Results 3,181-3,200 of 3,425 for speaker:Emer Higgins

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Regional development is a key element of the Government's enterprise policy and is fully reflected in the strategies of our Enterprise Development Agencies. IDA Ireland is targeting that at least half of all investments - that is 400 of 800 - from 2021 to 2024 will go to regional locations. The IDA Mid-West Region, including County Clare, has 159 IDA client companies in the region,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Protection of Employment Act 1977, as amended, protects employees facing collective redundancies. The Act requires employers considering collective redundancies to consult with employees’ representatives for at least 30 days and to notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment at least 30 days before any redundancy takes effect. I have recently introduced a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Exports Growth (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: My Department’s White Paper on Enterprise to 2030 sets out an ambitious vision for Ireland’s enterprise policy, seeking to secure a sustainable, innovative and high-productivity economy, with rewarding jobs and livelihoods in the period ahead. Ireland’s position as a small economy means that it is essential for our economic resilience that Irish enterprises realise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a priority for me and this Government. I am keenly aware of the contribution that various hubs play around the country - from community hubs to enterprise centres and remote-working hubs; they provide support to entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs and allow people to live and work in their own communities. My Department has provided significant...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 178 together. Implementation of the EU COMAH legislation (SEVESO III – Directive 2012/18/EC) for major industrial accidents in Ireland was transposed into Irish law by S.I. No. 209 of 2015 Chemicals Act (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2015. The COMAH legislation lays down rules for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (11 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Development of Battery Energy Storage Systems does not fall within the scope of Control of Major Accident Hazards involving Dangerous Substances (COMAH). Battery Energy and Electricity Storage Systems are not classed as substances or mixtures under Classification Labelling and Packaging legislation (CLP), and therefore are not within the scope of Seveso/COMAH. Consequently, the COMAH...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an extremely important role at local level, as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. They provide a signposting service for all government supports available to SMEs and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Redundancy Payments Act 1967 sets out the formula for calculating the minimum redundancy payment which must be made to eligible employees when they are made redundant by their employer. This is referred to as “statutory redundancy”, and it is a lump sum payment based on an employee’s pay and length of service. An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks' pay for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: The EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages requires Member States with a collective bargaining coverage below 80%, such as Ireland, to publish an action plan to promote collective bargaining. The European Commission Expert Group's Report, released last November, is clear that the content of the action plan is entirely up to Member States, in consultation with the social partners. According to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional development is a priority of mine and of Government. Government has provided substantial funding through a number of enterprise funding schemes to assist regions to support enterprise activity, promote regional growth and create jobs. Since 2017, my Department, through Enterprise Ireland, has approved funding for 79 enterprise focused projects through the Regional Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 26thof June 2024, I signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 1stof July 2024. The ERO provided for a wage increase to €14.50 per hour from that date. The full details of the ERO are available here: www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/319/made/en/ No further legislative changes to the rates of pay and work conditions for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Irish labour market remains exceptionally resilient as we move through 2024, with another successive quarter showing a new record for the highest number of people employed in our country. More than half of the jobs created in the past year were outside of Dublin, this is a testament to this Government’s commitment to achieving more balanced regional enterprise development. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: In 2018, the National Planning Framework (NPF) replaced the National Spatial Strategy as the overall spatial planning and development strategy for Ireland. The NPF, together with the National Development Plan (NDP), combine to form Project Ireland 2040, the overarching policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland. Government approved the process...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an extremely important role at local level, as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. They provide a signposting service for all government supports available to SMEs and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: I encourage anyone who is setting up their own business, to first speak with a business advisor in their Local Enterprise Office (LEO). The LEOs play an extremely important role at local level, as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country and are best placed to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (9 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: When the Sick Leave Act 2022 commenced on 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to 3 days’ sick leave, which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. This entitlement could potentially increase to 7 days up to a maximum of 10 days. Section 6(1) of the Act provides that the Minister can, in consultation with the Minister for Social Protection, vary the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Economic and Social Research Institute (23 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Sick Leave Act 2022 provided an initial statutory entitlement to up to 3 days’ employer-paid sick leave in 2023. This increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. The sick leave entitlement could potentially increase to 7 days in 2025, reaching 10 days in 2026. A Ministerial Order to give effect to any decision to vary the number of sick leave days is not required to be made before 1...

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

Emer Higgins: In December 2022, changes to the employment permits system were announced to help address the skills shortages in Ireland’s Transport sector. These changes included the introduction of a quota of 1,500 General Employment Permits in respect of Bus and Coach drivers. The Employment Permits section of my Department informs me that as of the 17thof July 2024 there have been a total of 314...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (23 Jul 2024)

Emer Higgins: Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an extremely important role at local level, as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. LEOs are the first stop shop for every business in the country. LEOs provide a signposting service for all government supports available to the SME...

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

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional development is a priority for me and this Government as affirmed in the Government's White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in a number of ways including through the nine Regional Enterprise Plans, each of which includes strategic objectives or actions on maximising the potential of hubs in their regions. Enterprise hubs play a vital role in...