Results 35,221-35,240 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Local Enterprise Offices act as a ‘First Stop Shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and act as a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available to entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the country. The Local Enterprise Office can offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Vacant Properties (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently no vacant buildings at the IDA Business & Technology Park, Navan, Co. Meath.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has a dedicated Procurement Co-Ordination Unit, with responsibility at Principal Officer level. The Unit assists internal business units and our Offices on a range of procurement matters, as required, so as to ensure that there is an appropriate focus on procurement best practice. The Department is also guided by various national and international (EU) procurement rules and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (3 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In November 2020, I requested that the WRC prepare a draft Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect, in accordance with section 20 (2) of the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect was launched on 1st April 2021. I believe it is too early to review its application, though I am open to doing so at a later stage. Codes of Practice are written...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (3 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The pandemic presents an opportunity to make a permanent change in the way we work - to make remote and blended working a much bigger part of normal working life and achieve a better work-life balance. After the pandemic, I believe people should have a choice to work from home or in the office, so long as the work gets done and business and service needs are met. The right to request...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Official Engagements (4 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My quarterly Ministerial Diaries for 2020 and 2021 are available on my Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together. The joint impacts of both Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have brought about an unprecedented period of challenge and uncertainty for people both North and South on this island. The scale of these interlinked challenges on this island is such that we can deal with them far more effectively by pursuing all of the opportunities we have to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (9 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland actively promotes available buildings and land in IDA Business Parks and high-quality buildings in private ownership through their network of overseas offices. The IDA owns approximately 10.6 hectares of industrial zoned land on the Sligo Road in Quignashee, Ballina. Planning permission was previously obtained for infrastructural development, although this has since expired....

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (10 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I apologise to the House in advance as I will have to leave before the conclusion of the expressions of sympathy. I will attend a meeting of the trade Council in Brussels later and I have to get to the airport. I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Austin Currie. On behalf of the Government, the Fine Gael Party and the Dublin West constituency, I extend my sympathies to Austin's...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Advertising (10 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As answered in Question No. 12899 on 31stMay 2016, which requested of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation “the amount of money spent by her Department on media advertising from March 2011 to February 2016, showing the media organisation, newspaper, radio, television, or any other forms of media to which advertisement fees were paid by her Department; and the amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (11 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland has not provided funding to Amazon in the past 24 months.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Missions (11 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy may know, the European Union is represented in Taiwan by the European Economic and Trade Office. This Office represents all EU Member States, including Ireland, and seeks to seeks to strengthen economic and trade relations with Taiwan. There has been a Taipei Representative Office in Dublin since 1988. Enterprise Ireland is the Government agency responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Energy Policy (16 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) is the independent body tasked with advising the Government on the current and future skills needs of the Irish economy. Its Secretariat is based in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. As part of its 2021 work programme, the EGFSN undertook a study on the nature and quantity of skills required between now and 2030 to deliver on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (16 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: This Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme and work is well underway in this regard. Any move to introduce a statutory sick pay scheme must be balanced with the need to support the viability of the business and enterprise sector, thereby protecting jobs. My Department undertook a full public consultation, reviewed international best practice, and formed an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (16 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Technology Centre programme is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, which allows Irish companies and multinationals to work together on market focused strategic R&D projects in collaboration with research institutions. Technology Centres are collaborative entities established and led by industry. Participating companies propose areas and themes of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (16 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government established the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) in 2018 as one of four National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027 Funds under Project Ireland 2040. It is aimed at encouraging collaboration and innovation in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies, on a commercial basis, targeted at tackling national and global challenges. It is managed by my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (16 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department published the National Remote Work Strategy on January 15th, 2021. The objective of the Strategy is to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits. The Strategy highlights the opportunities presented by remote working. In particular, it outlines the possibilities remote working...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (16 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I understand some businesses are under pressure to meet their fixed costs, such as rent, after what has been an exceptionally challenging period. Last October, the Government published the Code of Conduct between landlords and tenants for commercial rents. The aim of the voluntary Code is to facilitate discussions between landlords and tenants impacted by COVID-19, as it is in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Revenue Commissioners (17 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Redundancy Act 1967, as amended, prescribes the minimum redundancy lump sum for qualified employees, generally referred to as 'statutory redundancy'. Statutory redundancy is based on the employee's length of reckonable service and their normal weekly remuneration subject to a ceiling of €600 per week. The Act does not stipulate the normal weekly remuneration to be used when an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (18 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The right to request remote work is part of the Government vision to make remote working a permanent feature of Ireland’s workforce in a way that can benefit all – economically, socially and environmentally. The commitment to introduce legislation to underpin employees' right to request remote work was made in the national Remote Work Strategy published last January. I...