ensure those business owners who missed the deadline can now register. They should do so without delay as the sooner they register the sooner the Local Authority can verify the information and make a payment to businesses. I have made a change to the scheme that now...

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I welcome this opportunity to address the House on recent measures the Government has taken to reduce costs for small- and medium-sized businesses. SMEs are the backbone of our rural and regional communities and are central to Ireland's ability to build a broad-based and successful economy. Of a total of approximately 350,000 small- and medium-sized companies in Ireland, 325,000 employ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: It is okay, I can multitask.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I agree with Deputy O'Connor. Cork County Council is the largest local authority in the country and it has the money. We do need to see action now and I will be demanding it over the next few days. As I said, I spoke with the head of the CCMA finance committee. I have written to all chief executives this morning on foot of the change last...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy O'Connor for his very important question. On 15 May, I and my Government colleagues announced a substantial range of measures to reduce costs for small and medium-sized businesses. Included in these measures was the reopening of the ICOB portal from 15 May to 29 May to allow rate-paying business owners who have not registered to do so. We have received feedback that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy again for his question. Unfortunately, we are a price taker in the energy market and we have so much to do in that regard. It is good to note the reduction of about 40% in the wholesale cost of energy but that needs to be passed on to businesses and indeed on to the consumer to make us more competitive. On the Deputy's question in respect of Cork County Council, as I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: Deputy Smith is right to point out the pressure that small manufacturing and engineering businesses, particularly start-ups, are under with regard to access to finance. It is very important that they get finance at competitive rates. With regard to helping existing SMEs with their working capital, the new Microfinance Ireland thresholds are increasing from €25,000 to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Durkan for his very important question. Ireland is recognised as one of the most competitive economies in the world and performs well in international rankings of competitiveness. In June 2023, Ireland was ranked as the second most competitive country in the world in the IMD world competitiveness rankings. The 2024 iteration of these rankings is due to be published in the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I concur with the Deputy that we can never take our eye off the ball when we have an open and strong economy like Ireland's. We have to continue to work. It is very important that we have a pipeline of €165 billion for the next decade for capital infrastructure because infrastructure improvements will attract new businesses and keep our economy competitive. We have seen in the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: They are valid points. The Deputy raised the issue of climate. It is critical that we remain competitive. When we see a company like Diageo, the home of the black stuff, spending €100 million to decarbonise its processes over the next five or six years, when we have world leaders like that based here in Ireland and leading by example, it shows the change that is under way. We have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I again thank the Deputy for outlining his concerns on the sectors. As it happens, the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, and I were discussing the issue of manufacturing yesterday at one of our meetings. The Deputy is quite right. There is a varied number of issues that we are trying to respond to in that area. I have travelled around the country a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I would robustly point out that the Government is listening to the SME sector. That is demonstrated by our warehousing of debt at 0% for those who experienced difficulties over the Covid period. Some €20 billion has been put in towards Covid and Brexit, with €12 billion put in through the past two budgets. We have halved inflation, which is a key metric of business. Energy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Smith for his kind wishes. I propose to take questions Nos 54, 58 and 63 together. The Government is very aware that SMEs have faced a number of economic shocks in recent years which have resulted in cost increases. On 15 May, I, along with my Government colleagues, announced a substantial range of measures to reduce costs for small and medium sized businesses. Included in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the reopening of the ICOB grant scheme from 15 May to 29 May. This is to ensure those business owners who missed the deadline can now register. They should do so without delay, and the sooner they register, the sooner the local authority can verify the information and make a payment to the businesses. I have also made a change to the scheme that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: We all know commercial arrangements in how businesses operate with their landlords are different from business to business. It is difficult to put conditions in place to assess every single one. The best metric I have at the moment to get money out to vulnerable businesses as quickly as possible is linked directly to their rates. If I put more conditions in place right now or try to pave...