Results 3,941-3,960 of 4,720 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (25 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Government is committed to supporting workers and has a strong record on strengthening and introducing new workers’ rights. As the Deputy is aware, the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018, came into force on 4 March 2019. This Act introduced a number of measures to strengthen employee rights and to address the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (25 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: Delivering balanced regional enterprise growth and sustainable local job creation is a core objective of this Government and is a key component of my Department’s White Paper on Enterprise. To this end, my Department through its Enterprise Agencies, and together with the Local Enterprise Offices, continues to focus on supporting businesses across the country, including in south...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Business Supports (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this matter in the House. It is always a pleasure to come back. As the Senator will be aware, the increased cost of business scheme is worth €250 million. Not a single cent will be required from local authorities, or indeed the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to administer it. The fund has been generated by the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Business Supports (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: We have looked at the data and the vast majority of the 13% of businesses are large multinationals making large profits. The scheme is targeted at small and medium enterprises, most of which have greater exposure for a number of reasons. These include the fact that they are commercial ratepayers and there has been a rate revaluation in the past couple of years in pretty much every local...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Provision (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I appreciate the Senator raising this topic. It is an issue in an area that the Senator has been such a passionate advocate for, not just in this House, but previously on Dublin City Council as well. That deserves recognition. Dublin City Council has advised the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that it is currently preparing a stage 1 capital appraisal application for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Provision (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I share the Senator's disappointment to some extent. I will undertake to ask my colleague in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to write to Dublin City Council. Realistically, it is appropriate for him to write than me. I will act as a conduit because I share the Senator's ambition for this part of the city. The capital is my home too and I know how dedicated she has...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Senator for submitting this Commencement matter and giving me the opportunity to update the House on the progress of the new building for Summercove National School in the beautiful town of Kinsale. One does not need to rely on Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures; one can see the sheer activity around Kinsale. We know the population has gone up but the future population will...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Department and project manager will keep school authorities and all relevant bodies informed of further development regarding the completion of stage one and the progression of the major building project. Until the project is at a point at which all statutory approvals have been granted, however, it is not possible to provide an update on the expected on-site date. I will undertake to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Overcrowding (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I greatly appreciate the opportunity to reply to Senator's matter. It is always good to see the Senator, regardless of the seriousness of the nature of the debate. This should be reflected. As the Senator alluded to, the Minister for Health has been concerned for some time about the congestion experienced in the emergency department at UHL, leading to long patient experience times and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Overcrowding (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: As I mentioned, significant resources have been invested in UHL in recent years. I want to outline some of what has been invested in and is onstream. We saw an increase in the workforce in UHL of 36%, or 966 whole-time staff, at the end of 2019. Recently the Minister opened new theatre wards in clinical areas in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. This includes the development of an ambulatory...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Business Supports (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am grateful to the Deputy for raising this important matter and for his consistent advocacy on behalf of businesses throughout Ireland, but particularly in his home town and his home county of Longford. I empathise with many of the points he has made on behalf of the local business person in Longford. There are a few points to address. The first relates specifically to the increased cost...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Business Supports (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputy for the tone of the debate and indeed for the constructive proposal. It is constructive, but it will require quite a bit of reflection from the Government in relation to the abolition of PRSI for lower-paid workers. It would come at a cost, today as well as in the future, and we have to bear that in mind. I will bring it to the attention of both the Minister for Social...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Financial Services (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am very grateful to Deputy Durkan for raising this matter and bringing it to my attention and the attention of the line Ministers responsible. As the Deputy will know, the Government is acutely aware of the pressure that the rising interest rate environment may have on borrowers. In light of this, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, convened a meeting with lenders that are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Financial Services (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I share Deputy Durkan's frustration about the removal of the ATM from this campus. We both brought it up at a finance committee meeting over MS Teams when that was how we did committee meetings. Thankfully, those days are gone.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Financial Services (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: Regarding the matter raised by the Deputy, first and foremost the Government would encourage any person who has experienced a repayment difficulty or has any other genuine concern about their mortgage to contact their mortgage creditor to discuss the matter in the first instance. Of course, it is also essential that the Central Bank-regulated entities, irrespective of whether they are banks,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: Yes.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I will pass on the Deputy's frustrations to the relevant Ministers in the relevant Department. Having been that soldier for long enough, I know how it feels. I will do my best to give the reply justice. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I agree with him that this is an excellent report. It arrived on my desk because it relates directly to my role in the Department of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: When it came to choosing a career in politics, I do not know if blood pressure or my front teeth were more at risk but, hopefully, neither of them are. I am sure we share this sentiment across the House. I appreciate the clarity and sincerity the Deputy brought to this debate. Being a Minister of State with responsibility for business, I know this is key for attracting inward investment...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this case of Scoil Bhríde Lann Léire in Dunleer. I appreciate his consistent advocacy on behalf of this school and the town of Dunleer. The Department of Education provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (26 Oct 2023)

Neale Richmond: Of course, I can imagine that. Everyone in this House deals with these issues every day and I have nothing but empathy and sympathy for principals, staff members, the schoolgoing children and their families and, indeed, the Deputy and his staff, who have to deal with this matter. That is why I will undertake to bring this to both the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy...