Results 4,701-4,720 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In May 2020, my Department worked with the National Public Health Emergency Team on a survey of business readiness for physical changes to the work environment as a result of COVID-19. As part of this, the Department engaged an external consultancy company to carry out online and telephone surveys of businesses. The total cost of these surveys was €26,730. In 2021, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Reckonable service is service that is included in the calculation of a redundancy lump sum payment. A period of lay-off is not allowable as reckonable service if it occurred within the final 3 years of employment before redundancy. As the necessary Government-enforced lockdowns caused lay-off situations which resulted in a loss of opportunity for some employees to accrue reckonable...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The tables below set out the vacancies by job title in the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission and the length of time each post has been vacant for: Labour Court Job Title Number Length of time post is vacant Expected to be filled on Average cost to fill all vacant positions Executive Officer 1 1...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Official Travel (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is in the process of finalising the programme to mark St. Patrick’s Day around the world. This will include a programme of visits by Ministers approved by the Government and which will be made public soon.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland actively promotes available buildings and land in IDA Business Parks and high-quality buildings in private ownership through their network of overseas offices. The IDA is actively encouraging investors to locate in regional areas, whether through marketing potential investment sites outside of the main cities or working to develop recognised industry clusters. The table below...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The timely provision of appropriate, innovative, and cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions that meets the needs of MNCs remains essential to winning FDI. IDA Ireland’s regional property programme aims to ensure availability of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations for current and prospective clients of both IDA and Enterprise Ireland. Over the last 5...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland staff across the globe are conscious of the importance and impact of winning investments to locations such as Kerry and other regional locations. The Agency has been operating in a very challenging environment over the past 20 months with little or no international travel globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. IDA has been operating virtually and hosting companies on virtual site...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Regional development is at the centre of IDA’s strategy to 2024. The strategy includes a target that half of all investments (400) from 2021- 2024 will be in regional locations. Its results for 2021 showed that 133 out of 249 – or 53% - of investments went to counties other than Dublin. The table below shows the number of IDA supported jobs by county in each of the years 2010 to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (8 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As part of the current IDA Strategy, Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024, the Agency has set out clear objectives in respect of sustainability, which include promoting and enhancing sustainable growth across all areas of job creation, innovation, living standards, regional development and the environment. I understand that the objectives of this strategy are...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I remember her raising this suggestion in the past. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is examining that proposal at the moment as part of the package we are developing. I cannot commit that it will happen but on the face of it, it is a good idea. The Minister will need to do due diligence around it and ensure it does not turn out to be open-ended. We need to put some...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I agree totally. If the current energy price hikes and the current instability in Russia and Ukraine tell us anything, it is that the sooner we move away from fossil fuels towards greater use of renewable electricity and new fuels such as green hydrogen, the better in terms of energy security and price stability. We should accelerate our plans and ambitions in that regard. How we do that...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I do not have an update on that report, but I will tell the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, that the Deputy raised it and ask him to revert to the Deputy directly. We should acknowledge, however, that both the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade provide a very good service. It is a service that has improved in the last couple of years. Sometimes when management...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I have asked the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to examine that as part of the legislation. Employers have approached me, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and have told me that they want to pay their staff a pandemic bonus from their own resources, but that if they do so their staff could lose perhaps half of it in tax. I have asked the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: He said he would look at it. He is always very polite, but quite stubborn.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The announcement the other day by the Northern Ireland Minister, Mr. Poots, was unhelpful. It adds to the uncertainty for businesses and citizens in Northern Ireland. It seems to me that it was a political decision rather than one based on the public interest. It is noteworthy that his decision is not supported by the Northern Ireland Executive or by the majority of members of the Northern...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It does not fall within my remit, but I undertake to make some inquiries about it. It is a long time since I have been in Portrane. I used to be there regularly when I was a member of Fingal County Council. I cannot visualise the derelict houses in Portrane, but if the Deputy says they are there I am sure they are.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It would be a shame to have houses in Portrane that are in State ownership not being used.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I will make inquiries.