Results 3,001-3,020 of 3,425 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: As the Deputy is aware, the Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically certified, statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. From 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to thee days' sick leave, which increased to five days on 1 January 2024. As the Deputy will be aware, statutory sick leave, and its phased roll-out, was designed in consultation with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy. Her suggestion of supporting workers and businesses at the same time is actually something we are already doing in this Government. Only last week, the Minister, Peter Burke, and our team announced additional measures to support businesses, and under this Government, we placed significant emphasis on workers' rights. We put sick pay on a statutory footing for the first...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Absolutely not. We are supporting both workers and businesses. We have a legal requirement to have regard to the potential impact of making an order to vary the number of sick days. For that reason, the Minister, Peter Burke, the Minister of State, Dara Calleary, and I have asked the ESRI to provide data so we can make an evidence-based, informed decision because that is what responsible...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system which maximises the benefits of economic migration and minimises disruption to Ireland’s labour market. The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the European Economic Area, EEA, where such...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: In the past year, following a review, my Department has implemented changes to the critical skills occupation list, ineligible list of occupants and current salary thresholds for both the general employment permits and the critical skills employment permits. The employment permit section of my Department is also undertaking a range of activities to improve efficiency. That includes the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Deputy is right. Competitiveness is a key issue here. It is important from a business perspective and, in the context of the labour market, it is important that we are paying competitive rates to employees. The Deputy will be aware that one of the things we are piloting is a new seasonal employment permit. That pilot programme was announced and will be happening and we will look at...

Business Support Package: Statements (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank all Deputies for this useful discussion on the recent set of measures agreed to reduce costs for small and medium businesses. I would like to begin by reiterating the point made earlier by the Minister that small and medium businesses are vital to the success of the Irish economy. As someone with a business background, I understand the importance of supporting small businesses and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 25th August 2023, the then Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 4th September 2023. At that time approximately 16,000 workers benefitted from the ERO, which included a wage increase to €12.90 per hour. In addition to the pay increases, the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages in the European Union was published on 19th October 2022 and must be transposed into Irish law by 15th November 2024. The Directive aims to ensure that workers across the European Union are protected by adequate minimum wages allowing for a decent living wherever they work. Article 4 of the Directive, Promotion of Collective Bargaining on Wage...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: My Department is responsible for operating Ireland's managed employment permits system, maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. Our system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-European Economic Area nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages in the State required to develop and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: As I have previously outlined, following engagement with the Department of Health - which has policy responsibility for the dental sector - the Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy concluded that the Irish Dental Association's submission to the 2023 review of the Occupations Lists did not contain sufficient evidence to support a change in the status of Dental Nurse in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The Mid-West REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 25th August 2023 the then Minister for Business Employment and Retail signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 4th September 2023. The ERO provided for a wage increase to €12.90 per hour from that date. The full details of the ERO are available here: enterprise.gov.ie/en/legislation/legislation-files/si-no-424...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically-certified, statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. From 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to 3 days’ sick leave, which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. The Deputy will be aware that statutory sick leave, and its phased roll-out, was designed in consultation with the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: While the issue of false self-employment is complex, and debate often exists as to scale of the problem, there is consensus that it is important to tackle the issue where possible to prevent people being exploited across all sectors, including the building trade. Ireland has robust mechanisms for the determination of the employment status and the Government is committed to tackling false...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically-certified, statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. From 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to 3 days’ sick leave, which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. The Deputy will be aware that statutory sick leave, and its phased roll-out, was designed in consultation with the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The Midlands REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The South-East REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced economic regional development is a key focus for this Government and requires a whole-of-government approach. Activity supporting economic development around the country is driven by the local authorities, central Government Departments and a wide range of state agencies and offices. My Department contributes to this objective through a range of activities as set out in the...