Results 4,841-4,860 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Customs and Excise (20 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Under the EU Treaties, competence for International Trade Policy, known as the Common Commercial Policy, and including Trade Defence, is vested in the European Commission under Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. In exercising this competence, there are a variety of supporting Committees and Working Parties through which the Member States and the Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland reported a record-breaking year for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) employment in 2021, with total employment in IDA client companies now standing at 275,384, up from 258,558 last year. Growth in the regions was particularly buoyant with 53% - 133 projects of the 249 investments won going to regional locations and employment growth recorded in every region of the country. Job...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Research and Development (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department no longer prepares the Government's R&D Budget; responsibility for the R&D Budget is now with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (D/FHERIS). The Government's latest R&D Budget was published by D/FHERIS on 16th December 2021 and is available at the following link: gov.ie - Research and Development Budget:...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Company Liquidations (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes an obligation on employers who are proposing collective redundancies to notify the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, of the proposed collective redundancies.  I can confirm that the notification regarding proposed collective redundancies at Debenhams was received by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, who at...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Energy Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I refer the deputy to my response to their follow up parliamentary question on this subject, no. 34 of 8th December 2021. The text of this response is replicated below. As that previous response notes, the details sought by the deputy are in chapter six of the recently published Expert Group on Future Skills Needs report, Skills for Zero Carbon- The Demand for Renewable Energy,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Banking Sector (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Future Growth Loan Scheme (FGLS) first launched in 2019 to provide an option for SMEs and small mid-caps to access appropriate finance for investment purposes. The scheme has seen a rapid uptake and as of January 10th, 2022, there has been 3,480 loans sanctioned to a total value of over €748 million. The scheme features a two-stage application process, whereby businesses must...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As alluded to by the Deputy, as an organic waste, coffee grinds should not be sent to landfill. At a minimum the Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations must be complied with. These require many types of businesses to separate and appropriately disposal of organic wastes. The 'My Waste for Business' resource (www.mywaste.ie/business) provides more information on managing waste...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Reviews (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Details of reviews, research and studies currently ongoing in my Department are set out in the table below.  Title of review, research or study currently underway Expected date of completion Process Review of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) Q1 2022 Retail Sector Study into key factors that have...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Social Media (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: As part of awareness raising campaigns around a range of policy initiatives including Brexit, the National Minimum Wage and Covid 19, my Department spent €62,373.83 on social media advertising in 2021. The campaigns were conducted across a number of social media platforms, the breakdown of which is provided below. Social Media Channel Cost 2021 (incl. VAT) ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Contracts (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department considers hiring external consultants in cases where there is not the necessary expertise to deliver the project in-house, in cases where an external assessment is deemed essential, or in cases where a project must be completed within a short time scale, and although the expertise or experience may be available in-house, performing the task would involve a prohibitive...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: IDA Ireland reported a record-breaking year for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) employment in 2021, with total employment in IDA client companies now standing at 275,384, up from 258,558 last year. Growth in the regions was particularly buoyant with 53% - 133 projects of the 249 investments won going to regional locations and employment growth recorded in every region of the country. Job...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department and its Offices have entered into twenty customer facing and/or orientated services via a contracted service provider over the past five years and to date in 2022.   For the vast majority of its procurements, my Department and its Offices, which includes the Companies Registrations Office, the Intellectual Property of Ireland, the Labour Court, the Office of Director of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Public Sector Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 103 and 104 together. In relation to public sector staff under the remit of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise. Trade and Employment, there are a number of Civil Service (Workplace Relations Commission) and State Agency (Enterprise Ireland) staff based in offices in Co. Clare. The information requested by the Deputies is listed below in tabular...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My understanding is that the hands of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, are tied in this matter. It is a legal requirement that the service be put out to tender. It cannot just be handed to a group because one likes or knows them or because one thinks they do a great job. There has to be a competitive process. That is the advice the Minister has.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for the work she has done on this matter. I share the objectives of the Private Members' Bill, namely, the Irish Corporate Governance (Gender Balance) Bill 2021, which is designed to increase the participation of women at the highest levels in the corporate world. I look forward to meeting with the Deputy on the Bill and having it debated in this House in due course. ...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: With regard to Deputy Tóibín's question, I understand that the Minister, Deputy Coveney, referenced that matter. I will let him know it was raised again in the Dáil, however. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and let him know about the issue regarding Kiltimagh to see if he can intervene with Irish Water in that regard. The payment of wages (amendment) (tips...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Non-EEA, non-European doctors make an enormous contribution to the Irish heath service. They have been doing service jobs in hospitals throughout the country for decades. They have also done a phenomenal job during the pandemic. Non-European doctors are not always treated very well in our system. It is hard for them to get consultant posts or to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The underlying causes of inflation are largely international and outside our control. They relate to supply chain difficulties that arose particularly during the pandemic, when supply chains were disrupted. A post-pandemic international economic boom occurred when pent-up demand was released when lockdowns were eased. Central banks have also printed trillions of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. This is a European competence, as a trade issue. The position of the European Union is that compulsory licensing is a better approach than the TRIPS waiver approach. However, neither is a silver bullet and neither will result in vaccines being produced all of a sudden on their own. What is required is a comprehensive response. That is what the Government and I...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I had not heard of that practice, or at least not that term. As the Deputy mentioned, we brought in ticket touting legislation, which was the big consumer legislation for this year. Next year we will have a new consumer protection Act which will replace the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act. It is being led by my Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, in particular. It...