Results 40,681-40,700 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Legal Services (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: My Department and its Offices spent a total of €11,156,299 on legal costs or legal services in the past 10 years and to January 2024 (see attached table).

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Office space for my Department and its Offices is provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in buildings which are either State owned or leased by the OPW on our behalf. Therefore, my Department does not own, purchase or rent office space. My Department works closely with OPW colleagues to ensure that the provision of such office space is appropriate, fit-for-purpose and every effort is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: It is understandable that businesses are concerned about the impact of rising costs, and this Government is continuing to monitor the situation regarding the costs of doing business. It is also important to acknowledge that SMEs, and in particular the retail and hospitality sectors, are key employment generators for Ireland, particularly in more rural areas. Significant support has been...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: White Papers (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Launched in December 2022, the White Paper on Enterprise sets out the Government’s approach to enterprise policy for the period to 2030. The White Paper sets out Ireland`s enterprise strategy for the medium- to long-term, which will work to enable Irish-based enterprise to succeed through competitive advantage founded on sustainability, innovation and productivity, delivering rewarding...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Reports (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: My Department, in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection, is assessing the cumulative impact of recent and forthcoming changes to working conditions, including the Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme, Parent’s Leave and Benefit, Statutory Sick Pay, the Additional Public Holiday, the Living Wage, and Remote Working. This follows a recommendation by the National...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: An important element of the IDA’s strategy is to diversify its market reach by broadening the geographic profile of investment. To support this objective, a ‘Pioneering Markets’ team was established within the Growth Markets Division of IDA Ireland in 2019, tasked with extending IDA’s global footprint. This approach has been supported by the appointment of a number...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: There are 72 IDA Ireland supported companies in the border region (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan) that collectively employ 10,173 people, and 15 IDA supported companies in Cavan and Monaghan, collectively employing 1,104 people. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) performance in the region has been strong over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: It would be inappropriate for me to comment on any aspect of an appeal undertaken by a company in respect of an EPA decision. I note the Deputy is referring to matters dating back some 50 years ago and I am advised that IDA Ireland does not have records dating back to 1974. Aughinish Alumina manufactures alumina, a feedstock for the production of aluminium metal, which is sold to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (7 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, The National Minimum Wage increased to €12.70 per hour from 1 January 2024. This represents an €1.40 increase, or 12.4%, on the 2023 rate of €11.30 per hour and is considered the second year of a proposed four-year path towards reaching the living wage of 60% of the median wage by January 2026. The Low Pay Commission has estimated that the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with small businesses nationwide by supporting their growth, helping them to find new markets, stimulating job creation and helping them digitalise and decarbonise. The 2023 Local Enterprise Offices Annual Employment Survey results are testament to this commitment. These jobs figures show that in 2023, the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: This Government has adopted a pro-active approach in supporting Irish businesses across multiple crises over the last number of years, including the introduction of unemployment supports during the COVID -19 pandemic, the provision of financial supports to firms facing the implications of Brexit, and more recently, through the period of increasing overhead costs. My Department is fully...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 53 and 67 together. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Ms Catherine Martin T.D., and I co-chair the Hospitality and Tourism Forum. Membership of the Forum is made up of representatives from across the Hospitality and Tourism Sector. It provides a platform for a structured engagement between these sectors and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Action Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Actions committed to under the Climate Action Plan 2023 are reported on through progress reports prepared by the Department of the Taoiseach and published quarterly. In 2023, my Department reported on 10 actions in total, and provided final updates on the delivery status of these actions for review in early January. Pending final confirmation from the Department of the Taoiseach, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Construction Industry (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: To ensure the delivery of Housing for All targets, and accelerate the ongoing transformation of the construction sector, the Government recognises the need for a continuous flow of compliant innovations in the residential construction sector. This includes the more widespread adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), an umbrella term for a range of innovative construction processes,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Export Controls (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods. My Department operates Export Controls to the highest standards, in accordance with EU law and international best practice. Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (8 Feb 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. The company is planning a substantial rationalisation of VMWare’s headcount across its global operations in 100 countries, and, last...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Action Plan (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Actions committed to under the Climate Action Plan 2023 are reported on through progress reports prepared by the Department of the Taoiseach and published quarterly. Under this reporting process, a selection of ‘high impact’ measures from the Climate Action Plan with more significant abatement potential are focussed on in the progress reports. In 2023, my Department reported on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 50 together. Achieving balanced regional enterprise development is a priority for this Government and is reflected in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department aims to achieve this goal through the work of the Enterprise Agencies, Local Enterprise Offices and the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Energy Conservation (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Climate Action Plan sets out our level of ambition for decarbonising the commercial built environment. A detailed roadmap is currently being finalised, led by my Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which is also supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Low Pay (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Currently, the minimum wage for those aged under 20 is less than the minimum wage for those aged 20 and over. The minimum wage for those aged 19 is 90% of the prevailing rate, for those aged 18 it is 80% and for those aged 17 and under it is 70%. As the Deputy will be aware, in 2022, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment requested the Low Pay Commission to...