Results 40,381-40,400 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: The adoption of digital technologies by all businesses, in particular SMEs, is vital for our economic development and social well-being, and to ensure balanced regional development. Digitalisation can deliver a multitude of benefits including reduced costs and increased productivity, better products and services, market expansion and diversification, as well as enabling businesses to reduce...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I attended the AI Safety Summit which took place in Bletchley Park on 1/2 November, on the invitation of the UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan. Countries attending agreed to the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety, which recognises a shared consensus on the opportunities and risks of particular uses of AI, and the need for collaborative action on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Balanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key priority for me and this Government as clearly reflected in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans. Each of the Plans includes strategic objectives and actions designed to maximise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: IDA’s regional property programme ensures the continued supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations to meet the needs of current and prospective clients of IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. The timely provision of appropriate, cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of Multi-National Companies (MNCs) remains...

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

Simon Coveney: The Government welcomes the ruling of the Supreme Court in the Domino’s Pizza case (Revenue Commissioners v. Karshan (Midlands) Ltd. T/A Domino’sPizza). Although the decision centres on tax legislation, my Department is considering the judgment in the context of our employment rights remit. This has been a focus for Government in recent years with a number of important steps...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 76 together. On the 24th of October 2023, the Government activated enhanced emergency business flooding humanitarian schemes that provides support of up to €100,000 to business, community, voluntary and sporting bodies. The Schemes now covers areas impacted by recent severe weather events including Counties Cork, Galway Waterford, Limerick,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Relations (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: My Department is responsible for administering controls on the export of Dual-use goods in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items. The Regulation sets out that when assessing applications for dual-use exports,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cross-Border Co-operation (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Cross-border philanthropy has the potential to play a significant role in providing alternative sources of funding for our entrepreneurs and SMEs. My Department is supportive of any initiatives in this area. However, the implementation of the recommendations set out in the social economy framework conditions falls under the remit of the Minister for Community and Rural Development. Funding...

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

Simon Coveney: On 6th September this year, I launched the Business Users Support Scheme for Kerosene to provide support to businesses that were impacted by significant increases in the cost of this fuel following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The scheme provided eligible businesses with a payment to reimburse them for half of their increased costs in the period from 1st March to 31st December...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 60 together. As set out in Budget 2024, risks to the near-term outlook are tilted to the downside. The rise in interest rates, which the ECB does not expect to cut before Summer 2024, would be expected to dampen international economic growth rates. Given the open nature of the Irish economy, a slowdown in international growth may lead to more moderate...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Relations (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Ireland supports the pursuit of open, free and responsible trade rooted in the multilateral, rules-based system, while also recognising the vital importance of global security and humanitarian considerations in trade. My Department is the National Competent Authority for EU Export Controls in respect of a range of sensitive goods, principally, 'Dual-use' items and defence-related equipment....

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

Simon Coveney: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) Green for Business programme, formerly named Green for Micro, was launched in March 2021 to assist businesses in lowering their carbon footprint, reducing costs, and improving the environmental profile of the business in the marketplace. Green for Business is open to all small businesses who are neither Enterprise Ireland or IDA clients and allows them to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: The right to request remote working has been integrated into the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, which was led by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY), and was enacted on the 4th of April 2023. The provisions of the Act pertaining to the right to request remote working are contained in Part 3 of the Act and have not yet been...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: It is a difficult and uncertain time for the workers and families that are impacted by the announcement that Lakeland Dairies will close a number of its facilities. Enterprise Ireland has worked closely with Lakeland Dairies over many years to assist it in its growth and development plans, and have assured me that they will engage closely with the company, seeking to ensure that the proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Balanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key policy for me and this Government and is reaffirmed in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans. The South-East Regional Enterprise Plan is overseen and monitored at a regional level by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is aware that I recently announced that my Department has secured €145 million in funding for the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund. The overall objective of this scheme is to drive job creation and enterprise development in each region throughout Ireland as well as supporting projects aligned to the nine...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Missions (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: As part of Team Ireland Trade Mission Week to South Korea program , I attended the signing of a MOU between Lumcloon Energy, an Enterprise Ireland client and SK Ecoplant, a subsidiary of the SK Group (2ndlargest conglomerate after Samsung) , for a joint data centre project running on fuel cell technology, which would be the very first in Europe. A fuel cell uses the chemical energy, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I published a progress report on our National AI Strategy - "AI - Here for Good" on 9 August 2023, the overarching aim of which is to drive the development and deployment of human centred, ethical, trustworthy AI tools. The Progress Report highlighted many of the achievements so far. These include the appointment of an AI Ambassador, Dr. Patricia Scanlon and the completion of her first year...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I am informed that IDA Ireland continues to engage with Central Pharma in respect of the pace of progress with its project at the Advanced Technology Building in Tralee, as the Deputy will be aware. The most recent information provided by the company, in October 2023, is that it is actively recruiting for 2 open vacancies. Furthermore, Central Pharma has also invested in fitting out the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Delivering balanced regional enterprise growth and supporting sustainable local job creation is a core objective of this Government and is a key component of the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this objective through direct assistance to businesses as well as promotion and enhancement of the regional enterprise ecosystem to encourage businesses to invest and create...