Results 3,701-3,720 of 4,720 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Examinations (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the issue, which affects many families throughout the country. It is of great importance for a large number of students taking examinations at both second and third level. The State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the operation, delivery and development of the State...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: State Examinations (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The review provides the opportunity to do that.The case made by the Senator to move away from the previous expert report and to look at a third level example, is a valid one. The difference between now and 20 years ago is light years when it comes to providing education for everyone in the State. This is particularly true of the advances for those with dyslexia and others in a similar...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I sincerely thank Senator Martin for raising this matter. It provides me with an opportunity to update the House on the proposed transfer of land to Scoil Mochua, Celbridge, County Kildare. In the first instance, I assure the Senator that the provision of accommodation for children with special educational needs is a priority for the Government and the Department of Education. The NCSE has...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I greatly appreciate the Senator's keen advocacy on behalf of this school in his locality. It is a familiar tale in every constituency and county in the country, particularly when it refers directly to the need for special needs provision. That strikes all of us to the core. While we know the issues are complicated by the ownership of the land by the diocesan trust, I will bring back to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Personal Public Service Numbers (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am pleased to take this Commencement matter on behalf of my senior colleague in the Department of Social Protection, Deputy Heather Humphreys. As the Senator knows, to apply for a PPSN an adult must generally provide valid proof of identity, address and reason for applying. The easiest way to apply for a PPSN is online at mywelfare.ie. To directly answer the Senator's question, as of 28...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Personal Public Service Numbers (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I want to conclude by giving the Senator a sense of the scale of the PPSN operation in the Department of Social Protection. In 2022, more than 236,000 PPSNs were allocated. Between January and April this year alone, more than 67,000 PPSNs have been allocated. These figures do not include the PPSNs automatically allocated when a child's birth is registered. As I mentioned, that is 67,000...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: l welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I will lay out a few background points before dealing with the specifics raised by the Deputy. The Minister has responsibility for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post to ensure that the company is fully compliant...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputy for his engagement. The Minister asked me to underline that he cannot intervene to prevent An Post doing what the Oireachtas has given it a statutory responsibility to do. An Post has an independent board with a clear mandate. It would be inappropriate for me to go into any more details than we have this morning. The Deputy's concerns are valid. While nothing has been...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputy for raising this. She said this was her seventh time bringing it up. I did not quite get to seven. I think I hit five times raising the issue of public health nurses in south Dublin. This is an issue that regularly crosses our desks. Both the Deputy and I represent suburban Dublin constituencies. She certainly does not need to convince me of the importance of public...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services Staff (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank the Deputy. He fully acknowledges the concerns of the Deputy and the wider staff about the impacts these shortages are having. As the Deputy and I laid out, there are recruitment challenges generally across several sectors, not only the health sector, but they are in the health sector. This is posing a particular challenge for the public health...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Network (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank Deputy Feighan for raising this issue. The Deputy will forgive me for saying this is not the first time I have heard him raise this issue although, admittedly, it is the first time I have taken it as a receiving Minister of State in the Dáil Chamber. He is a real champion for his county and for the counties affected by the N17. I have heard him speak many times at our own...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Network (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I believe the Leas-Cheann Comhairle would agree with me that when it comes to Deputies in the Dáil, Deputy Feighan is one who would be consistently pushing matters at every available angle. For him to bring something to the Dáil Chamber is a signal not just of his intent but of the seriousness of the matters to him and to his local community. The N17 Knock to Collooney scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: In December 2022, changes to the employment permits system were introduced which made the role of Dairy Farm Assistants eligible for General Employment Permits subject to a quota of 500 permits. This change was made in order to help address skills shortages in Ireland’s Dairy Sector. It followed constructive engagement between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme does not exclude newly established businesses. Businesses who are newly established within the past 12 months can apply for TBESS. Where the eligible business does not have a reference electricity bill or reference gas bill for the reference period because the business had not commenced at that time or because the relevant electricity account or...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: At the outset, I must emphasise that the responsibility for the resolution of an employment law dispute is a matter for the WRC's adjudication service. I have no role in the administration of justice. Under Irish law, an individual has the right to join a trade union of their choice. The Unfair Dismissal Acts 1977-2016 provide for a number of grounds under which a dismissal may be...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Sick Leave Act 2022 commenced on 1st January 2023, and introduced a new statutory right to employer-paid sick leave. This progressive Act provides protection to employees who do not currently have employer-paid sick pay schemes, many of whom are low-paid and cannot afford to miss work. As a starting point, the scheme provides an entitlement to 3 days of employer-paid sick leave. In...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Company Law (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am acutely aware that many families and workers are struggling with increased grocery costs and general rising prices on households. We are particularly concerned about the cost of essential staple items and welcome the recent cuts to prices of butter, milk and bread. I met with representatives from the retail and grocery sector on 10 May and the high prices and factors driving...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (24 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports for anyone, including people with disabilities, intending to start or grow a business. In that regard, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (24 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (25 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together. Appeals received in respect of the refusal of all permit types are processed in date order. The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that as of week ending 22 May 2023, appeals received on the week of 3rd of April 2023 are being processed. The time taken to process an appeal can vary depending on the application. The...