Results 461-480 of 40,856 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I would not move on that quickly from the Astellas announcement. The Deputy said he has got similar answers for some years. That is a really significant delivery for Kerry. It is a €330 million advance manufacturing facility for a big global name. It will employ a significant number of people in Kerry and specifically Tralee. That announcement happened in September, which is only...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Much of that has changed under this Government.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: We have a new technological university and a new road into Kerry.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: We are starting to see some of the results now with, for example, Astellas.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: This Government and the previous one have tried to focus on the competitiveness proposition for Kerry. You do not just bring multinationals in and place them where you want. They will go where they want to go and they will look at the options they have in Ireland. It is our job to make sure we have regional development in every part of Ireland. We have set a target for IDA Ireland as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Other Deputies are now arriving so I hope we will get to some of the questions that were skipped. I hope we will have the flexibility to return to them if Members want to.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: We are not short of time given how fast we are moving through the questions.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: In reply to the Deputy, I will refer to Monthly Estimates of Payroll Employees, published by the CSO, which should be read alongside the CSO's labour force survey. The latter has shown that employment in the ICT sector rose by 2.2% on a quarterly basis in the second quarter on 2023 to reach a new record high of over 174,000. We have more people employed in ICT now than we ever had. Of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I assure the Deputy that I speak to representatives of companies all the time. We have investment announcements all the time. I have been to the US three times this year and I suspect I will be going again early next year. The US is where most of the tech multinationals are coming from, although not all of them. We were in South Korea recently seeking to attract more tech interest and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: -----that there will be virtually no application process at all and all these businesses will automatically qualify as long as they are trading.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: With all due respect, I did not see anything in Sinn Féin's budget submission to support businesses at all in this space.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: We are putting €250 million out there with virtually no application process at all because small businesses, in particular very small ones, have said to me that they do not want a long detailed application process and to have to apply to the Revenue Commissioners because they do not want to have to take on an accountant to do it, as that is another cost that they cannot afford. We are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: This is a recognition payment effectively to businesses as we know that many of them are finding the going somewhat difficult in terms of costs and we are giving something back.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I will of course answer the question, but the written question seems to be different to this one. It is about the scheme to support businesses announced in budget 2024, which is about the cost of doing business. I will answer both.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: There is no problem, whichever one you want me to answer first I will do.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I think you have questions down on both, in fairness.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: It is because they are grouped that this anomaly arises. I will take the increased cost of doing business grant first, and we will deal with the flooding one separately. I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together. The Government and I were conscious, in the negotiations for the budget, that many small businesses around the country are facing increased costs. Some of them are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I will make a final point because there are two questions. Businesses will of course need to acknowledge the process in order to accept the payment from local authorities, but it is little more than that in terms of bureaucracy.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: TBESS was a scheme run by Revenue. My Department was used as a vehicle in terms of an estimate through which to run that scheme. However, it was effectively run by the Revenue Commissioners and I think was run reasonably. It was actually not that difficult to get into TBESS. Lots of businesses decided not to do it. Some businesses had hedged against significant increased costs. In the...