Results 361-380 of 951 for speaker:Garret Ahearn

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills and Supports Required for Businesses to Meet Decarbonisation Targets: Discussion (8 Nov 2023)

Garret Ahearn: For the 250 businesses?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills and Supports Required for Businesses to Meet Decarbonisation Targets: Discussion (8 Nov 2023)

Garret Ahearn: What percentage of the total is that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills and Supports Required for Businesses to Meet Decarbonisation Targets: Discussion (8 Nov 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Of those 50 companies, is it a particular sector or is it just random businesses that have not engaged?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I request a debate with the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Byrne, on the sports capital grant, the timelines and when clubs will know more about whether they have been successful. This is obviously an important year and the Government has been very good to support sports clubs during the past three years but for obvious...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I follow others in their congratulations to the junior certificate students on their results this year. I congratulate their parents and teachers as well. It is a very proud day for them. I will speak on education, so I have not moved topic at all, the Cathaoirleach will be happy to know.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I am learning. I acknowledge the announcement by the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, on Project Nore yesterday. Would the Leader agree that this Government has significantly invested in education, particularly in school buildings? Project Nore is a large-scale new building project of €250 million for seven new schools across the country – two in Mullingar, one in...

Seanad: Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022: Second Stage (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I will be brief because I pretty much agree with what Senators have said. I welcome the Bill. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him and his officials for the work they are doing. As Senators have said, this is an important Bill which has to be passed. There is always a fear about more cumbersome work that has to be done by multinational companies. Obviously, a large number of...

Seanad: Control of Exports Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I agree with Deputy Shanahan's request that we examine things regionally. I am from an area of the south east that the Deputy does not represent but it is still the same region. I thank the delegation for their contributions. I find it frustrating sometimes when we have meetings like this and are told that some of our questions cannot be answered because a consultation is taking place....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Mr. Courtney talked about the recommendations the commission has given and how the Government has always supported them. There have been about ten increases in the minimum wage since 2011. Mr. Courtney talked about the percentage and how close we are getting to 60%. From where we were in 2011, we are at 51% now. Has that percentage consistently increased as we have gone along? Did it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Is that in the living wage or the minimum wage in comparison to the living wage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: It is the percentage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: The fear from a business perspective is about trying to get to 60% but we have been almost there before, at 58%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: Is it recognised that the market is strangely and very unusually, an employees' market at the moment, that they can dictate what job they want, where they want it and the terms and conditions? An awful lot of business owners would say that the employee is interviewing the employer rather than the employer interviewing the employee. There is a balance here. You do not want it entirely the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: When the commission decided that, was it taken into account that businesses have had a very difficult three or four years with Covid, the cost of living and the war in Ukraine? They have faced major challenges.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Recommendations on the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (18 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: That is not taking into account that we need to increase the minimum wage, obviously, and we have done that. Do the witnesses get the sense that there is a real fear on the part of businesses? I come from Tipperary. Particularly in small rural towns, there is a real fear about survival. A minimum wage increase in Cahir, where I am from, is very different to a minimum wage increase in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the new strict Cathaoirleach here today.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: The Cathaoirleach will notice that I will be very obedient.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the announcement yesterday in the budget for businesses and the funding the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has secured for the €250 million grant to be given to businesses in the first quarter of 2024. This grant will be half of the rates bill that they paid in 2022, up to €20,000. Of the €20,000 they had been paying in rates, they will be able to claim half of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: RTÉ Oversight and Long-Term Support and Funding: Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (4 Oct 2023)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the Minister for being here. She said at the outset that she had full confidence in the board but she gave a strong statement a couple of minutes ago about things the board did that were totally unsatisfactory, especially in terms of its relations with politicians on this committee. What does the board have to do for the Minister to lose confidence in it?