Results 3,181-3,200 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme will release up to €1.2 billion in lending to assist the liquidity needs of SMEs, farmers, fishers and small mid-caps. Increased energy costs are driving increased costs in every area of business operations. Viable businesses need access to cashflow funding to ensure they can continue to operate, pay their employees and pay their suppliers. This type...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Green Transition Fund, which I launched in June 2022, is designed specifically to address a core measure in the enterprise chapter of the Climate Action Plan 2021, which was to reduce manufacturing combustion emissions. This Fund provides manufacturing businesses the foundation they need to begin their transition to low carbon production processes and help them to decarbonise their...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Human Rights (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. The implementation of this whole-of-Government plan was overseen by a multi-stakeholder implementation group comprised of representatives of Government, civil society and business, including from my own Department. Both the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, along with its enterprise agencies, works closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to ensure the availability across the economy of relevant talent and skills, which are key enablers of enterprise productivity and innovation. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Bodies (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On 12 December, I was pleased to join the Chair and Interim CEO IDA Ireland of IDA Ireland for the launch of their annual employment results for 2022. There are now 229 IDA client companies in the South-West Region, employing 52,228 people, an increase of 8% on the 2021 figure. The FDI performance in the region has been consistent over the past five years with employment among IDA clients...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 together. My Department’s Statement of Strategy sets out a vision of making Ireland the best place to succeed in business in all parts of our country, with vibrant enterprises, more high-quality employment, growing trade, fair workplaces and higher productivity. The Strategy was developed at a time when the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s Economic Recovery Plan laid the foundations for economic recovery and improving competitiveness emerging from the pandemic. Central to this was the scale of the unemployment challenge and getting people back to work, accelerating the provision of training, reskilling and upskilling. The Economic Recovery Plan set out an ambition of exceeding pre-crisis employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My department provides a range of tailored supports for small and medium enterprises. Supports include access to finance, management development, mentoring supports, business development programmes, market supports and trade promotion. Details of the full range of supports available to SMEs are set out on a dedicated website at the following address: supportingsmes.gov.ie

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Bodies (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The position of CEO of IDA Ireland was advertised nationally and internationally in early November 2022. The selection progress is ongoing.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Low Pay Commission (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As I previously advised, I have received the Low Pay Commission’s report on Universal Basic Income, and its accompanying research report which was prepared by the Economic and Social Research Institute under the terms of the Low Pay Commission – ESRI Research Partnership Agreement. I am considering the next steps to take including the publication in due course of the two reports.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Bodies (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Details of my meetings with EI and IDA, since taking office, are set out in tabular form below. This does not include client company events such as job announcements nor trade missions at which EI/IDA officials and I may have been present amongst the general attendance. Meeting IDA Meeting EI 2020 2nd July ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On Monday 12 December, IDA Ireland reported strong annual results for 2022, recording a substantial increase in growth in foreign direct investment-linked employment on 2021. I am proud to say that numbers employed as a result of foreign direct investment are now at the highest ever level. Employment growth in 2022 raised the number of people employed in the FDI sector in Ireland to over...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Manufacturing is the backbone of the Irish economy and is of strategic national importance to Ireland. It accounts for approximately 270,000 jobs (80% outside of Dublin), €100bn in exports, and contributes more than €30bn in local spend with a capital expenditure of €7bn. In the ICT, agri-food, engineering and life sciences sectors, Ireland is home to wealth of world...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: When we launched the Economic Recovery Plan in June 2021, we set a goal of achieving 2.5 million people in employment by 2024. The Plan not only aimed to recover employment lost during the pandemic but to promote new employment opportunities through increased labour market activation and by accelerating the provision of training, reskilling and upskilling opportunities. According to the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: After public consultations including direct engagement with industry representatives - both manufacturing and services - among others, on 7th December, I published the Government's White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030 - which is available on my Department's website at white-paper-on-enterprise-2022-2030.pdf. The White Paper sets out an ambitious vision for Ireland’s enterprise policy,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Table 1 below shows employment in manufacturing and services in County Kildare for enterprise agency client companies, that is, clients of IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Udaras na Gaeltachta, for the years 2019-2021. 2021 is the most recently available data for all agency client companies. Table 1: Employment, County Kildare 2019 2020 2021 ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: After public consultations that involved extensive engagement with industry representatives - both manufacturing and services - among others, on 7th December, I published the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030 which is available on my Department's website at white-paper-on-enterprise-2022-2030.pdf and which sets out our strategy for Enterprise Policy to 2030. The White Paper sets out an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (13 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is working closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and its Embassy network, as well as other Departments of State, to implement the Government’s Diaspora Strategy, Global Ireland- Ireland’s Diaspora Strategy 2020-2025, which was launched in late 2020. The Department of Foreign Affairs leads on the implementation of this strategy. Global Ireland sets out a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am sorry to hear about that lady's experience. I worked in KDoc in Naas once upon a time and it is a good service most of the time. Perhaps particular issues relating to staff or some other matters arose. If the Deputy passes the lady's details to my office, with her permission, we will follow it up with KDoc and the HSE.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Dec 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The scheme is now open to applications. We expect businesses will receive the first payments before Christmas or by the end of the year and they will be backdated to September. Payments will cover approximately 40% of the increase in electricity or gas bills. I know that still means a big increase for businesses, but it is significant help and it is what was approved under EU state aid...