Results 4,421-4,440 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department did not have any consultancy contracts with the company in question in the period 2017-2021. Consultancy contracts entered into by agencies under the remit of my Department are an administrative matter for the agencies themselves and not one in which I have any function. My Department does not routinely keep a record of any such contracts entered into by the agencies.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: According to the latest quarterly national accounts data from the Central Statistics Office, the Irish economy continued to recover in the final quarter of 2021, with preliminary estimates indicating that GDP in volume terms increased by 13.5% for the year 2021. GNP showed an increase of 11.5% in 2021 over 2020, while the deglobalised measure, Modified Domestic Demand (MDD) increased by 6.5%...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government’s Economic Recovery Plan, published on 1 June 2021, set out renewed supports, investments and policies to underpin economic recovery and transition. The Plan includes the overarching ambition of having 2.5 million people in work by 2024, a target which has already been exceeded according to the latest figures released by the CSO’s Labour Force Survey in February...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department experienced a significant increase in applications for employment permits in the past year, impacting on processing times. From the start of January to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department compiles data on the enterprise development agencies and their client companies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA and Udaras na Gaeltachta). During the two year period spanning the pandemic from 2019 to 2021 total employment in the Manufacturing sector in enterprise agency client companies has increased by 5.1%, or 11,534 jobs, to reach 238,038 jobs in 2021. In County Kildare, employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department compiles data on the enterprise development agencies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA and Udaras na Gaeltachta). During the two year period spanning the pandemic from 2019 to 2021 total employment in the Services sector in enterprise agency client companies has increased by 10.8%, or 22,262 jobs, to reach 229,301 in 2021. In County Kildare, the Services sector has increased by 0.4%, or...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a policy priority of mine and this Government. Overseen by my Department, nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024 have been developed by regional stakeholders which identify growth opportunities, recognise vulnerabilities, and enable job creation across the regions. Eight of the nine new Regional Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: From the most recent Central Statistics Office Labour Force Survey for Q4 2021, the total number of people currently in employment is 2,506,000. This marks an increase of 6.3%, or 148,700 jobs, over employment in Q4 2019 before the pandemic began. Employment decreased between 2019 and 2020 due to the pandemic and rebounded in 2021 following the easing of restrictions. The employment rate for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: There have been a number of international issues over recent months and years which may potentially impact investors’ decision making, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Brexit. Global supply chains, energy costs, infrastructure and constructions costs, commercial real estate, housing, and talent attraction and skills development have all been impacted by the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) published in June 2021, sets out the Government’s medium-term economic plan to rebuild Ireland’s economy. As well as committing to a package of supports and investments to assist enterprise recovery, the Plan outlines a medium-term policy framework to rebuild sustainable enterprises, encourage job creation and sustainable and balanced post...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (7 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 178 together. The global economy continues to weather unprecedented shocks due to Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite the global upheaval of the last few years, IDA Ireland continues to successfully attract inward investment to Ireland. Last year, IDA won 249 investments, 104 of which were from new...

Address by H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (6 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: But for those responsible for this conflict, we have a simple message from this House. Your actions will never be forgotten. They will never be forgiven. Thanks to the power of modern media, we have seen what you have done. You have made yourselves outcasts in the international community. You have strengthened the Ukrainian national identity. You have united Europe and the West. You...

Address by H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (6 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank President Zelenskyy for joining us today and sharing with us the heartbreaking and inspiring story of his people's courage and endurance in the face of a grotesque and appalling aggression. It is fair to say that his words moved, inspired and shamed us and the rest of the world for not doing more sooner. Thankfully, because of the brave Ukrainian resistance there is still time. In...

Seanad: Comhshuí de Dháil Éireann agus de Sheanad Éireann - Joint Sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas - Address by H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (6 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank President Zelenskyy for joining us today and sharing with us the heartbreaking and inspiring story of his people's courage and endurance in the face of a grotesque and appalling aggression. It is fair to say that his words moved, inspired and shamed us and the rest of the world for not doing more sooner. Thankfully, because of the brave Ukrainian resistance there is still time. In...

Seanad: Comhshuí de Dháil Éireann agus de Sheanad Éireann - Joint Sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas - Address by H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (6 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: But for those responsible for this conflict, we have a simple message from this House. Your actions will never be forgotten. They will never be forgiven. Thanks to the power of modern media, we have seen what you have done. You have made yourselves outcasts in the international community. You have strengthened the Ukrainian national identity. You have united Europe and the West. You...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (6 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to "request the Low Pay Commission to examine universal basic income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government". Last year I formally requested that the Low Pay Commission examine this issue. To inform its considerations, the Low Pay Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Public Sector Staff (5 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department operates within the Disciplinary Code, the Dignity at Work and other relevant HR policies developed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for use in the Civil Service.Any instances of suspension or workplace disputes are managed through the processes as set out in these HR policies. At present there are no staff in my Department or the agencies under the remit of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Planning Framework (5 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. Ireland was the 19th country in the world to publish such a plan in response to the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the Human Rights Council in 2011. The implementation of this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Planning Framework (5 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Ireland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. Ireland was the 19th country in the world to publish such a plan in response to the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the Human Rights Council in 2011. The implementation of this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (5 Apr 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Since the start of the pandemic, mSy Department has made significant efforts to facilitate remote working for staff, and to invest in assisting staff to work safely and productively from home. Building on the National Remote Work Strategy launched in January 2021, my Department fully supports the move to a blended working environment. In finalising our longer-term policy, and transitioning to...