Results 5,581-5,600 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I understand some businesses are under pressure to meet their fixed costs, such as rent, after what has been an exceptionally challenging period. At the same time, we must remember that commercial landlords have their own financial obligations that still need to be paid. Where a landlord has debt in place, their flexibility will likely be driven by what their bank/lender will accept. One...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme and as such the Sick Leave Bill 2021 is being prioritised. I am committed to having legislation in place for 2022 and Heads of Bill will be published over the coming weeks. While there will be some additional costs, the scheme is not intended to impose excessive costs on employers. Taking account of the current...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: It is just over one year since the Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme was launched. During this time the scheme has provided vital access to finance to six thousand, five hundred and ninety-two SME businesses in all parts of the country. The scheme has provided loans of over €431 million, to these businesses, many of which are those sectors most impacted by the pandemic such as the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cybersecurity Policy (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department adopts a defence in depth approach to cyber security. This approach uses multiple layers and disparate systems to deliver security which is not dependent on any single component. Given the heightened level of risk which has pertained in recent months, my Department’s technical staff has adopted a posture of increased vigilance and oversight of systems. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Covid-19 outbreak resulted in a serious downturn in the Irish, EU and wider global economy. In response to this, Government introduced measures to assist impacted business. With the assistance of these measures, in 2020, a large number of Covid-19 impacted companies were sustained. Now, as we cautiously emerge from these necessary public health restrictions and global markets begin to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has not utilised the services of the organisations in question since 1st January 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) is the independent, non-statutory body that advises the Government on projected skills requirements across the Irish economy and makes recommendations on how existing education and training systems and delivery mechanisms, as well as other sources of skills supply, can be improved. My Department provides research and secretarial support to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In preparation for Budget 2022, my Department has been liaising with all its business units, and the offices and agencies under its remit, including with the unit responsible for the Local Enterprise Offices, as to their funding requirements for the coming year. I and my officials will engage in bi-lateral discussions on these funding requirements with the Minister for Public Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Process (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Details of all legislation prepared by my Department, including details of Regulatory Impact Assessments, are published on my Department's website at the following address:

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Regional development is at the centre of IDA’s new strategy. IDA Ireland will target half of all investments (400) from 2021- 2024 to regional locations and maintain the same high level of investment as targeted in IDA’s previous strategy for each region of the country. The FDI performance in the South West Region has been consistent over the past five years with employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government recognises the sacrifices business owners, employees and their families have made over the past 18 months in order to protect their community from COVID-19. As you are aware, the Government put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic. These business supports were unprecedented. The total number of Small Business Assistance Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: A total of €51,531 was paid by my Department in late payment interest and compensation to suppliers in the period 2017 to end August 2021. A total of €75,492,129 was paid to suppliers by the Department in that period. Of that total, some €1,311,704 of payments were subject to late payment interest and compensation. The €51,531 in interest and compensation paid to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The information requested in relation to the IDA is available on the IDA Ireland website and is posted every quarter. Material related to the prompt payment policy of EI is also published quarterly on their website. Below is a list of late payments and compensations for the period 2017 and to end of June 2021, for both the IDA and EI. YEAR IDA LATE PAYMENT INTEREST...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The right to request remote work is part of a broader 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 published last January. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Legislation governing the national minimum wage is set down in the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 and the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. These Acts provide for the setting of a national minimum wage and also provide that in specified circumstances, a reduced, subminimum rate may be applied. The Low Pay Commission was requested, as part of its 2016 work programme, to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The past year has been a difficult year for most businesses, and some sectors have been more severely impacted by public health restrictions and for a more prolonged period. Our Economic Recovery Plan, published in June, commits to ongoing support for people and businesses to make a full return to work. Assisting businesses and people in those sectors where the impacts of the pandemic have...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one. The system is managed through the operation of the critical skills and the ineligible...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) is the independent, non-statutory body that advises the Government on projected skills requirements across the Irish economy and makes recommendations on how existing education and training systems and delivery mechanisms, as well as other sources of skills supply, can be improved. My Department provides research and secretarial support to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Issues (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The performance of the import and export sectors has been significantly impacted over the last three years by both Brexit and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as we cautiously emerge from these necessary public health restrictions and global markets begin to open again, the Government will continue to help businesses in their next phase of recovery and adaptation. My Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (15 Sep 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The officials in my Department continuously monitor Ireland's latest economic data to assess the state of the Irish economy in conjunction with other relevant information such as PUP and EWSS numbers, which includes the impact that COVID-19 and Brexit have had, and continue to have, on the Irish economy. The Government has taken steps to ensure Irish businesses are supported while dealing...