Results 221-240 of 40,856 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: It is not just TBESS-----

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

Simon Coveney: There were more than 50,000 applications to TBESS. It was not a small number. Of the businesses that registered for the scheme, nearly 8,500 were in the wholesale and retail trade; just over 8,000 were in accommodation and food; just under 3,000 were in agriculture, forestry and fishing; just under 2,500 were in manufacturing; and just under 2,000 were professional, scientific and...

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 agree with the Deputy.

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

Simon Coveney: It was a combination. A lot of money was put aside. It was an overshoot in many ways in the context of the demand. In addition, many businesses had hedged, purchased ahead and, therefore, did not qualify for TBESS. Some very small businesses in particular felt there was probably too much form-filling around it and they would have to take on an accountant to do it. Many of them did not...

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

Simon Coveney: The business sector has mixed views on this. Clearly, the hospitality sector wanted to keep the lower VAT rate. A number of us made the case for retaining the lower VAT rate for a longer period. A decision was taken to extend the lower VAT rate for an extra six months, which brought the tourist season last year into play. That was very welcome from the hospitality sector's perspective. I...

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

Simon Coveney: -----there is a lot of very interesting stuff in it.

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

Simon Coveney: Under which head?

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

Simon Coveney: There were a lot of questions there, with respect. I will try to go through them all and give as many answers as I can. On the Red Cross flooding scheme, I, as the Deputy knows, spent quite a bit of time in Midleton speaking to businesses that had been impacted by that flood. It was one of the most extreme flooding events I had seen in nearly 26 years in politics. Effectively, it...

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

Simon Coveney: Okay. To give a sense of the Ukrainian credit guarantee scheme, which is the one that is still up and running, each lender must be able to demonstrate that the advantage of the State guarantee is passed on to the largest extent possible to borrowers. During the open call application process, lenders were required to demonstrate their proposed pricing reductions. Lenders now participating...

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

Simon Coveney: On the disability side, we are working with the other relevant Departments to try to do more in this space. I am very conscious of it. We do not have a high enough percentage of people with a disability in employment in Ireland, full stop, and we need to do better. There is actually a lot in place but it is clearly not enough. We need to measure success on the basis of outcomes rather...

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

Simon Coveney: On the flood damage, parts of east Waterford were included in that scheme. The businesses there were supported in the same way as businesses in Galway, Louth and Cork were. I can assure the Deputy there was no preferential treatment on the basis of geography. The Red Cross has supported businesses in the same way, regardless of where the damage has occurred. Infrastructure damage is a...

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 am not sure, but it is certainly one of them. I have had this discussion with ISME and I have an open mind on it. Ultimately, it will be a call for the Taoiseach, who chairs the LEEF. We do have a regional enterprise plan for the south east. I do not think we should set up something that would duplicate effort there by setting up a development commission. We have people who are...

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

Simon Coveney: If we form something by statute, we will set a precedent and we will have to do it for every other region.

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 do not think the south east is a poorly performing region, actually.

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

Simon Coveney: If you look at the job creation we have seen through Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, you will see that this is a region that is growing and has had more employment than before. It continues to grow. The South East Technological University is a work in progress. The south east has a university now and it did not before. This Government and previous governments promised that we would...

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

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy knows only too well, it is not as easy as simply removing borrowing restrictions. In the past, the Government has introduced restrictions on borrowing decisions for good reasons. This was because many educational institutions got into a lot of financial difficulty. We need to make sure that whatever we do works and is sustainable financially. However, I agree with the Deputy...

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

Simon Coveney: Sorry, yes. What was the question on that?

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

Simon Coveney: Let me just give the Deputy some data on that. So far-----

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

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is a patient man, having waited as long as he has. I will try to answer his questions quickly. He knows this Department well. I agree with the Deputy that the IDA and Enterprise Ireland have done Ireland an extraordinary service, particularly over the past decade or so when the economy was under real stress and pressure. They provided guidance and a supportive and...

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

Simon Coveney: The Deputy has been a very consistent voice on the circular economy. I have a long note on the circular economy in anticipation of the question. I will send it on to the Deputy.