Results 35,981-36,000 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Ukraine War (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I want to assure you that Ireland’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty remains unwavering. Ireland is at the forefront of efforts across the United Nations and the European Union to bring an end to the conflict. The EU has imposed sanctions targeting Russia for its illegal attack on Ukraine. These sanctions are designed to hurt the Russian economy and not the Irish or European...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Agreements (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, the EU reached political agreement in their trade negotiations with the Mercosur region in June 2019. The Agreement will cement the close political and economic relations between the EU and Mercosur countries and represents a clear commitment from both regions to rules-based international trade. In 2021, Ireland exported nearly €0.5 billion worth of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme and as such the Sick Leave Bill is being prioritised. Ireland is an outlier among advanced European economies in not providing for any statutory employer paid sick leave. It is simply not right that people who are sick are often afraid to take time off for fear of a major reduction in their income and it's not good...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Company Closures (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I would like to again extend my sympathies to all employees who have been affected by the sudden closure of Roadbridge Limited. Since becoming aware of the closure, Government have been working in a coordinated way to support the employees in any way possible. The Department of Social Protection have already ensured that income supports will be made available to impacted staff during the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Wind Energy Generation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I can advise the Deputy that a cross-departmental Offshore Renewable Energy Delivery Taskforce, chaired by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, is being established to capture wider economic and business opportunities associated with the development of Offshore Renewable Energy in Ireland. This will include the identification of supporting infrastructure development...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On 27 January, B.Braun announced its decision to wind up operations at their Collooney site in Sligo. The company said that it made this decision because it found it difficult to continue to scale its specific manufacturing operations in Ireland to remain competitive. IDA Ireland, worked closely with B.Braun to try to find a solution. Unfortunately, a solution could not be found, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Aid (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On March 22nd, the European Commission approved a Regional Aid Map for Ireland for the period 2022-2027. The Regional Aid Map identifies the areas where Regional Aid can be granted. Regional Aid is a form of state aid provided to enterprises to encourage investment and job creation in areas of relative economic disadvantage. Granting authorities in Ireland, in particular Enterprise Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The tables below set out the gross salary rates for the Special Advisers to Ministers and Minister of State in my Department at year end 2020 and year end 2021.In respect of the records held by my Department, there were no pensions paid out to the Special Advisers during 2020 or 2021. 32ndDáil – dissolved on 27thJune 2020 Office of the Minister for Business,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Commissions of Investigation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: There are no currently ongoing commissions of investigation under the remit of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Question Heading for question(s) 162 (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I'm informed that the only company which received payments from IDA Ireland under the Succeed-in-Ireland initiative was Connect-Ireland Initiative Limited (“Connect Ireland”). That company was paid a total of €2,270,000 (excluding VAT) in respect of 575 jobs created, in accordance with the contract between IDA Ireland and Connect Ireland relating to the Succeed in Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: There are currently 9 staff within my Department who are working with the European Union in Brussels. *In addition there is 1 staff member - a seconded national expert - seconded to the European Commission, in Washington D.C.The tables below set out the number of staff, their present roles and responsibilities and also the corresponding figures on 23 June 2016: Table 1 - Officers seconded...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government knows that many workers place huge social value on workplace flexibility, and remote working plays a central role in enabling that increased flexibility to support a better work/life balance. There has been a significant long-term shift in attitudes to remote work amongst both employers and workers throughout the country. The Government is committed to increasing remote...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department, together with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, is commissioning research which will examine the potential social, economic and environmental implications of a transition to reduced working time, including the potential impacts of a transition to a four-day week. This research will be carried out with a view to establishing an evidence base which...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Defibrillators Provision (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has a dedicated Health and Safety Unit with responsibility at Principal Officer level, whereby the objective is always to ensure a safe and appropriate working environment for all staff and visitors across our 11 buildings. This includes the provision of specific health and safety related equipment, including at least one functioning defibrillator in each location. Where...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department did not have any consultancy contracts with the company in question in the period 2017-2021. Consultancy contracts entered into by agencies under the remit of my Department are an administrative matter for the agencies themselves and not one in which I have any function. My Department does not routinely keep a record of any such contracts entered into by the agencies.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: According to the latest quarterly national accounts data from the Central Statistics Office, the Irish economy continued to recover in the final quarter of 2021, with preliminary estimates indicating that GDP in volume terms increased by 13.5% for the year 2021. GNP showed an increase of 11.5% in 2021 over 2020, while the deglobalised measure, Modified Domestic Demand (MDD) increased by 6.5%...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s Economic Recovery Plan, published on 1 June 2021, set out renewed supports, investments and policies to underpin economic recovery and transition. The Plan includes the overarching ambition of having 2.5 million people in work by 2024, a target which has already been exceeded according to the latest figures released by the CSO’s Labour Force Survey in February...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year, impacting on processing times. From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department compiles data on the enterprise development agencies and their client companies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA and Udaras na Gaeltachta). During the two year period spanning the pandemic from 2019 to 2021 total employment in the Manufacturing sector in enterprise agency client companies has increased by 5.1%, or 11,534 jobs, to reach 238,038 jobs in 2021. In County Kildare, employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department compiles data on the enterprise development agencies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA and Udaras na Gaeltachta). During the two year period spanning the pandemic from 2019 to 2021 total employment in the Services sector in enterprise agency client companies has increased by 10.8%, or 22,262 jobs, to reach 229,301 in 2021. In County Kildare, the Services sector has increased by 0.4%, or...