Results 31,601-31,620 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I hope that Deputy Devlin is correct and that 90% of people get back to work. I think he is correct that a proportion will not be able to return to their old jobs, if only because the companies they had been working for will not succeed or the sectors for which they were working will struggle. It is important we have alternatives for those people, whether new jobs in areas such as housing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The restart grant was launched on 22 May and is a critically important tool to assist small businesses in reopening their doors. Grant payments range from a minimum of €2,000 to a maximum of €10,000. The scheme was devised in recognition of the fact that microbusinesses and small businesses were and are particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of Covid-19. Using...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The truth is that not every business was viable before the pandemic. There were those who hoped they would become viable as the economy continued to grow. That has not happened. We had a pandemic instead and now the economy has shrunk so, for some businesses that hoped to become viable, that hope is now lost. We will see businesses close in all sectors, unfortunately. That is just the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I met representatives of ISME last week. We are paying attention to what other countries do and every country's package is different. We compare favourably when it comes to the pandemic unemployment payment. Not many countries are providing €350 per week to workers. That is triple what it is in Northern Ireland or Britain. We compare quite well when it comes to the wage subsidy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have jewels or a revolver. I am a simple man.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his interest in advocating on behalf of small business in his constituency and elsewhere. To assist businesses to overcome the unique and unprecedented challenges posed by Covid-19, the Government has put in place a package for firms that includes the wage subsidy scheme, direct grants, low-cost loans, the write-off of commercial rates and deferred...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I very much agree with the Deputy about the importance of the SME sector. In all parts of Ireland, large numbers of people are employed in small firms. When we talk about SMEs, people might not appreciate that we are talking about firms with up to 500 employees. A company with that number of employees is quite a large firm but it is technically an SME. We know that the public sector has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As I said, the July stimulus will be a package of scale. I expect it to include actions we can implement within weeks or months, not actions that cannot be done until next year or the year after, and to amount to several billions of euro in funding. It is important to say, however, that we are not going to fire all our bullets next week. We will do more in October as part of the budget and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his ongoing interest in Brexit and how it will impact on this State. Whatever shape it finally takes, Brexit will have a significant impact on the economy. It will fundamentally change the trading environment for businesses currently trading with the UK. In 2018, my Department published a report, entitled Strategic Implications for Ireland...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Diversifying our economy in order that over time, it becomes less and less dependent on trade with Britain is an enormous part of our work, not just in the Department and the Government as a whole but also for the trade section of my Department, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. If one looks back far enough, Britain was once our only significant trading partner and it now makes up about...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I do not know. I have not had the chance to speak to my new counterpart, Alok Sharma, yet but I intend to do so in the next week or two. Based on the experience I have had with Brexit negotiations up until now, I think there will be a deal but that it will come late in the day, maybe as late as October, November or December. That is why we once again have to prepare for the risk of a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will know, many of the sectors referred to in the question relate to policy responsibilities of other Ministers but I am happy to outline my position on how best to assist enterprises in the current circumstances and into the future. Firstly, I would remind the Deputy that much has already been done. Some of the supports already available include: - the Temporary Wage Subsidy...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The new €2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme announced by Government forms a major component of the Government’s strategy to aid SMEs in these difficult times. It will provide critical support to ensure businesses are facilitated in having access to credit facilities to assist a return to a more regular trading environment. It is a further development of the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: SMEs play a pivotal role in our economy and their role will be essential in getting people back to work and helping our economy to grow again. Therefore, helping our SMEs is central to my role as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. As you will be aware the Local Enterprise Offices operate in every county in Ireland including border counties and provide...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Measures (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Debenhams is a court-supervised liquidation, subject to oversight of the High Court and accordingly is sub judice. Under the Companies Act 2014, I have no power to intervene in a court-supervised liquidation. The Duffy-Cahill report found in overall terms that “the provisions of the Companies Act 2014 that are already available do not appear to be in need of amendment, but more in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 37 together. Ensuring fair competition while protecting consumer welfare is vital for the continued growth of the economy. When I become aware of serious issues of concern, I may invoke the powers under Section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 to request that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) conducts...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Priorities (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The new Programme for Government clearly sets out that this will be a Government of enterprise, creating new jobs, preparing for the jobs of the future, driving our economic recovery and improving the quality of life for all our people. Since I took up the role of Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, my focus has been on preparing the July Stimulus Package which will be...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Enterprise Development Fund (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) was introduced to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects that can sustain and add to employment at county, regional and national level. The REDF, which is administered by Enterprise Ireland, has been an effective instrument of policy particularly as a complement to my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has put in place a range of measures to assist firms to deal with the impacts of COVID 19 on their businesses, to reopen and to sustain employment. We are developing the July stimulus which will be ambitious and radical in deepening and widening the impact of the range of measures we have in place. Covid-19 Working Capital Scheme The Covid-19 Working Capital Scheme is offered...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Retention (14 Jul 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I understand that staff at Aptar have been informed that the company is reviewing its operation at Ballinasloe. While no decision has yet been taken, I am informed that this review could lead to redundancies later this year. IDA Ireland are in close contact with the firm and are working to try avert, if possible, any potential job losses. The uncertainty the situation has created is...