Results 4,761-4,780 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Since we met, we ran the Look for Local campaign again, which was very successful. We have not yet decided but are likely to do something similar this year. PIAB falls under the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, so he is leading reform of PIAB. A general scheme to reform the board is expected to go to Government this month. The aim of that is to facilitate and increase the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I will pass the Chairman's comments on to InterTradeIreland and the others. On the living wage, we have asked the Low Pay Commission to do research on this and advise us. The Chairman rightly pointed out that a group has pointed out what it believes the living wage should be in Ireland but any group can establish itself and come up what it thinks a living wage should be. The appropriate...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I think that it will be sufficient for this year. The idea is to get the new body up and running this year and to get it doing its work. The legislation is done. We need to now actually create the body and ensure it is up and running. We do not have full agreement yet on resourcing from An Garda Síochána, which is really important because we need gardaí seconded to the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: That is a fair question. It is probably the case across the public service that the concentration on Covid sometimes meant that other work did not get the attention that it would have had there not been Covid. The HSA would tell us that when it carries out an inspection, it does so in a way that is wide and comprehensive. It does not simply narrow in on one thing that might be Covid...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: They are. There are regular meetings between my Department and the authority. I do not have the figures to hand but I will see if I can get them.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The way IDA Ireland would describe it is that in Ireland we try to build an ecosystem for investment. We have done very well in terms of life sciences and tech and data centres are part of that, particularly when it comes to tech investment. That is the argument IDA Ireland would make as to why we should continue to host them in Ireland. If we want to encourage tech investment in Ireland...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is not something on which our Department makes a decision. It is a decision for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. The Deputy will have seen the new policy it produced in the past couple of months recognising that because there are constraints on the system, there will be fewer data centre connections over the next couple of years, particularly in the Dublin region where...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I would not agree.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Yes but if we produce twice as much green electricity we will be able to facilitate a lot more investments.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I want to recognise the Deputy's work in establishing Balance for Better Business, which is working very well. We are pleased with the results we are getting in increasing the number of women on company boards. However, we need to do a bit more on senior leadership teams where the numbers are not as good, albeit they are moving in the right direction. On work permits, we have a real...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Chairman can be sure of that. The vast majority of employers are good and treat their staff well. I know he will agree with that. The fact that one third of inspections throw up an issue does not mean that one third of businesses mistreat their workers because the WRC responds to complaints and targets businesses and sectors where it thinks there could be abuse. It is still a lot and...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Message to Dáil (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: That is great. I thank the Chairman for the meeting. We are sending a lot of legislation the committee's way at the moment. The report is done on sick pay and we sent the letter yesterday, which the Chairman spoke to my adviser about, on remote working. I appreciate the volume of work the committee is doing, which does not always get noticed, and the efficiency with which the committee,...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy has made a fair point. Being bound by a recommendation is different from engaging. Public bodies and private entities that are funded largely by the State, I think, should engage with the industrial machinery of the State. I do not know whether it can be done but maybe in the future what we should write into contracts and tenders is a requirement that they do so in order that...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Following up on the Deputy's initial comments, I will as officials to follow up on that issue and we will interrogate it. With regard to other health and safety matters, it is possible that other health and safety breaches went undetected and uninspected because of the focus on Covid-19. At the same time, though, I would hope that part of the experience of the pandemic and Covid-19 has...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is not so much the percentage but whether we have enough electricity.

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am pleased to introduce the Bill to Seanad Éireann. I have set three objectives in my role as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. These are as follows: to help businesses respond to Covid and Brexit and to survive and prosper again; to restore and exceed pre-pandemic employment levels by achieving a target of a record 2.5 million people at work in Ireland by 2024 and...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the contributions from Senators and the broad support for this Bill.When I first decided we would revive and reintroduce it, I actually believed it would be very simple. I thought we would do just two things: make it illegal to use tips to top up wages, bearing in mind that it is already illegal to top up to the minimum wage but not to other contractual rates, and introduce...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (1 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The right to request remote work is part of the Government vision to make remote working a permanent feature of Ireland’s workforce in a way that can benefit all – economically, socially and environmentally.  The commitment to introduce legislation to underpin employees' right to request remote work was made in the national Remote Work Strategy. On 25 January the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (1 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland recorded its highest increase in FDI employment in a single year in 2021. 53% - 133 of the 249 of investments won went to regional locations – with employment growth in every region of the country The Border Region consists of the counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, and Monaghan. IDA Ireland supports 67 client companies in this region who collectively directly employ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (1 Feb 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The primary responsibility of the IDA is to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Ireland and to retain, transform and expand the existing base of FDI companies that have already invested and located here.  When it comes to foreign direct investment, site visits represent a valuable tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas. However, site visit...