Results 261-280 of 40,856 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Irish Sign Language (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm that 100% of my department’s social media video content included captions during 2023. None of the video content included Irish Sign Language translations in 2023.Please note that the social media activity of the Agencies and Public Bodies under my Department’s remit is an operational matter for those agencies, and I do not have any direct function in these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Mining Industry (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: I met with the trade unions that represent Tara Mines workers on the 17th January and discussed the Government's commitment to doing everything it can to assist in reopening the mine on a sustainable basis. This includes making available the industrial relations machinery of the State and in this respect discussions are ongoing between the management and unions facilitated by the Workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 242 together. I understand that the support scheme that the Deputy is referring to is the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant. The ICOB grant was announced as part of the Budget 2024 package and will be particularly targeted at Small and Medium sized businesses who operate from a rateable premises. Firms who do not have a rateable premises are not...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Export Controls (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/1922 was an instrument to amend Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 setting up a Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items. To take account of changes to the list of goods that are classed as dual-use, the Regulation is amended periodically, by way of updates to the Annexes. Regulation 2018/1922...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: Publication of the World Bank’s (WB) indicators, in the Doing Business report, has now been suspended indefinitely, while the WB formulates a new approach to assessing the business and investment climate in economies worldwide. It is expected that a new set of indicators, to be published as the ‘Business Ready’ (B-Ready), will not be available in the near term. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: Over the next decade the transition to a low carbon economy will substantially alter the business environment. My Department is actively promoting and financially supporting decarbonisation across our enterprise base. We have integrated climate action into all aspects of the Department remit and our enterprise agencies’ activities. 'Integrating Decarbonisation and Net Zero Commitments'...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together. Attracting foreign direct Investment (FDI) and the pursuit of balanced regional development remain key priorities for my Department and for IDA Ireland. 248 investments were won in 2023, 83 of which were new name investments from companies investing in Ireland for the first time and 67 were expansions by companies already established...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: IDA is now in the final year of its current strategy Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth Strategy for 2021-2024and is focused on delivering on its targets of800 investments with 50% outside Dublin,50,000 additional jobs and increased economic activity,170 RD&I investments,130 training investments60 sustainability investments, anda 20% increase in client expenditure in Ireland to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: The answer to this PQ is deferred to allow for clarification with agencies under the remit of the Department. My Department will supply the information requested once it has been collated.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: There are currently 63 WRC Inspectors, comprising 55 EO Inspectors and 8 Inspector Team Managers (ITM) at the HEO level. Additionally, there are 6 vacancies at the EO Inspector level and 1 ITM Workforce planning has identified a requirement for an additional 10 Inspectors, bringing the total number of WRC Inspectors to 80. My Department continually plans recruitment campaigns to fill...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: Further to the information provided to the Deputy last week, I wish to clarify that both aggregated data and person-specific data sets are transferred by my Department to other departments, State bodies and local authorities. These transfers only occur where validation of data sets is required in order to deliver my Department's official functions. For example, a weekly transfer of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant was announced as part of the Budget 2024 package and will be particularly targeted at Small and Medium sized businesses who operate from a rateable premises. Firms who do not have a rateable premises are not within the scope of this scheme. The total allocation for the ICOB grant is €257m. Officials in my Department are currently working with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: It is understandable that businesses – particularly SMEs – are concerned about the impact of rising costs. Inflation for consumer prices – although still elevated at 4.6 per cent in December – is generally declining. There have also been reductions in wholesale price inflation throughout much of 2023. Wholesale electricity prices are down. The latest forecasts from...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: As part of the Budget 2024 package, the Government announced the introduction of the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant. While this grant is intended to aid firms with the challenge posed by increased costs, it is not intended to directly compensate for all increases in wages, or other costs, for every business. It is important that I be clear that this scheme is not related to the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Promotion (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland, actively manages the Taiwanese market from its Singapore office. IDA Ireland’s decision to close its Taiwan office on 31 December 2011 was solely based on business reasons. There have been no new IDA investment projects from Taiwan for several years despite active marketing programmes in the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Promotion (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: Ireland, along with our EU partners, adheres to the One China Policy. This means that we do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and that we recognise the People's Republic of China as the legal representative of China. This does not preclude the development of economic, cultural, and people-to-people connections with Taiwan; nor the meaningful participation of Taiwan in relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: IDA Ireland’s Regional Property Programme aims to ensure the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations to meet the needs of current and prospective clients of the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices and is a significant contributor to regional economic development and job creation. In this regard, the Kilbarry Business & Technology Park...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware, IDA Ireland provides a range of financial supports to FDI companies in the form of employment, capital, research and development, environmental and training grants. In this regard, IDA Ireland provided a total of €4,047,964 in grant support of VMWare’s Cork operation since 2005. This sum is broken down as follows: Year Approved ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Research and Development (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: InterTradeIreland is one of six North-South Implementation Bodies established under the 1998 Belfast-Good Friday Agreement that works on an all-island basis. InterTradeIreland’s remit is to promote trade and business development on an all island and cross border basis. InterTradeIreland is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Ireland and the Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (17 Jan 2024)

Simon Coveney: IDA Ireland's 2023 results announced on 15thDecember last, showed 248 investments were won, with just under 19,000 associated jobs. 83 of these were new name investments from companies investing in Ireland for the very first time and 67 were expansions by companies already established here. Total employment in IDA client-companies in 2023 remained over the 300,000 mark. Nevertheless, the...