Results 541-560 of 1,024,118 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire)

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I again thank the Deputy for outlining his concerns on the sectors. As it happens, the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, and I were discussing the issue of manufacturing yesterday at one of our meetings. The Deputy is quite right. There is a varied number of issues that we are trying to respond to in that area. I have travelled around the country a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister. I repeat my request that he make a particular appeal to the finance houses to support small and medium sized enterprises, because they are not doing so adequately at the moment. I am very glad that the Minister mentioned workspaces and enterprise centres. For years, I have been tabling parliamentary questions to the Minister’s predecessors in regard to the need...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I would robustly point out that the Government is listening to the SME sector. That is demonstrated by our warehousing of debt at 0% for those who experienced difficulties over the Covid period. Some €20 billion has been put in towards Covid and Brexit, with €12 billion put in through the past two budgets. We have halved inflation, which is a key metric of business. Energy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Work Permits

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: 52. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of employment work permits that have been applied for to date in 2024; the number of permits that have been granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23462/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I am asking about the number of employment permits that have been applied for to date in 2024 and the number that have been granted.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system which maximises the benefits of economic migration and minimises disruption to Ireland’s labour market. The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the European Economic Area, EEA, where such...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I know the Minister of State recently had a meeting with the Irish Road Haulage Association on the new pay scales that were introduced last year for the work permits and the general work permit. As an island nation, we must understand that there are certain sectors that require a different train of thought to keep us competitive, if nothing else. We have a HGV sector that primarily deals...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: In the past year, following a review, my Department has implemented changes to the critical skills occupation list, ineligible list of occupants and current salary thresholds for both the general employment permits and the critical skills employment permits. The employment permit section of my Department is also undertaking a range of activities to improve efficiency. That includes the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Verona Murphy: I probably should have said at the outset that I wish the Minister of State well in her position. I understand those answers were prepared for her but what I really need an answer on is the competitive nature by which the work permit is structured. It is not competitive. It is anything but that. It is anti-competitive. We need to address this in the context of the particular sector we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Deputy is right. Competitiveness is a key issue here. It is important from a business perspective and, in the context of the labour market, it is important that we are paying competitive rates to employees. The Deputy will be aware that one of the things we are piloting is a new seasonal employment permit. That pilot programme was announced and will be happening and we will look at...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Business Supports

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: 54. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in each of Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Galway and Mayo that registered for the increased cost of business grant before 1 May 2024; how many more in each county have registered since the application process reopened last week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23086/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Jackie Cahill: 58. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in counties Tipperary, Limerick and Clare, respectively, that registered for the increased cost of business grant before 1 May 2024; how many more in each county have registered since the application process reopened recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23064/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Joe Flaherty: 63. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly registered for the increased cost of business grant before 1 May 2024; how many more in each county have registered since the application process reopened recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23101/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, on their appointments and wish them, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, every success in their work in the Department. I welcome the Government’s decision to reopen the increased cost of business scheme. I heard the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, in different...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Smith for his kind wishes. I propose to take questions Nos 54, 58 and 63 together. The Government is very aware that SMEs have faced a number of economic shocks in recent years which have resulted in cost increases. On 15 May, I, along with my Government colleagues, announced a substantial range of measures to reduce costs for small and medium sized businesses. Included in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Deputy. Her suggestion of supporting workers and businesses at the same time is actually something we are already doing in this Government. Only last week, the Minister, Peter Burke, and our team announced additional measures to support businesses, and under this Government, we placed significant emphasis on workers' rights. We put sick pay on a statutory footing for the first...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: What it looks like to me is that the Government is punishing workers to compensate for another one of its failed business support schemes. When the ICOB scheme first closed, less than half of qualifying businesses had applied. I appreciate that figure is slightly higher now, but as of last Wednesday, only 10.7 % of applicants have had grant money paid to them. This is a shocking situation....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Absolutely not. We are supporting both workers and businesses. We have a legal requirement to have regard to the potential impact of making an order to vary the number of sick days. For that reason, the Minister, Peter Burke, the Minister of State, Dara Calleary, and I have asked the ESRI to provide data so we can make an evidence-based, informed decision because that is what responsible...