Results 5,101-5,120 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (10 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I apologise to the House in advance as I will have to leave before the conclusion of the expressions of sympathy. I will attend a meeting of the trade Council in Brussels later and I have to get to the airport. I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Austin Currie. On behalf of the Government, the Fine Gael Party and the Dublin West constituency, I extend my sympathies to Austin's...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Advertising (10 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As answered in Question No. 12899 on 31stMay 2016, which requested of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation “the amount of money spent by her Department on media advertising from March 2011 to February 2016, showing the media organisation, newspaper, radio, television, or any other forms of media to which advertisement fees were paid by her Department; and the amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (9 Nov 2021)

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 owns approximately 10.6 hectares of industrial zoned land on the Sligo Road in Quignashee, Ballina. Planning permission was previously obtained for infrastructural development, although this has since expired....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Official Engagements (4 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My quarterly Ministerial Diaries for 2020 and 2021 are available on my Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cross-Border Co-operation (4 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together. The joint impacts of both Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have brought about an unprecedented period of challenge and uncertainty for people both North and South on this island. The scale of these interlinked challenges on this island is such that we can deal with them far more effectively by pursuing all of the opportunities we have to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Staff (3 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In November 2020, I requested that the WRC prepare a draft Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect, in accordance with section 20 (2) of the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect was launched on 1st April 2021. I believe it is too early to review its application, though I am open to doing so at a later stage. Codes of Practice are written...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (3 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The pandemic presents an opportunity to make a permanent change in the way we work - to make remote and blended working a much bigger part of normal working life and achieve a better work-life balance. After the pandemic, I believe people should have a choice to work from home or in the office, so long as the work gets done and business and service needs are met. The right to request...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Low Pay Commission (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I would hope to have a report by the end of the year and will be happy to publish it once I have seen it. I would certainly like to commission the pilot under the term of this Government. Perhaps this is just semantics and just people using terminology differently, as can happen sometimes. The task force proposes universal basic income for artists, which to me is a contradiction in terms....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Low Pay Commission (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As I said in September, 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". Earlier this year, I formally requested that the Low Pay Commission examine this issue. To inform its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Low Pay Commission (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is entirely reasonable for the Deputy to table a question in November about something she asked about in September. Two months is a long time and it is important that we are held to account in that regard and that progress is made. I have always been clear that the proposal for a basic income for artists and the universal basic income were not the same thing. I did not like the fact...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: At the most recent Cabinet committee meeting on insurance, we did an assessment of sectors where it is not possible to get insurance. That involved speaking to insurance companies and brokers. There is a small number of sectors where it is not possible to get insurance at the moment. We are following up on that and trying to understand it better to see what we can do to help the situation....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Generally speaking, the regional property programme has been really successful where IDA Ireland identifies a site and is able to provide what it calls an advanced building solution, which I think is a terrible term. It is basically a building that can be used for many different purposes. We then find it is possible to get investment because there is a big difference between taking a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The acquisition of property by a State agency is not something that I, as Minister, can get too involved in as it would not be appropriate to do so. However, I certainly hear the case the Deputy is making for facilitating both the potential future expansion of the Abbott site and having an advanced business solution at another location. I know IDA Ireland is aware of the case for such an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I was very pleased to visit Longford last week, where I was met by Deputy Flaherty, Senator Carrigy and the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke. The timely provision of appropriate and cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of multinational companies thinking of investing in Ireland remains essential to winning foreign direct investment, FDI. Over the past...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for his question. Insurance reform is a priority for the Government and for me, as Tánaiste. Premiums have been too high for too long and I know some businesses and volunteer groups continue to struggle to find insurance at any price. The Personal Injury Guidelines were commenced on 24 April 2021. This met the programme for Government commitment to recognise the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. It is clear that a fall in the awards that are given to people who have been injured should result in a fall in insurance premiums but it is not the case that a 40% or 50% fall in awards through the PIAB will not result in a 40% or 50% fall in premiums. That is because many or, indeed, most cases do not go through the PIAB. Many are settled before that and that is why...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of working conditions in the hospitality sector. I have seen a synopsis of the report and the Oireachtas briefing document that Dr. Curran provided to the committee. The research by Dr. Deirdre Curran of NUI Galway, Inside Out Hospitality: A Study of Working Conditions in the Hospitality Sector in Ireland, was undertaken during 2019 and published in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Principally, what we need to do is to encourage people to make complaints to the WRC and the HSA. No matter how many inspectors we have and no matter how robust the regime of inspection we have, it will only ever be possible to inspect a small minority of businesses at a particular level of frequency. As we all know from experience, starting with when the cigire came to school and then...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The budget provides for increases for the HSA and the WRC next year. When it comes to the WRC, the budget provides for the recruitment of an extra ten inspectors in addition to replacing those who retire. We can build on this in the years ahead. Another matter I am progressing is legislation on tips and gratuities. I hope to get this legislation done in the next couple of months. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Company Registration (2 Nov 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware that the Deputy wrote to the Secretary General of my Department about this issue. I believe she replied on 30 July, setting out a detailed response to some of the matters raised, particularly regarding 100 companies being registered at one address, and companies even being registered at the same building that the CRO is based in. I think the reply is robust, but that is not to...