Results 36,021-36,040 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA markets Carlow as part of the South East region for FDI investment.  There are 4 FDI companies in Carlow with a combined employment of 1,477.  In 2021, 178 new jobs were created in Carlow.   In response to COVID related global travel restrictions, IDA migrated many of its business development and client engagement activities to digital platforms during 2020 and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Appointments (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The appointment of a Regional Manager for the South-East Region is an operational matter for IDA Ireland, though I understand the recruitment process for the position of IDA Regional Manager for the South East Region is currently underway.  I am also informed that the IDA Team in the South-East Region is, on a temporary basis, reporting to the Department Manager- Regional Development.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Company Closures (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I'm informed that a dispute between IDA Ireland and Connect Ireland regarding the operation of the Succeed-in-Ireland initiative is currently in arbitration. Connect-Ireland Initiative Limited merged by absorption with Idic Limited on 31 May 2018, which subsequently became Idic Unlimited Company on 23 April 2018. It is my understanding that the arbitration process is continuing with this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Energy Prices (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. My Department’s Enterprise Forum met most recently on 16th March 2022 and was convened at my request to hear first-hand how the war in Ukraine is affecting businesses in Ireland. One of the main issues raised at that meeting was concern over energy security and prices. The Government has already implemented several measures...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Human Rights (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. Ireland was the 19th country in the world to publish such a plan in response to the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the Human Rights Council in 2011. The implementation of this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Research and Development (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The statutory basis for IDA Ireland RD&I grants is Section 29 of the Industrial Development Act 1986 (as amended).  This provides that grant support may be given for research and development that it is “...carried out wholly or mainly in the State..”.  The legislation does not preclude an overseas element in a grant-aided project - for example, by the use of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Data Protection (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Accommodation for my Department and its Offices is provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in buildings which are either State owned or leased by the OPW on our behalf. Typically, the Department and its Offices are in shared accommodation, either with other Government Departments, public bodies or the private sector. The security arrangements specific to each building are a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (26 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Climate Action Plan 2021, the Enterprise sector is tasked with reducing emissions by between 29%-41%. Enterprise will play a pivotal role in meeting our overall climate change targets. Some of the measures will pose challenges to enterprises, but it is critical to bear in mind that change to net-zero is necessary to safeguard our future. My Department, the SEAI and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Sustainable Development Goals (4 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious policy agenda that concerns all Government Departments. The first National Implementation Plan, published in 2018, set out Ireland’s strategy to achieve the SDGs both domestically and internationally. Substantial progress has been achieved in recent months in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (4 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Over the past two years, there has only been one secondment arrangement between my Department and a university/third level sector.  This secondment arrangement was in respect of an Assistant Principal Officer of my Department who was seconded, for two days a week, to University College Cork (UCC).  He was seconded to the position of Senior Policy Adviser to MaREI, SFI Research...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (4 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not incurred any costs in relation to fines for non-transposition of EU directives into Irish law. There are currently four Directives overdue for transposition: Directive (EU) 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Missions (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I travel abroad both to lead trade and investment missions and to attend EU and political meetings which fall within my remit. The primary focus of all trade and investment missions is to encourage business-to-business links, to maximise opportunities to help Irish companies to access new markets and to increase the levels...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Official Engagements (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I visited the United States from 24 – 29 April 2022 as part of a trade and investment mission to the US West Coast region. The trade and investment mission was jointly organised by our trade and investment agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, and I was accompanied by the CEOs of the two agencies. The primary focus of all trade and investment missions is to encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Social Media (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161, 162 and 163 together. I propose to answer the following three Parliamentary Questions together: PQ23082, PQ23064 and PQ23046. PQ23082: Between 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022: - 5.44% of my Department’s social media posts on Twitter were videos, and all had closed captioning and or subtitling - 7.9% of my Department’s social media posts on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Ukraine War (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not awarded any contracts outside the standard procurement process as part of the Department's work in supporting Ireland's humanitarian response to Ukrainian citizens who want to seek safety here.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department’s Communications Unit has five press office staff and a digital communications officer, who are overseen by a Head of Communications at Principal Officer level. A breakdown by grade, number in the grade and the start and end points of the appropriate pay-scales are set out below: Grade Number Pay Scale (*) €  ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Broadband Infrastructure (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Secure, high quality, universal digital connectivity is central to realising the economic, social and environmental opportunities offered by digital technologies, such as productivity gains for businesses, increased  remote working, and greater access to talent and skills. Access to high-quality broadband is also essential to supporting the attractiveness of regional locations to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Data Centres (10 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I was in the USA from 24thto 29thApril 2022 as part of a joint IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland trade mission to the West Coast of the USA. I was accompanied on this trade mission by the CEO of IDA Ireland and the CEO of Enterprise Ireland. During the visit to the US West Coast, I met with Executives of the following IDA clients: Microsoft; Amazon Web Services; Intel; Apple; Google; and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (11 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On 19 March 2020, the European Commission adopted a Temporary Framework to enable Member States to use the full flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy and help overcome the extremely difficult situation triggered by the Coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS) has been developed in accordance with the European Commission’s State Aid...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Wildlife Conservation (11 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Department is dedicated to contributing positively towards the critically important climate action agenda. My Department has an active internal “Green Team” with over 30 staff spanning across the Department and its Offices, which include the Companies Registration Office, the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement, the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour...