Results 241-260 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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...

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 recognition that we need to do more to support SMEs to expand and grow and become international. Enterprise Ireland is focused on that in terms of scaling up an internationalisation of companies and has a series of programmes on mentoring, training and financing companies to do that. The White Paper on enterprise, as the Deputy says, sets out the ambition for 2,000 additional...

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

Simon Coveney: For this year?

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 target we have set for ourselves is an extra 2,000 rather than making it a percentage of overall numbers. EI is setting about putting programmes and funding models in place that can get a net increase of 2,000 over the next six years in the number of businesses that are trading internationally. That is, effectively, what the target is. What I do not have is a breakdown for how we...

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 pipeline, by the way, is already developing. Looking at the pipeline of companies that are being supported by LEOs and by Enterprise Ireland, the number of high-potential start-ups and spin-outs from the universities that all have international ambition is quite significant. I am sure the Deputy would have met some of those companies as well when she visited universities, innovation...

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 will be a corresponding increase in the percentage with that but I do not have that number. The 2,000 is a more exact target.

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 is true.

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

Simon Coveney: Yes.

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

Simon Coveney: Lots 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: Let me explain that. There is absolute certainty about what businesses are getting. Any business that paid, last year, between €10,000 and €30,000 in rates is getting the €5,000 flat rate.

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

Simon Coveney: Any business that paid less than €10,000 in rates, which is a very large number of businesses, will get 50% of what it paid in rates last year as a grant in recognition for the cost of doing business. On the split of those 140,000 businesses or so that are paying less than €10,000 versus the others that are paying between €10,000 and €30,000, every business itself...

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

Simon Coveney: They have a whole lot of other stuff on, including a round of rates collection. They have agreed to work with us on this to get the letters out by the middle of next month with a view to making payments before the end of the first quarter. We will work with them. If it goes slightly beyond that, we will try to make sure the timelines are as tight as possible but the intention at present is...

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

Simon Coveney: Which full amount?