Results 6,461-6,480 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have illustrated just how vital an online trading presence can be to the survival of our SMEs and microenterprises.  Those businesses that have embraced the digital marketplace are now reaping the rewards. The Trading Online Voucher scheme, administered, on behalf on my Department, by the Local Enterprise Office network aims to assist our...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that the necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on businesses right across the country.  With this in mind the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Process (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department drafts and produces primary legislation through the process set out in the Cabinet Handbook. This process includes carrying out appropriate consultations with, and/or, where a constitutional issue or issues involving legal policy are likely to be involved, seeking advice from the Office of the Attorney General and seeking Government approval in respect of any principle of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the difficulties that business owners continue to face and with that in mind the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The announcement of 150 redundancies in this company is very regrettable and I extend my sympathies to the workers who have lost their jobs and to the families affected.  I understand that the manufacturing and production operations will not be impacted. As a client of Enterprise Ireland, the Agency has had discussions with the senior management team of the company on their proposals and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Since 2012, Enterprise Ireland have given grant supports of  €29m for various R&D Projects and HRD Programmes to the company queried by the Deputy. The breakdown of this amount is in the table below. Year Activity Grant 2012 2014 2016 6 R&D Projects €18m 2012 2014 7 HRD...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that these necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on all businesses right across the country.  Business owners are making sacrifices in order to protect their communities. With that in mind, I recently announced the new Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID.  This scheme is now open for applications through Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Nine Regional Steering Committees established by my Department are implementing Regional Enterprise Plans.  This ‘bottom-up’ collaborative mechanism, involves IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, Local Authorities, higher and further education bodies, private sector and others, within each region, chaired by a senior figure from industry. The Plans...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Enterprise Development Fund (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: My Department’s Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), first introduced in 2017 and administered by Enterprise Ireland, supports significant regional initiatives that build on sectoral strengths and/or to better leverage identified resources to improve enterprise capability, in order to help sustain and add to employment at county, regional and national level. There have...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Enterprise Ireland’s Ready for Customs grant provides companies with financial assistance to cover the costs of taking on much needed additional customs clearance staff. This grant is open to enterprises that are currently engaged in the movement of goods to, from, or through the UK and which will require new or increased customs clearance capacity. These include enterprises that are...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Enterprise Ireland’s Ready for Customs grant provides companies with financial assistance to cover the costs of taking on much needed additional customs clearance staff. This grant is open to enterprises that are currently engaged in the movement of goods to, from, or through the UK and which will require new or increased customs clearance capacity. These include enterprises that are...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that businesses are continuing to make massive sacrifices to protect their communities and I am committed to ensuring that the Government will offer as much assistance and support as possible. The wedding sector has been one of the worst affected and I understand that the continued restrictions are a source of great concern. My Department has worked to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: While a discrete element of capital expenditure under my Department’s Vote does involve investment in property mainly by the IDA Ireland as part of its efforts to attract FDI, the vast majority of our capital expenditure is targeted at supporting the enterprise promotion and job creation programmes of the Department and our Enterprise Agencies. These programmes include employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant Plus scheme has closed to new applications since 31 October 2020. The Scheme  has been superseded by a number of measures in Budget 2021, including the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) operated by the Revenue Commissioners, which offers a targeted, timely and temporary sector-specific support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety Authority (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Since the 1stof January 2021, the Health and Safety Authority  (HSA) has hired one Grade II Inspector and a further two Grade III Inspectors will take up employment in early April.  The HSA is actively recruiting Grade III inspectors at present and its current campaign had a closing date for receipt of applications of Friday, 19th of March last.  It is anticipated that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety Authority (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Between 1stJune 2020 and the 31stDecember 2020, the HSA carried out a total 5,979 workplace inspections of which 4,455 involved a compliance assessment of measures taken relating to the Work Safely Protocol. These inspections found: - 93%of workplaces had COVID-19 measures in place; - 79% of workplaces had COVID-19 Response plans in place; and - 73%of workplaces had a Lead Worker...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety Authority (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Workplace Contact Unit (WCU) is the Health and Safety Authority’s primary contact point for employers, employees, and members of the public to make complaints and seek information or guidance in relation to matters under its remit. Between 1stJune and 31stDecember 2020, the WCU received 2,078 COVID-19 related complaints; - 2,049 or 98.5% have been brought a conclusion and have been...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety Authority (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We are currently at Level 5 of the Government’s Plan for Living with Covid-19. The Plan clearly sets out that within this restriction level people should work from home unless it is absolutely necessary to attend in person for the delivery of an essential service as listed on www.gov.ie. At the beginning of the year, I issued a statement underlining the seriousness of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: In order to qualify for a statutory redundancy payment, an employee must have 104 weeks continuous employment, be an employed contributor in employment which was insurable for all benefits under the Social Welfare Acts and be over the age of 16.  An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks statutory redundancy payment for every year of service, plus a bonus week.  Compensation is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I understand this is an incredibly difficult time for families and businesses across the country and I would like to thank them for their efforts at this difficult time. By each of us following the spirit of the rules and working together we can hopefully ease some restrictions soon. S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19)...