Results 40,641-40,660 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: That will primarily be a choice for the Department of Foreign Affairs, to be honest. We will input into that. What I would say is that trade with Canada has increased significantly since the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, has been implemented, even in the absence of it being finally approved in Ireland, which is something I would like to do. However, I would like to see...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: My Department considers hiring external consultants in cases where there is not the necessary expertise to deliver the project in-house, in cases where an external assessment is deemed essential, or in cases where a project must be completed within a short time scale, and although the expertise or experience may be available in-house, performing the task would involve a prohibitive...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (30 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 243 together. As the deputy is aware, Government policy and the IDA strategy both recognise that the timely provision of appropriate, innovative, and cost-effective property solutions that meet the needs of multinational companies at the forefront of a modern economy remains essential to winning FDI. A robust property and infrastructure ecosystem can...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: European Union (30 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: This matter relates to the safeguard measures imposed by the EU relating to certain steel products which were initiated in July 2018 in response to the US Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium.The US measures applied a 25% tariff on steel imports originating from third countries, including the EU. This action by the US resulted in steel originally destined for the US being diverted to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Ministerial Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: There are two civilian drivers employed in each of the two Ministers of State Offices in my Department. These appointments were made In line with the “Instructions to HR Managers on Ministerial Appointments for the 33rd Dáil” and the “Guidelines on the Staffing of Ministerial Offices for the 33rd Dáil’’. The table below sets out the information...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: On 26 April 2023 the European Commission published a proposal to revise and replace the existing general pharmaceutical legislation. The EU Pharmaceutical legislative package proposes a suite of measures with the purpose of assuring the quality and safety of medicines and ensuring their availability to health services across the EU. As such, the Department of Health is leading on this file in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: VMWare is a leading virtualisation and cloud computing software and services company, which first established in Ballincollig in 2005, following its acquisition by EMC. In May 2022, VMWare and Broadcom jointly announced that Broadcom would acquire VMWare. As a result of the acquisition, which formally closed on Wednesday 22nd November 2023, Broadcom’s current software division...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: A recent 2022 study on the causal effects of public holidays on economic growth, which utilised a global panel of national holidays for over 200 countries over the period 2000-2019, estimated that 0.08% of annual GDP is foregone for each additional day of public holiday. GNI* is used here as a more accurate estimate of Irish economic activity when compared with GDP. Based on the above...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant was announced as part of the Budget 2024 package and will be particularly targeted at Small and Medium sized businesses who operate from a rateable premises. Firms who do not have a rateable premises are not within the scope of this scheme. The total allocation for the ICOB grant is €257m. Officials in my Department are currently working with...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: I know there are quite a number of members online. They can see us, but we cannot see them. I am sure they are taking an interest, though. I thank the committee for the opportunity to present my Department's 2024 Revised Estimate. I have a reasonably long introduction to read, but I hope it will give members a good sense of the overall Estimate and the priorities within it. My officials...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I join the Taoiseach and many others in the House in paying tribute to an extraordinary man and a deeply impactful politician who, sadly, has died at the age of 76 after a long illness which he carried with extraordinary grace. Like others, I express my condolences to the Bruton family, to Finola his wife, to his son Matthew, to his daughters Juliana, Emily and Mary-Elizabeth, to his...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Article 4 of the EU directive on adequate minimum wages, promotion of collective bargaining on wage setting, aims to promote collective bargaining on wages in all member states. The directive requires member states in which the collective bargaining coverage rate is less than 80% to provide “for a framework of enabling conditions for collective bargaining” and to publish an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: First, we have not set targets. We have only started the process of real engagement and consultation. That real engagement will only get started in a meeting next month. We have had some initial discussions, and obviously accept the Government's responsibilities in putting an action plan together. However, it is important to say we are a long way short of that 80% figure. Ireland's...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Fair enough.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I will try to drag it out as long as I can. I am good at that, as you know.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I hear the Deputy, and she takes a view that is consistent with trade union leadership, which is fair enough. The conversations between the different social partners have actually been constructive. The Minister of State, Deputy Richmond and I have been involved in those discussions. The Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, is involved in that too. The approach the Government is taking is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy and I am glad to have the opportunity to update the House because, to be fair to the WRC, it has concluded its work and I have seen a draft copy as of yesterday. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act was enacted on 4 April 2023 and represents a significant advance in terms of workplace entitlements for all employees, parents and carers in particular....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: There is a sense of urgency, but we also want to get this right. We set a very clear target that the WRC would report back to me with a code of practice by the end of January and that is what happened. I need to fully consider it now, which we are doing and we will get that done quickly. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, also has to do that under the legislation. We will finalise it and it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: It was completed.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: We only got the draft code back ten days ago. We are now looking to approve that code and we are testing it, as the Deputy would expect in any process, before finally approving it and publishing it. It is probably a matter of days before that happens. We are now in a good place. We are moving towards putting a lot more structure, permanency and acceptance around how arrangements for...