Results 36,181-36,200 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland’s coast has considerable offshore renewable energy potential. A cross-Departmental/agency Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce, chaired by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, has recently been established to drive delivery and capture wider and longer term economic and business opportunities in the sector. My Department is participating on that Taskforce to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is determined that Irish businesses can receive the assistance they need to reduce their emissions and transition to a new, low carbon future. To this end, my Department is integrating climate action into all aspects of the Department enterprise policy and the mandates of its enterprise development agencies. Under the National Recovery and Resilience Fund (NRRF), my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Living Wage (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have spoken previously about how the pandemic has caused many of us to reconsider and re-evaluate what an essential worker is. We now understand it is a much broader group of workers than people would have originally described, many of whom are on low pay and in the private sector. The Government has been clear that a legacy of the pandemic should be better pay, terms and conditions for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The period from early 2020 was a difficult one for many businesses, and some sectors were more severely impacted by public health restrictions and for a more prolonged period. Throughout this period my Department and its enterprise agencies engaged with and supported businesses, and as we have emerged from the pandemic there has been a recovery in employment across the economy. In its ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: At the LEEF subgroup meeting on December 13th, I proposed setting up a Working Group to closely examine the issue of determination of employment status. This follows on from my engagement with delivery riders and other stakeholders. The Working Group will identify the problem, get reliable data and put all options on the table in an effort to bring the matter forward. There was a good and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Properties (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and its Offices are tenants in eleven buildings provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) given their responsibility for management of the property portfolio for central Government. The buildings are either State owned or leased by the OPW. Typically the Department is a tenant in shared accommodation, either with other Government Departments, public bodies or the private...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department published the National Remote Work Strategy on January 15th, 2021. The Strategy identified 15 actions to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits. The potential benefits of increased remote working include improved work-life balance and fewer emissions from commuting. Remote...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s Economic Recovery Plan (ERP), published on 1 June 2021, set out renewed supports, investments and policies to underpin economic recovery and transition, to support the full resumption of economic activity, and get people back to work as quickly as possible. The Plan includes the overarching ambition of having 2.5 million people in work by 2024, a target which has...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and I are aware that it is essential that Irish enterprise has access to high quality, adaptable and flexible talent, and that workers have the opportunity to upskill or reskill in areas of identified skills needs for the Irish economy. This is critical at a time when the digital and green transitions, and their associated behavioural changes, are altering the economy and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) published in June 2021 sets out the Government’s medium-term economic plan to rebuild Ireland’s economy. As well as committing to a package of supports and investments to assist enterprise recovery, the Plan outlines a medium-term policy framework to rebuild sustainable enterprises, encourage job creation and sustainable and balanced post...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland is responsible for the attraction and retention of foreign direct investment in Ireland. IDA Ireland’s performance is mainly measured by the number of greenfield investments it wins and the jobs created. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment continues to work alongside IDA Ireland to support the agency’s performance and to monitor the level of inward...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (19 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Recent CSO data indicates an increase in employment in the Mid-East region of 28,600 for the year to the final quarter of 2021. The employment recovery nationally coincided with the easing of public health restrictions and the roll out of Ireland’s vaccination programmes, highlighting the importance of the Government’s efforts to assist workers and businesses, especially...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (24 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland's main objective is to encourage investment into Ireland by foreign owned companies. It works as a strategic partner and provides advice, consultancy and support services including a range of grants for foreign direct investment into Ireland. IDA is not the appropriate support channel for the company referred. Officials in my Department have made enquiries with Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Government Communications (24 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Contact details for my private office and for the offices of the Ministers of State in my Department are available on my Department's website at the following address: enterprise.gov.ie/en/Who-We-Are/Ministers/Contact-the-Minist ers-Offices/.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Investigations (24 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not commissioned or conducted any such investigations during the period in question.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (24 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In 2021, IDA Ireland acquired two landbanks in Co Louth.  The land acquisitions, with a combined total of 149 acres, situated at the townland of Killally, in Dundalk and Mell in Drogheda form part of IDA’s long term strategic plans to position Louth and the wider Mid-East region to compete for FDI investment. Both sets of lands have been added to the IDA marketing database....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for the question. At the outset, I acknowledge that Ireland, and the entire world, is facing a cost-of-living crisis driven by inflation, which is largely caused by international factors beyond our control, as the Deputy acknowledged. The cost of everything is going up and the cost of very little is going down. People can see that in their utility bills, when they go to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Again, I acknowledge that the cost of living in Ireland is high. It was high before the current inflation crisis, compared with our peers. The cost of living in Ireland is about 30% or 35% higher than it is in similar countries. Our wages and salaries are also about 30% or 35% higher than in similar countries, which is important to bear in mind. While the Deputy's party has given us...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I reiterate the Government is absolutely committed to upholding the right of children with special educational needs to have a good education, a quality education and one that is provided in their community. Our policy is one of integration. If we are going to have an integrated society, we have to start with integrated schools, and as much as possible, children with special or additional...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I think he said earlier that language is important and that is right. Perhaps the language used yesterday was not the best language. No parent wants to be told his or her child is being offered a stopgap solution. I particularly do not like the use of the term "autism centre" because it sounds othering. It sounds like children are going to be bussed away to a special...