Results 621-640 of 4,707 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flood Relief Schemes (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: The Emergency Humanitarian Flooding scheme is available to businesses with up to 20 employees, (whole-time equivalents), community, voluntary and sporting bodies that through no fault of their own cannot secure flood insurance. For the purpose of this scheme a small business is defined as one with up to 20 employees (whole-time equivalents). The business premises must have been damaged by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: Balanced regional development is a priority for this Government. Since 2017, my Department, through Enterprise Ireland, has approved over €134m in funding for 79 enterprise focused projects through the Regional Enterprise Development Fund and Border Enterprise Development Fund. The Regional Enterprise Innovation Scoping Scheme (REISS) supports the development of potential...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: The SME Test is a regulatory impact assessment tool that encourages policymakers across Government to consider the impact new legislation or regulations may have on SMEs. The Test was designed by my Department to ease the regulatory burden on SMEs, and should be applied by all Departments to new relevant legislation. Implementation of the Test is a commitment in the Programme for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: Global Ireland 2025 is a whole-of-Government strategy, led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, that aims to double Ireland’s global footprint and influence in the period 2018 to 2025. In July 2023, a review of the strategy found that implementation has brought significant benefits to Ireland, including by equipping our country to better withstand the challenges of recent years;...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: Entrepreneurs are vital to the success of the Irish economy and the continued growth of our economy is highly dependent on entrepreneurs and the businesses that they create, develop, and grow. The Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) Index, is a product of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring Report. Ireland last participated in this report in 2021/2022 and the TEA rate for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248, 249 and 258 together. To achieve sustainable, diversified growth, and enhanced economic resilience, it is vital that the Irish-owned enterprise sector fulfils its potential to scale and succeed on global markets. The White Paper on Enterprise sets out an ambition for 2,000 additional Irish-owned exporters by 2030. To help achieve this ambition,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: The data sets in question are not fully available in the manner requested by the Deputy. However, the following information represents the latest data available to my Department. The most comparable statistics available are those included in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring (GEM) Report. This report includes a statistic on “New business owners” which is broken down by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system, maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The regime is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the State in the short to medium term. Details and information on the current guidelines and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: The Health and Safety Authority has sanction for 317 staffing positions, made up of those in administration and inspector grades. The inspector grades comprise of Grade I (senior inspectors) as well as Grade II and Grade III inspectors. Inspectors operate across all of the Health and Safety Authority’s broad mandates which include occupational health and safety, chemicals,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: A number of weeks ago I was very lucky to meet the proprietors of Wholesome Kitchen in Mullingar when I visited the local enterprise office. Deputy Troy was on paternity leave at that time so we were not able to meet together. I know it is a wonderful business providing good employment. I can tell the Deputy it is good food as well because I was in a position to sample a bit. This is why...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising what is an extremely topical issue. It gives me an opportunity to provide an update and some clarity on what has been done and is being done, and, more importantly, what will be done. Fundamentally, we recognise that small businesses are facing a number of acute challenges, particularly those businesses in the hospitality sector and others to...

Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021 [Seanad]be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, so as to allow sufficient time for the development of Government legislative proposals before the end of 2024, in line...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: The purpose of the Emergency Humanitarian Flood Relief Scheme administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is to provide urgent funding to small businesses (up to 20 employees), community and voluntary organisations affected by flooding who were unable, through no fault of their own, to secure flood insurance.The Scheme provides a contribution towards the costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (18 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: This Government and my Department are fully committed in advancing the interests of SMEs in Ireland. The White Paper on Enterprise sets out an ambitious vision for Ireland’s enterprise policy, to protect Ireland’s strong economic position, and respond to challenges and opportunities that have emerged because of the pandemic, wider economic and geo-political developments,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (18 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that the application concerned in the details supplied was refused on 4th January 2024. An appeal against the refusal reasons in relation to this application has been received. The reviewing officer will be considering the appeal shortly and a decision will be forwarded to the applicant in due course.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Rail Network (17 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: Beyond the Minister, Deputy Ryan, Deputy Matthews is the expert. As a rail engineer he spent 20 years working on the railways. I am sure there is a good reason there is a gap between arrival and deployment. There is a time delay and I will make sure the Minister, Deputy Ryan, tracks-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Rail Network (17 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: I am sure there is a version of spinning it around the showroom but I will make sure the Minister, Deputy Ryan, provides clarity there. Deputy Matthews spent ages on this tonight and he would have known for sure. I will not repeat and reiterate things that Deputy Ó Cuív knows better than I because he has been there and has seen what the Department of Transport has been doing in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: As the Deputy can understand, I cannot give specifics on the hoof on those schools in question but I will speak to the Minister in question and make sure that is communicated to the Deputy as soon as possible by the Department's team. The following alludes in some ways to the situation in Laois in particular. Laois is a county the Deputy will know better than me. Indeed, it is the Ceann...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Rail Network (17 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív sincerely for raising this important topic which, he will understand, I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I clarify, as the Deputy will be well aware, that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (17 Jan 2024)

Neale Richmond: I genuinely and sincerely thank Deputy Stanley for raising this issue and laying out very considerably what is an extremely delicate matter - I think we both accept that - not just for the students in question but particularly their families, teachers and the wider school community. At the outset, with the Deputy's indulgence, I would like to lay out a little bit of the detail with regard...