Results 3,621-3,640 of 4,720 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety (25 Apr 2023)

Neale Richmond: The regulatory agency with responsibility for batteries regulations in Ireland is the Environmental Protection Agency, which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. Neither the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, or the Health and Safety Authority, has a statutory role for regulating the safety of batteries themselves. In...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Energy Prices (25 Apr 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) was introduced to provide financial support to companies that have experienced significant increases in energy costs. The scheme was designed by the Department of Finance and is being administered by the Revenue Commissioners, with funding coming from my Department. Government was concerned at the low uptake of the scheme and want more...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (4 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) is a scheme under Revenue which was introduced to support businesses with increases in their electricity or natural gas (energy) costs. The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), located within each of the 31 Local Authorities, act as a ‘First Stop Shop’ providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and other supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (4 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Located within each of the 31 Local Authorities, the LEOs are a ‘First Stop Shop’ providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business. The LEOs act as a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available to the SME sector and, under agreed protocols, provide information and referrals...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation, which offers extensive protections to workers. My Department has no plans at present to introduce new legislation to govern employment references. While there is no statutory entitlement to a reference from an employer, where an employer does provide a reference, they have a duty of care to ensure it is fair and not misleading....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Ukraine Enterprise Crisis Scheme is administered through Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Údarás na Gaeltachta on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Presently, the Ukraine Enterprise Crisis Scheme (Streams 1 and 2) is open to all manufacturing and/or Internationally Traded Services (ITS) businesses operating in the State. To be eligible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: As the company concerned is a client of Enterprise Ireland, my Department has received an early warning report from Enterprise Ireland concerning the planned redundancies in this company. My Department also received a collective redundancy notification in relation to potential redundancies at the company in question on 24 March 2023 and I understand that the employer has commenced the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective redundancies. These obligations include engaging in an information and consultation process of at least 30 days with employees’ representatives, and to notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment of the proposals at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation, which offers extensive protections to workers. My Department has not carried out research into the profiling of workers’ electronic equipment by employers. My understanding is that when an employer collects, uses or stores information about an employee, they must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The system is vacancy led and managed through the operation of the Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL) and the Ineligible Occupations List (IOL). The Lists undergo periodic evidence-based review involving a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Meetings (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I can confirm that Enterprise Ireland has already engaged and will continue to engage with the company concerned regarding the proposal that has been submitted. I understand that the company’s proposal is being reviewed by Enterprise Ireland through the usual due diligence and due process procedures.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety (3 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, all employers have a duty of care to their employees to ensure that their health and safety is not adversely affected by work activities. The statutory body with responsibility for the enforcement of workplace health and safety legislation is the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). Where an employee has a concern about the impact of...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, and I engage with representatives of workers on a weekly basis. Deputy Bacik cited a report on rostering. A review has been put in place for banded hours for retail workers, following the report that was launched by Mandate six weeks ago. I met Mandate twice in respect of this matter, as well as employers in the retail...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am looking forward to tomorrow's retail forum. There is going to be a frank exchange. I am delighted to see that the vast majority of retailers, beyond those who normally attend, have confirmed their attendance. We will be asking the sort of direct questions Deputy Cairns has alluded to, and we will be making it quite clear that where input costs have gone down, we expect to see prices...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Yes.

Food Costs and High Grocery Bills: Motion [Private Members] (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputies for raising these important matters and allowing us time to discuss them. As mentioned, we will not oppose the motion. In fact, it is fair to say we are largely in agreement. Needless to say, I do not agree with some of the language that has just been used. I, too, do the weekly shop for my household and see people suffering, be they in Nutgrove, Rathfarnham,...

Food Costs and High Grocery Bills: Motion [Private Members] (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The meeting was arranged before the motion.

Food Costs and High Grocery Bills: Motion [Private Members] (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: That one will still happen; this meeting was called last week.

Food Costs and High Grocery Bills: Motion [Private Members] (9 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I can show the Deputy the records.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Deputy Nash and I had an exchange last night in the Chamber during Private Members’ business, during which I issued a very stark warning. Price caps have been introduced so far this year in the EU in both Croatia, which had food costs inflation of 20%, and in Hungary, which had food costs inflation of 50%. Let us be frank: these have not worked. They have actually had a damaging...