Results 33,901-33,920 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for their questions. We will give as much clarity and hope as we can on Tuesday. We will also need to be honest as we are not out of the woods yet. I am hopeful about the summer but the next couple of weeks are very worrying. The situation is deteriorating across Europe and appears to be deteriorating here as well. We will give people as much clarity as we can but we...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I acknowledge the fact that much of our local authority housing and social housing is substandard in my constituency and in that of the Deputy. It would be only fair for the Deputy to acknowledge also the huge investment that has gone into improving, upgrading and renewing social housing and local authority housing in my constituency and his. Some major redevelopment is under way throughout...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Leas-Cheann Comhairle should not be embarrassed at all at mistaking Deputy McAuliffe for Deputy Richmond. I am regularly mistaken for the Taoiseach and we look nothing alike. I can see no reason anyone could not make an honest mistake about the two Deputies. On the question at hand, this is a long-standing issue. It has been a problem for more than a decade. Five Governments have...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. Deputy Higgins was also on to me about this issue recently. I do not know what the cause for the delay is but the community needs a primary care centre soon so I will take it up with the relevant Ministers and come back to the Deputy with some progress, hopefully soon.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. We published the climate Bill earlier this week and it commits us to a 51% reduction in emissions between now and the end of 2030. In the main, the emissions come from transport, agriculture and buildings, including our homes, so retrofit will have to be a huge part of the way forward. There will be public consultation on this. We...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland operates several loan guarantee schemes on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. These include three schemes with particular relevance to businesses that have been negatively impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Future Growth Loan Scheme makes lending available...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Communications (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The table below lists the email addresses at which members of the Oireachtas can contact the state bodies under the aegis of my Department, as required by circular 25/2016. State Body Email address Personal Injuries Assessment Board oireachtas@injuriesboard.ie Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Protected Disclosures (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. I'm informed that my Department received three matters raised as protected disclosures and was copied on a fourth in 2017; one in 2018; two in 2019; two in 2020 and none to date in 2021. Following preliminary examination, six of these matters were considered protected disclosures. None of these six were raised by officials from the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that businesses are continuing to make massive sacrifices to protect their communities. Budget 2021 provided a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. The measures in the Budget are in addition to those announced in the July Stimulus and include the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: On 15 January 2021 last I published Ireland’s first ‘National Remote Work Strategy’ to make remote working a permanent option for life after the pandemic. A key action within the National Remote Work Strategy is to extend the mapping and classifications of hubs - as completed by Western Development Commission on the Atlantic Economic Corridor - across the country to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (25 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The job losses at Aptar were deeply disappointing and I once again express my sympathy and concern for the workers and families impacted by this decision and acknowledge the impact that this has had on Ballinasloe and the surrounding area. IDA Ireland is working closely with the company to market the plant to potential investors, using the employee skills audit in their efforts to attract...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In March 2020, the Employment Permits Section of my Department implemented a COVID-19 contingency plan to ensure that the employment permit regime could continue to operate throughout the crisis. Since 30th March, the employment permit system has been operating fully remotely and online. Operational practices have been adjusted to replace the paper-based elements of the service to allow for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Future Growth Loan Scheme (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Future Growth Loan Scheme makes lending available to SMEs and small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) seeking financing for long-term strategic investment, including in response to the impacts of Brexit and COVID-19. The scheme was launched in 2019 and initially provided for up to €300m in long-term lending, however in July of 2020 it was expanded by €500m to make a total...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I understand this is an incredibly difficult time for families and businesses across the country and I would like to thank them for their efforts at this difficult time. By each of us following the spirit of the rules and working together we can hopefully ease some restrictions soon. S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Public Holidays (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The legislation which provides for public holidays is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. This Act provides that certain days may be prescribed as public holidays. At present, there are nine public holidays. An extra holiday has implications of a broad nature in terms of costs and productivity and has cross-government issues to be explored. Any proposal for the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. IDA Ireland’s overseas teams and office network are vital to support the agency’s efforts in winning new Foreign Direct Investment across the world. From time-to-time IDA seeks to expand its global network of offices and teams. Many firms are looking to expand into new markets and Ireland is a proven location for global...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that the necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on businesses right across the country. It is a difficult time for Business owners, employees and their families. With this in mind the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS),...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Projects (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and I understand the importance of flexible working, which can encompass a wide variety of practices, including part-time, job sharing, remote working and compressed hours. Such solutions allow for tangible benefits for employees including improving their work/life balance. Flexible working also assists in the development of an inclusive society. My Department has not conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Co-operative Sector (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is preparing a general scheme of a Co-operative Societies Bill. This Bill will consolidate and modernise the existing Industrial and Provident Societies legislation and provide an effective and robust legislative framework for the diverse range of organisations using the co-operative model in Ireland, including worker co-operatives. The Bill will support the co-operative ethos...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: IDA Ireland (31 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland’s overseas teams and office network are vital to support the agency’s efforts in winning new Foreign Direct Investment across the world. From time-to-time IDA seeks to expand its global network of offices and teams.Many firms are looking to expand into new markets and Ireland is a proven location for global companies to grow and serve their customer base in the...