Results 32,581-32,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Plus Grant scheme was launched on 10thAugust 2020 from the Government’s July Jobs Stimulus. The scheme was designed primarily to help businesses that have not reopened yet and those struggling to do so. The Government carefully assessed the immediate needs of businesses and responded with a package of scale and speed to meet their most crucial needs. The eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: In March 2020 the Government introduced an emergency amendment to the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 which effectively suspends an employee’s entitlement to claim redundancy from their employer following certain periods of lay-off or short-time work due to Covid-19. The Government was concerned that the financial impact of significant redundancy claims at this time would have a serious...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has a long-term involvement in the Seed and Venture Market in Ireland, bringing investment to Irish businesses and helping them start and scale. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is the agency tasked with delivering the State’s Seed and Venture investments, which involves public funding being matched with private investment. These investments involve funding at different stages,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: There is no doubt that our struggle with COVID – 19 and our battle to suppress this virus is having severe effect on certain business sectors and the food distribution and supply sectors in particular. We know the move to Level 5 will have a significant impact on food service businesses and their suppliers. Bord Bia is continuing to work with food producers and suppliers to diversify...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Domestic Violence Policy (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has policy responsibility for maternity leave, parental leave, carer’s leave and force majeure leave. The issue of paid leave for victims of domestic violence would fall within this category of compassionate leave. I understand that officials in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Trade Missions (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: There have been three Ministerial led trade missions to Japan since 2016 as follows: On 14-18 October 2019, the then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms Heather Humphreys, T.D. led a Trade and Investment Mission to Japan. On 27-29 September 2017, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. led a Trade and Investment...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Enterprise Ireland’s primary remit is the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Working in partnership with client companies through a national network of 10 offices and 40 overseas offices, the agency assists Irish enterprise to start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. Enterprise Ireland has two physical presences in Australia. The...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is currently at Level 5 of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 - the Plan for Living with COVID-19. At Level 5, only essential retail outlets and essential services are allowed to open to the public. The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. The Regulations clearly set out the temporary restrictions and lists the essential services and essential retail outlets under Level 5. Level 5 does not restrict people from purchasing any product. It does however, restrict people from physically going into non-essential stores. This is to stop...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: IDA Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: County Kildare continues to be a consistent performer in terms of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). There are a total of 30 IDA client companies in Kildare which employ 8,872 people. County Kildare has a strong contingent of overseas firms in the Technology, Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals sectors with companies such as Pfizer, SGS, International Fund Services and KDP that...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Supporting balanced regional development is a core goal of Enterprise Ireland. In 2019, EI client companies reported a record high of 221,895 people in employment.  16,971 new jobs were created, presenting a net gain of 4,706 new jobs when losses are taken into account.  65 per cent of this employment is located outside of Dublin. In 2019, 9,301 people were employed in the 194...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: State Aid (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My officials participated in the consultation process on the proposed extension of the State aid Temporary Framework and made a submission supporting the extension and highlighting the importance of the flexibilities under the Framework to allow for existing schemes to be extended and new schemes to be developed. I met with Executive Vice President Vestager, on 29thSeptember and one of the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Ministerial Travel (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together. I was disappointed to learn of the decision by Aptar to close its facility in Ballinasloe. My primary concern, as I have said before, 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 is doing everything it can to help them...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Regional Enterprise Development Fund (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy will be aware that the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), which is administered by Enterprise Ireland, 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. Over the last three years, Enterprise Ireland has approved funding to 68 projects...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Since his appointment, the current Director has undertaken a significant restructuring of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) to better reflect the organisation’s needs in the context of both its strategic shift towards deploying resources towards more serious indications of wrongdoing and the increasingly complex environment within which the ODCE operates. ...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. I am not in a position yet to say what regulations will be in place for the winter 2020/2021 period. S.I. No. 448 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5 of the Resilience and...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland completed its five-year strategy in December 2019. Significant progress was made during this period in growing foreign direct investment jobs with total employment in multinationals standing at over 245,000 people, the highest in the history of IDA Ireland. However, the arrival of COVID-19 in Ireland earlier this year has presented undeniable challenges to our ongoing efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The pandemic has caused untold damage to people's lives and livelihoods. I know that too many businesses have been severely impacted by the restrictions needed to ensure public health safety during the pandemic. Our response to COVID-19 will continue to assist those businesses affected. Budget 2021 provides a significant additional package of tax and fiscal measures to build the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Services Sector (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Services sector in Ireland is a broad sector spanning a number of subsectors including financial services, aircraft leasing, business services and business process outsourcing, and international education services, many of which are under the remit of other Ministers. However, my Department maintains an overview of important sectors of the economy to facilitate a cohesive strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Manufacturing Sector (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Essential manufacturing, including pharmaceuticals and medical devices has remained open throughout the pandemic under the public health guidelines.  However initial restrictions in March 2020 saw 37% of manufacturing employment move to employment supports.  This reduced gradually following the opening of residual elements of manufacturing in Phase I of the Roadmap for Reopening the...