Results 40,221-40,240 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: The Deputy will be aware that my Department has secured up to €145 million in funding supported by the European Regional Development Fund for a new regional enterprise scheme. This new Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme (SREIS)will assist in delivering on the objectives set out in the nine Regional Enterprise Plans and support projects aligned to those Plans. As part of Budget...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department continuously monitors the areas which are generating high headline inflation. As a small, open trading economy Ireland is exposed to global inflationary pressures, including fluctuations on international markets for energy, commodities and food. Ireland is effectively a price taker on most international markets, and many of the drivers of Irish inflation are outside our...

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

Simon Coveney: Under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 employers have an obligation to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, employee safety, health and welfare at work. Employers have a duty to undertake a risk assessment to identify the hazards in the workplace and to put in place appropriate controls to protect employees. Hazards associated with violence and aggression in the course...

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

Simon Coveney: The Government recognises the importance of the mining sector in Ireland, including to support the achievement of the UN's sustainable development goals and the objectives of the European Green Deal. Boliden Tara Mines employs around 650 skilled workers and generates a very significant level of economic activity in the local community in Meath. I and officials from my Department have had...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 104 together. Ireland’s markets for exports of goods and services continue to develop in a positive and sustainable manner despite challenges in the trading environment due to Brexit, the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine. According to the latest Goods Exports and Imports release from the CSO, the value of goods exports from Ireland in 2022...

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

Simon Coveney: The total number of additional jobs created by IDA Ireland client companies from 2013 to 2022 inclusive is 136,848, bringing the total number of jobs in IDA client-companies to over 301,000 at the end of 2022. Furthermore, studies have shown that for every 10 direct jobs created by Foreign Direct Investment a further 8 are generated in the economy meaning that at end-2022, FDI was supporting...

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

Simon Coveney: The tech sector plays a pivotal role to the Irish economy, with 320 IDA client companies in the sector employing over 64,000 people. I regularly engage with tech companies through my own office and through officials in my Department and our agencies. IDA Ireland has strong engagement with its technology client base to actively support clients through new mandates, expansions,...

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

Simon Coveney: According to the latest available national employment figures, from the Central Statistics Office’s Labour Force Survey, employment levels reached 2.63 million in Q2 2023 on a seasonally adjusted basis. We now have more people employed in our country than ever before, while the monthly unemployment rate for September 2023 stood at just 4.2%. The rate of employment growth in the...

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

Simon Coveney: Global Ireland 2025 was launched in 2018 with the aim of doubling the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint in the period to 2025. This initiative has led to Enterprise Ireland expanding its office presence in overseas markets and to indigenous Irish industry growing its exports globally. In parallel, the Trade & Investment Strategy for 2022 to 2026, Value for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Legal Cases (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: The information requested is currently being collated by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 140 together. The Increased Cost of Business Grant (ICOB) was announced as part of Budget 2024 and will be targeted at Small and Medium sized businesses which operate from a rateable premises. Funding of €250 million will be provided to meet the cost of the grant which will be paid out to businesses through local authorities in the first...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Budget 2024 (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: As part of my Department's Estimates negotiations, I secured an increase of €27m on 2023 "REV" levels of €177.3m in capital spending for the IDA in respect of grants to industry and the agency’s property programme bringing the total Exchequer allocation to for 2024 €204.3m. My Department will now work with the IDA on the allocation of the €27m across these...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Budget 2024 (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Innovation Voucher Programme is funded by my Department under the Science and Technology Programme, though Enterprise Ireland. The Innovation Voucher Programme is designed to build links between Ireland's public knowledge providers (higher education institutions and research performing bodies) and small businesses and help to create a cultural shift in the small business community's...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: As part of the allocation to my Department under Budget 2024, I have provided an additional €3.35m in funding to underpin its continued investment in key initiatives to deliver on the Government’s Housing for All Strategy. This is broken down into the following: €2m in additional funding in 2024 will be allocated to fund my Department's contribution to the development...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Low Pay Commission was established in 2015 as an independent body. It consists of an equal number of representatives with employee interests, employer interests, and independent members. The Commission makes recommendations on the National Minimum Wage to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The National Minimum Wage seeks to find a balance between a fair and sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Increased Cost of Business Grant (ICOB) was a measure announced as part of Budget 2024. The grant will be paid to Small and Medium sized businesses who operate from a rateable premises. It is intended to be paid at a rate of up to half the enterprise’s commercial rates bill, subject to a prescribed limit. The grant is intended to aid firms but is not intended to directly compensate...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: Under the Housing for All plan, my Department is working to promote innovation and increased productivity in the residential construction sector, including the more widespread adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). To promote research and development and disseminate the best and most relevant innovations to the players in the construction value-chain in Ireland, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy may be aware that mining began in Tara in 1977. My Department and its agencies have not provided funding to Boliden Tara Mines during the timeframe in question. Since the Board of Boliden Tara Mines decided to put the company into care and maintenance from 14thJuly 2023, officials in my Department have engaged with management to discuss what assistance can be provided to introduce...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Middle East (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy may be aware, international trade is a competence vested in the European Commission under the EU Treaties whereby the Union's negotiating strength is as a bloc of 27 Member States representing some 450 million citizens. As such, actions, decisions and negotiations on trade policy are conducted by the Commission on behalf of the Member States through the European Council and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Legal Services (24 Oct 2023)

Simon Coveney: My Department spent a total of €10,541,911 on legal services in the years requested by the Deputy as follows: 2015 €381,821 2016 €591,647 2017 €853,851 2018 €1,419,612 2019 €869,305 2020 €1,674,339 ...