Results 1-20 of 10,545 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Consultations (26 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Government acknowledges the rising cost of groceries and its impact on consumers. Businesses in Ireland are generally free to set their own prices, once they do so independently and in compliance with consumer protection law. My department has maintained ongoing engagement with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) particularly in light of recent economic...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Corporate Governance (25 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Currently, at EU level, there is a particular focus on regulatory simplification and burden reduction, with a view to improving EU competitiveness and avoiding disproportionate burdens on business, particularly SMEs. This is articulated in the Letta and Draghi Reports and has informed the European Commission’s recently published Work Programme which proposes a series of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Departmental Correspondence (24 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: 704. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review correspondence (details supplied); her views on the proposal, and any potential supports or avenues of engagement that may be available to assist with its development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34214/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his question on the National Enterprise Hub which was established on 10 July 2024 and since then, the NEH has handled more than 6,000 inquiries from businesses. Monthly numbers have increased consistently and 773 were received in May alone. The primary goal of the NEH is to improve access to Government supports for businesses. We also want to simplify access and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy. As I said at the outset, the National Enterprise Hub not only gives the information but it is collecting the data too which gives the Government a laser sharp focus on the type of policy, grant aid and supports we need to offer to get to the critical crux of what businesses need to support, grow and scale. The figures I gave out on the inquiries it has had so far are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: In my short few months in the Department, the Minister, Deputy Burke, has been relentless on the theme of lighter, faster and simpler with what the Deputy is talking about and providing opportunities for businesses to apply for those grants and make it easier and quicker and not as onerous or burdensome. As we all know and we hear it at meetings ourselves, business people ask is it worth the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his very important question. I am happy to tell him that the Government and I, as Minister of State with responsibility for trade promotion, digitalisation and AI, are committed to developing Ireland's enterprise base across all regions over the next five years. This ranges from backing small businesses and start-ups to scaling up indigenous firms and enhancing our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for the very legitimate concerns he has raised. On the first piece around planning, he will agree that the Planning and Development Act passed by the previous Government has gone a huge way towards trying to address that. Whether we are in opposition or government, we all know this country has been choked and almost had its development stifled due to planning. We are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Point taken. It is a very reasonable observation to make. Procurement is a language of its own. We all know that from filling in procurement applications for grants for communities, for example. There is a language and that can sometimes be off-putting, make it difficult and create further challenges for business. However, we are in the business of creating business. We are in the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: My Department is committed to supporting businesses to start-up, grow and create sustainable employment in towns and villages across the country. The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in County Meath provides enterprise and entrepreneurship support services, business information and advisory services, and contributes to the Local Enterprise Development Services in County Meath. In 2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 24 together. Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for my Department and for the Government. I appreciate the important role of enterprise centres and remote working hubs throughout the country. They enable people to live and work in their local communities and provide a range of services to support companies and entrepreneurs to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Human Rights (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: As the Deputy is aware the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and my Department established a dedicated Business and Human Rights Stakeholder Forum with the participation of individuals with relevant expertise and responsibilities from key organisations across business, civil society, trade unions and academia to assist with the development of the second National Action Plan on Business...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The National Enterprise Hub on 10th July 2024 as an all of Government initiative aimed at streamlining access to business supports. The NEH is staffed by trained advisers who direct business owners to the most appropriate supports for their needs. We want to simplify access to Government supports and also reach businesses that have never availed of the many different supports on offer. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 40 together. Ireland supports the simplification and burden reduction agenda at EU level. In the context of optimising the competitiveness of EU companies in the evolving global trading environment, I am supportive in principle of initiatives to simplify the reporting requirements and reduce costs on companies, most especially for SMEs. In...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 71 together. The Programme for Government is clear in setting out the importance of SMEs to our economy. Developing Ireland's enterprise base remains a key priority, and we will strive to reduce costs, administrative burdens and bureaucracy for businesses. Ireland is internationally well-regarded in terms of regulatory burden. The 2025 Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Functions (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: In terms of the co-operative sector, the focus of my Department is on completing work on the Co-operative Societies Bill. Drafting of the Bill, by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, is nearing completion and it is expected that the finalised Bill will be brought to Government during Q4 2025. The Bill provides for the most far-reaching reform of the legislation governing co-operatives...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 74 together. Ireland supports the simplification and burden reduction agenda at EU level. Specifically in relation to the Omnibus on sustainability, the proposals are intended to address disproportionate burdens on businesses, in particular on SMEs, whilst retaining key aspects in relation to corporate responsibility. What we wish to see is better...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: In the context of optimising the competitiveness of EU companies in the evolving global trading environment and ensuring proportionality, I am supportive in principle of initiatives to simplify the reporting requirements and reduce costs on companies and most especially for SMEs. The Deputy is aware that the Omnibus on sustainability proposes a number of legislative changes to the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Deputy will be aware that the first omnibus dealing with sustainability matters was published on 26 February 2025. Since the publication of the Omnibus proposal, officials from my Department, both in Dublin and Brussels, have engaged with a range of stakeholders and received numerous submissions concerning the content and implications of the proposals. These include representatives from...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (19 Jun 2025)

Niamh Smyth: 233. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review correspondence (details supplied); if there are plans to revise the rule in cases involving self-builds with limited mortgage borrowing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33228/25]