Results 32,001-32,020 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Local Authority guidelines outline that Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus funding is payable in respect of individual businesses only. An individual business may comprise of one or more rateable properties. However, only one claim is payable through the scheme. Chain stores and franchise stores are however eligible to submit separate applications for each individual business unit. I...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Health and Safety Authority (24 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The national Return to Work Safely Protocol should be used by all workplaces to adapt their workplace procedures and practices to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures identified as necessary by the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health. The Protocol operates in parallel with existing workplace health and safety statutory requirements. The...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The national Return to Work Safely Protocol, introduced in May, is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The Protocol sets out in very clear terms for employers and workers the steps that should have been taken before a workplace reopens and as it continues to operate. It can be used by all workplaces to...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Our employment rights frameworks are horizontal, meaning that any statutory employment right must protect all workers and cannot discriminate on a sectoral or other basis. I have this week announced my intention to examine how a statutory right to sick pay can be delivered to all workers in Ireland in a fair and proportionate manner. While we do not currently have a statutory right to...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The national Return to Work Safely Protocol, introduced in May, is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The Protocol sets out in very clear terms the procedures and practices to be followed in all workplaces to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures identified as...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Brexit Preparations (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and its agencies have worked to put a wide range of Brexit supports in place for businesses. The suite of enterprise and finance supports in place cover the spectrum of potential Brexit impacts and aims to assist businesses in identifying key risk areas and the practical preparatory actions to be taken. On 9th September last, the Government published our Brexit Readiness Action...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: COVID-19 has presented undeniable challenges to our ongoing efforts to sustain and grow foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland. The introduction of travel restrictions around the world is already, for example, disrupting the typical way in which the IDA engages with investors, resulting in fewer numbers of site visits and client meetings. The pandemic has also impacted investor confidence...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government's July Stimulus introduced a €7bn package of supports for firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, the pandemic unemployment payment for the self-employed, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs. Full details on all COVID19 supports for business are...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am acutely aware of the difficulties the events sector has faced in recent months due to the impact of social distancing requirements. The events industry is comprised of a number of diverse industry sectors comprising a mixture of large and small firms. Many event industry firms do currently use large online platforms to generate income, increase online visibility and to reach new...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 to 161, inclusive, together. I recognise that the business events industry comprises numerous and diverse industry sectors such as conference organisers, music events and hospitality, exhibitions and trade shows, theatre and arts, as well as ancillary services such as travel and tours. There can be no doubt about the difficulties these sectors have...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise; Trade and Employment I am acutely aware that COVID-19 has brought particular challenges for individual sectors, including retail and has affected large and small retailers across the country. As the largest private sector employer, and a key element providing for the needs of society and indeed other sectors of the economy, it is vital that...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware that the economic impact of COVID-19 has not been the same across all sectors of the economy. For some sectors, especially those that require personal contact with customers, such as retail and hospitality, it has been more difficult to adapt to social distancing requirements. Amongst the most heavily-impacted are those where the duration of the disruption, ongoing restrictions on...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I have been engaging with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the 2021 budgetary priorities. I will be focusing in particular on building on the measures in the July Stimulus Package. I want to help small businesses in particular to navigate the months ahead, which will be challenging, and help get as many people as possible back to work. The July...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant Plus provides direct grant aid to businesses with up to 250 employees to help them with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers. The grant could also be used to defray ongoing fixed costs...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Having come through the initial economic shock of the pandemic which saw 1.2 million people unemployed or being supported by either the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) or the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) in April this year, there are positive signs indicating that people are now returning to work. The latest data from the CSO shows the monthly unemployment rate, adjusted to...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of the issues raised by the Deputy regarding alleged confusion amongst businesses awaiting payment of Restart Grant Plus funding. As the Deputy will be aware, the Restart Grant Plus scheme is funded by this Department and is administered by the Local Authorities on the Department’s behalf. The Deputy will appreciate that to date, both the Restart Grant and Restart Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I understand the concern these changes may have for workers and their families during an already challenging period for both individuals and businesses. The Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 provides that an employer must provide their employee with a written statement of the particulars of the employee’s terms of employment. It also provides that an employer must notify...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the serious difficulties arising for Irish licensed travel agents and tour operators in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the catastrophic collapse of overseas travel and tourism. To date Government has provided a wide range of supports to businesses across the economy, including those operating in the travel and tourism sectors. The wage subsidy schemes have been the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Legislative Measures (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: A fundamental review of Economic Migration Policy, in 2018, indicated that while the employment permits system provides a robust basis for the management of economic migration, the current legislation imposes a degree of inflexibility on the operation of the system. The review overseen by the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group, included a public consultation process and an...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant Plus provides direct grant aid to businesses with up to 250 employees to help them with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers. The grant could also be used to defray ongoing fixed costs...