Results 35,581-35,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have an update on that report, but I will tell the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, that the Deputy raised it and ask him to revert to the Deputy directly. We should acknowledge, however, that both the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade provide a very good service. It is a service that has improved in the last couple of years. Sometimes when management...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have asked the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to examine that as part of the legislation. Employers have approached me, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and have told me that they want to pay their staff a pandemic bonus from their own resources, but that if they do so their staff could lose perhaps half of it in tax. I have asked the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: He said he would look at it. He is always very polite, but quite stubborn.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The announcement the other day by the Northern Ireland Minister, Mr. Poots, was unhelpful. It adds to the uncertainty for businesses and citizens in Northern Ireland. It seems to me that it was a political decision rather than one based on the public interest. It is noteworthy that his decision is not supported by the Northern Ireland Executive or by the majority of members of the Northern...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It does not fall within my remit, but I undertake to make some inquiries about it. It is a long time since I have been in Portrane. I used to be there regularly when I was a member of Fingal County Council. I cannot visualise the derelict houses in Portrane, but if the Deputy says they are there I am sure they are.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It would be a shame to have houses in Portrane that are in State ownership not being used.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I will make inquiries.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I remember her raising this suggestion in the past. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is examining that proposal at the moment as part of the package we are developing. I cannot commit that it will happen but on the face of it, it is a good idea. The Minister will need to do due diligence around it and ensure it does not turn out to be open-ended. We need to put some...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy asked a lot of questions there, which perhaps the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, might be better placed than me to answer. With regard to the legislation promised, that legislation is a priority. We intend to get it through the Dáil and the Seanad as soon as possible. I would be extremely surprised and disappointed if we cannot have the scheme up and running by the end...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am pleased to discuss my Department’s 2022 Estimate with the committee this morning. I understand that the secretariat has been provided with a briefing relating to the detail of the Estimate, which hopefully has been of assistance to members. Before outlining some of the specifics of our Estimate and plans for this year, I would like to say a few words...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Covid supports specifically for business are being phased out. The CRSS, which is the weekly grant for businesses that are closed, is effectively gone now because there are no businesses closed. The EWSS is being phased out at the moment for a lot of businesses such as in retail, construction, manufacturing and the services sector. For them it will end at the end of April. For those...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I will make sure what he said at the start of his contribution is passed on to Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and my departmental officials as well. To answer his first question on how we enable SMEs to make high-quality changes in the way the big firms do, we are very aware that the smaller firms will need additional help to make the changes that need to be made. As...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I totally reject that it is turning the clock back. At present, workers do not have a legal right to request remote working. What is happening in practice at workplace level all over Ireland is that people are being very sensible. Even where employees do not have the right to remote working provided for in their contract, employers and employees are being very practical in the workplace...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: That is correct but, as I indicated on the day the heads were published, we intend to strengthen that so it is not just a procedural right. It cannot be the case that an employer just ticks one of 13 boxes or ticks another box. This will be more than a procedural right. If the rejection is manifestly unfair, the WRC will be able to respond to that. However, we have to be realistic as...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The short answer to the question is "Yes". Could the LEOs do more? If we scaled them up and provided them with additional funding and additional staff? Could we be more ambitious in the job creation targets that we set for them? I think that we could. We are increasing resources for LEOs and scaling them up. We probably could do more. One of things, as I mentioned, is the alignment of...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am looking for the numbers for the WRC. I think I am correct that we are increasing the number of inspectors by ten this year. We plan to expand that service, and expand the WRC, over the next couple of years. With more people at work then there is going to be more work for the commission. We also need to increase the number of labour inspections happening in general in certain parts of...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is additional so the number will increase from 60 to 70. The WRC is staffed by 200 civil servants. There has been a 25% increase in staffing since October 2015. Total funding for 2022 is €15.7 million with an additional €500,000 to allow for additional inspectors to be hired. The total number of WRC inspectors will increase, therefore, from the current sanction of 60 to...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: With additional labour rights there is going to be additional work to be done. I would also like to see more inspections being done in particular sectors. That is definitely the plan. Generally, employers should engage with the WRC and the Labour Court. They are government bodies. They exist under the remit of my Department and employers should engage. The Deputy is probably referring...