Results 32,201-32,220 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Arms Trade (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department actively participates in global efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to support regional security, to prevent terrorism and to protect human rights. To this end, the Department operates the highest standards of export controls, in accordance with international law and best practice. My Department is responsible for administering controls on the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Living with COVID-19 Plan is the Government’s roadmap for living with the next phase of the pandemic. It has three broad strands which are, Staying Healthy, Keeping our Businesses Strong and Keeping our Communities Resilient. The Plan sets a Restrictive Measures Framework composed of five levels which recognises the need for an incremental approach which takes account of the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Industrial Development (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Our enterprise policy gives significant attention to ensuring that our enterprises enjoy a supportive business environment through constructive framework conditions as well as through direct financial and soft supports. Balancing our enterprise support direction as between FDI, export only businesses and non-exporting indigenous firms, is however an important policy consideration and one...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Departmental Functions (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department operates an early warning system through which the enterprise agencies (Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland) notify the Department when they become aware of any significant issue arising for client companies that could impact their business in Ireland. It should be noted that there is no obligation, legal or otherwise, on client companies to provide an Early Warning Report...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Job Losses (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 61 together. The decision by Aptar that it is to close its facility in Ballinasloe is deeply disappointing. My primary concern, as always in these situations, is for the workers and families who have been impacted by this decision. Many of these workers have been with the company for many years. The Government will make every State support available...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s July Stimulus introduced a €7 billion package of supports designed to help businesses across all regions to open, to help those already open to remain open, to get staff back to work and, for those who cannot go back to their old jobs, to secure new opportunities. The Stimulus includes extension of the wage subsidy scheme, pandemic unemployment payment for the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the “first-stop-shop” for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to anyone wishing to start or grow their own business. In the first instance, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as Revenue, the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Job Creation (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 53 and 63 together. I can assure the Deputy that jobs and enterprise in the regions is a priority of Government. I want to see a situation where all towns, counties and regions across the country are enabled to realise their potential as contributors to economic recovery and growth, and thereby reduce regional disparities. The Deputy will be aware...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: On 12 August 2020, I launched a new €12 million Enterprise Centre Fund, which will be administered by Enterprise Ireland, to help enterprise centres impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this Fund is to provide financial support to eligible enterprise centres who have been impacted by COVID-19 for the implementation of a 6 to 12-month Recovery Plan. This plan should have...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Health and Safety Inspections (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Health and Safety Authority, in its role of checking compliance with the Return to Work Safely Protocol since 18thMay, is undertaking inspections across a wide range of workplaces and industry sectors, including meat processing plants (MPPs). To-date the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has completed 98 inspections and investigations (13 of which were revisits) of Meat & Food...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As part of Budget 2021, we announced on Tuesday the new COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) to provide targeted support for businesses. The scheme is designed to assist those businesses whose trade has been significantly impacted or temporarily closed as a result of the restrictions as set out in the Government’s ‘Living with COVID-19’ Plan. The scheme will generally...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Budget 2021, together with the measures we announced as part of the July Stimulus, provide a substantial financial package to stimulate our economy and to help businesses to open. In July, the Government introduced the €7bn July Stimulus of supports for firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, the pandemic unemployment payment for the self-employed, grants,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart grant scheme was launched on 22nd May and was live on all local authority websites from 29 May. It was advertised extensively both nationally and locally as well as across social media. By mid-June, almost 30,000 applications were received nationally. By the end of July, some 45,000 applications had been received. The Scheme was initially intended to provide grants in tandem...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Aer Lingus (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I recognise that this is a most challenging time for employees of Aer Lingus. I understand that engagement between senior representatives from the Department of Social Protection and Aer Lingus has taken place to ensure that employees are eligible to apply for applicable jobseeker supports for days of unemployment, even when Aer Lingus is claiming the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Government was pleased to launch the new €2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme on the 7th September, the biggest ever state-backed loan guarantee in Ireland. The past few months have been extremely difficult for Irish businesses. We have seen our small and medium enterprises work hard to adapt and to continue trading in the face of this profound disruption. This Scheme aims...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Budget 2021 (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Budget 2021 is a pro-business and pro-jobs Budget aimed at building on what we put in place in the July Stimulus, to help the self-employed, business owners and employees through this exceptionally difficult time. We are providing a significant package of tax and fiscal measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help self-employed and vulnerable but viable businesses across all...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As part of Budget 2021, my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and Transport Eamon Ryan TD is introducing a number of specific measures for the taxi and hackney businesses. The Minister is providing the necessary funding to the National Transport Authority to enable it to waive annual vehicle licence renewal fees for 2021. In addition, as part of Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 80 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Economic Policy (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: AWAITING REPLY FROM DEPARTMENT.

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (15 Oct 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the “first-stop-shop” for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to anyone wishing to start or grow their own business. In the first instance, the Local Enterprise Offices provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as Revenue, the...