Results 221-240 of 3,478 for speaker:Emer Higgins

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

Emer Higgins: The Annual Employment Survey is conducted by the Enterprise Ireland LEO Centre of Excellence in Q4 each year and is then reported to my Department the following January. The result of the Employment Surveys refers only to jobs recorded by those businesses that received direct financial grant (Measure 1) assistance from their Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and are included in the LEO Annual...

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

Emer Higgins: The most recent figures available are from Enterprise Ireland’s 2023 Annual Employment Survey and they present a positive outlook for the Irish economy, particularly in the sectors under its remit. According to the 2023 Survey, there has been a notable increase in employment levels across industrial and service companies. This growth is not just confined to the capital city but is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (8 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Commission on Pensions was established on foot of a 2020 Programme for Government commitment. As part of its work, the Pensions Commission was asked to consider the issue of retirement ages in private employment contracts that are set below the State Pension age. The report of the Commission was published in October 2021. The option of abolishing mandatory retirement ages entirely was...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (8 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Redundancy Payments Act 1967 sets out the formula for calculating the minimum redundancy payment which must be made to eligible employees when they are made redundant by their employer. This is referred to as “statutory redundancy”, and it is a lump sum payment based on an employee’s pay and length of service. An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks' pay for...

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

Emer Higgins: My Department consults with small businesses on a regular basis and through a variety of existing fora. I am acutely aware of the specific challenges these small businesses face and my Department and this Government have continued to introduce relevant and effective measures to support them. I chair the SME and Entrepreneurship Taskforce, whose membership includes entrepreneurs, business...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (8 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: Statutory and contractual employment terms apply in relation to the payment of wages. Failure to pay all or part of the wages due to an employee is considered an unlawful deduction and a complaint can be made under the Payment of Wages Act 1991. The Payment of Wages Act 1991 establishes a range of rights for all employees in relation to payment of wages. The Act regulates how wages and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Budget 2025 (8 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: The funding secured in Budget 2025 for the Local Enterprise Offices will allow the 31 LEOs to continue deliver their mandate, as set out in the LEO Policy Statement, and their critical work in promoting entrepreneurship and start-ups all over the country. This Budget provision will support the wide range of high-quality business and management development programmes available through the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (3 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: My Department has been made aware of the difficulties experienced by employers in the motor industry and has made general employment permit quotas available to address this. Under the review of the occupations lists conducted in 2023, 20 employers and motor industry representatives submitted information on the skills shortages experienced by the sector. These submissions were considered by an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (2 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: Following discussions between my Department and the Department of Health, with consideration of the findings of a recent strategic review of the sector, I approved the extension of the quota of General Employment Permits for the role of Care Worker/Home Carer by 500. The change was effective from Monday 2nd September. The extension of the quota coincides with the commencement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (2 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: I understand that the Deputy has clarified that she is referring to a grant provided by Enterprise Ireland under the Environmental Aid scheme to an individual company. My Department, through Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, provides environmental aid funding to support companies to make the significant investments that are necessary to achieve the industrial decarbonisation targets...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (1 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: The EU Directive on Platform Work seeks to enable people working though digital labour platforms to have the correct legal employment status that corresponds to their actual working arrangements, enabling them to benefit from any labour rights they are entitled to. The Directive also aims to improve working conditions and regulate the use of algorithms by digital labour platforms. It will...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: A new quota of 150 General Employment Permits for the role of sea fisher was introduced on 3 July 2024 to address skills shortages in the Irish fishing fleet. The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that up to 25th September 2024 there has been one application received in respect of the role of Sea Fisher, received on 27th August. All applications for Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: As announced by Minister Higgins on 3 July 2024, a quota was extended for Sea Fishers in the Irish fishing fleet, transitioning from the previous Atypical Working Scheme provided by the Department of Justice. I can confirm that under the Employment Permits System, the criteria for the role of Sea Fisher in the Irish fishing fleet differ from what was required under the Atypical Working...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that an application for a General Employment Permit for the person concerned in the details supplied was received on 17th September 2024. On 18th September 2024 the application was formally accepted and placed in the processing queue. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. As of 26th September 2024, the...

Animal Sentience Bill 2024: First Stage (26 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: It is not opposed.

Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (25 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: That was the easiest thing yet.

Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: I assure Deputies Collins and McGrath-----

Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: -----that there will not be any additional costs for SMEs due to the passage of this Bill. I reassure them that, as Minister of State with responsibility for this matter in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, my commitment is to reducing bureaucracy and unnecessary red tape and making it even easier to do business here in Ireland. We heard statistics earlier from a...

Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Referral to Select Committee (25 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1).

Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Emer Higgins: No, we did not.