Results 3,901-3,920 of 4,720 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: This is, fundamentally, a good budget, one that delivers for families, households and workers across the country, and one that puts money back into people's pockets and helps them deal with the rising cost of living. Importantly, this budget also delivers for business. Without a growing economy, we would not have the resources to fund so many initiatives to improve our society, from...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I very much welcome the ambition set out by the independent Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce in their Final Report. The Taskforce’s vision for an Atlantic Green Digital Corridor, developing from the Shannon Estuary and stretching from Cork to Donegal is more than an energy strategy; it is also about reshaping the Irish economy very fundamentally, and it offers a tangible opportunity...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (12 Oct 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 regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term. The Occupational Lists (Ineligible Occupations List...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: To ensure minimum wages are set at adequate levels, the Directive requires countries with statutory minimum wages to put in place clear and stable criteria for minimum wage setting, indicative reference values to guide the assessment of adequacy, and regular and timely updates of minimum wages. The development of policy in this area must be mindful of the fact that Ireland has one of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together. The Employment Permits Section of the Department has provided the following figures for the number of employment permits granted between 2018 and 2023: Year of Issue Issued 2018 13,387 2019 16,152 2020 16,361 2021 16,278 ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: This government is committed to supporting companies who are experiencing cost increases. My Department , through Enterprise Ireland (EI) is funding the the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. EI works in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. In this way, they support sustainable economic...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices act as a ‘First Stop Shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and offer a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available to business owners throughout the country. The Local Enterprise Offices offer an extensive suite of supports to businesses and entrepreneurs. These include direct financial grants as...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (12 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: There is nothing in law to preclude employers employing or continuing to employ persons over the age of 65 on either a full or a part-time basis and no legislative or policy change is required to enable them to do so. With regard to employment in Government Departments, the terms and conditions for members and staff of almost all public service bodies are a matter for my colleague, the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: My Government, through Enterprise Ireland, typically support employment in regions such as Tipperary through a range of programmes aimed at fostering entrepreneurship, business development, and job creation. Almost 70% of new jobs growth occurred outside of Dublin, the positive job creation results are a testament to the talent, resilience and innovation of businesses operating in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 206 together. The right to request remote working will be available to all employees under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. Under the Act, flexible working arrangements such as adjusted working patterns or reduced hours, will be available to parents and carers. One Code of Practice will now be developed which will provide...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The WRC Inspectorate is staffed by civil servants of my Department. WRC inspectors are ranked at Executive Officer (EO) Inspector and Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Inspector Team Manager (ITM) levels. Additional funding of €1.7million has been allocated to the WRC in Budget 2024, bringing the WRC’s total allocation next year to just over €18.5 million. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: Firstly, my thoughts are with all employees facing job losses and I fully appreciate how difficult this situation can be for both them and their families. Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in collective redundancy situations. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (17 Oct 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 regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term. This objective must be balanced by the need to ensure no...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together. The attached table provides a breakdown of the grants awarded by Enterprise Ireland under New Frontiers, High Potential Start Ups and the Pre-Seed Start Fund (formerly Competitive Start Fund). In relation to the Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF), this commenced in Q4 of 2022. In 2022 prior to the official launch of PSSF, 10 pre-HPSU companies...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) has been designed to serve as a valuable and effective support mechanism for high-growth early-stage start-up firms and entrepreneurs operating in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. It specifically aims to foster innovation and encourage the growth of innovative businesses. The PSSF offers investments in the range of €50,000 to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (17 Oct 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 regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term. In framing policy, consideration is given to other...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Deputy will be aware that my Department has secured up to €145m in regional enterprise funding which is aimed at accelerating economic growth and sustainable job creation across all regions of the country. The first call under the ‘Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme’ was announced last week. This €35m call will capitalise on existing regional enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: Employment Regulation Orders (ERO) are statutory instruments drawn up by a Joint Labour Committees (JLC), adopted by the Labour Court, and given statutory effect by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The ERO fixes minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for workers in specified business sectors: employers in those sectors are then obliged to pay wage rates and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am very aware of the continuing challenges that businesses, including restaurant businesses, still face due to the cost of living crisis. For that reason, we are introducing the Increased Cost of Business Scheme (ICOB). The ICOB will be a targeted grant payment paid out by local authorities which will apply to businesses operating out of a rateable premises, at a rate of up to half their...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (17 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The meat processing industry have been provided with access to the General Employment Permit over the last number of years, most recently with an additional quota of 425 permits made available in June last year. All quotas for meat processing operatives have now been filled. These and other agriculture/agri-food quotas were opened with a proviso that a strategic review on labour...