Results 281-300 of 2,796 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Equality Issues (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment commissioned the OECD to undertake a report to assess inclusive entrepreneurship training in Ireland and provide recommendations, based on international best practice, on how to enhance the provision of training interventions to improve their accessibility and impact. Based on the full report, DETE identified three priority actions to be...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Energy Prices (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The cost of energy is a major factor in the operation of most businesses. The impact of the very significant price increases experienced by businesses in 2022 and 2023, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was mitigated by the introduction of the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme to support companies dealing with increases in the price of metered electricity and natural gas. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: In 2022, Enterprise Ireland, in total, provided funding of over €10.9 million to 343 client companies, employing 23,330 people in the Border Region. In January 2020, my colleague, then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, announced an economic stimulus package for the border areas. This Package applies to counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Information and Communications Technology (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Ireland’s approach to AI recognises the potential for the technology to enhance our socio-economic wellbeing as well as presenting great benefits for businesses in terms of productivity and innovation. We are also mindful of the concerns and questions that the public and workers have in relation to AI. Work is well progressed on a horizontal EU regulatory framework which will...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Food Prices (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Government has been proactive in limiting the fallout from higher rates of inflation. A total of €12 billion – 4½ per cent of national income – has now been provided in direct relief to absorb some of the impact and ease the burden of inflation on households and businesses. Budget 2023 included a €4.1 billion package to tackle the cost of living and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Firstly, I want to say my thoughts are with the employees of Iceland (Ireland). I appreciate that this is an incredibly stressful time for them and their families, with huge uncertainty. Ireland has an existing strong legislative restructuring framework for companies and there is a suite of employment rights legislation in place to protect impacted workers. I and my colleagues in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Firstly, I want to say that I fully understand how difficult and stressful this time is for the workers at Indeed, as well as their family members. Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in collective redundancy situations. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Equality Issues (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports for anyone, including people with disabilities, intending to start or grow a business. In that regard, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as the Department of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Tourism Policy (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Deputy will be aware that the Local Enterprise Offices are units within each of the 31 Local Authorities nationwide and act as a ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business. The LEOs provide a wide range of high-quality business and management development programmes, and productivity...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Delivering sustainable, balanced regional enterprise growth is a core objective of this Government and is a key component of the recently published White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030. My Department contributes to this agenda through a number of policy levers, including through the work of the Enterprise Agencies, Local Enterprise Offices and through implementation and oversight of nine...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Disputes (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Firstly, my thoughts are with the workers at Indeed, and their families, during what has been a very difficult and stressful period of uncertainty. Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in collective redundancy situations. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Services (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (No 29 of 2021) gave effect to the policy changes that were required concerning the proper administration of justice as per the Supreme Court's judgment in Zalewski. The act amended, inter alia, the equal status acts.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: My department recognises that the manufacturing and services sectors face various challenges when it comes to competing with imports and ensuring the competitiveness of Irish exports in foreign markets such as cost competitiveness, technological innovation, global market access, skills and talent and supply chain resilience. In that regard, Enterprise Ireland collaborates closely with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Exports Growth (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: My Department’s White Paper on Enterprise to 2030 sets out an ambitious vision for Ireland’s enterprise policy, to protect Ireland’s strong economic position, and respond to challenges and opportunities that have emerged because of the pandemic, wider economic and geo-political developments, digitalisation, and an increased urgency to decarbonise industry. It provides for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that all applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. Processing times currently stand at 11-12 business days in respect of new permits for Standard Employers and 9-10 business days in respect of new Trusted Partner Employment Permits. Applications in respect of Standard Critical Skills Employment Permits are...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices are a ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business and act as a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available to the SME sector and can provide information/referrals to other relevant bodies under agreed protocols e.g....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: My Department, in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices remain committed to supporting, encouraging, and fostering job creation through the indigenous sector for both traditional industries and innovative proposals in driving economic growth and employment opportunities in Ireland. In that regard, my Department’s White Paper on enterprise policy...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Balanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key policy for me and this Government, and is reaffirmed in the Department’s White Paper on Enterprise. The Department contributes to this agenda in several ways. The Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) are bottom-up plans which facilitate stakeholders to work collaboratively to identify growth opportunities, recognise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Family Reunification (28 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Access to the General Employment Permit for non-EEA nationals wishing to take up employment in the role of healthcare assistant was announced in June 2021 to address skills and labour shortages in the healthcare and nursing home sector. The framework agreed following constructive engagement with the Department of Health provided a salary of at least €27,000 for the role and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Discrimination (28 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is independent in the exercise of its quasi-judicial function, and I have no direct involvement in its day-to-day operations. However, I am informed of the following. The Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 prohibit discrimination on 9 specific grounds in the workplace and in employment-related areas. The protected grounds are:- GenderCivil...