Results 6,501-6,520 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

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. Under Level 5, only essential retail outlets will remain open and all measures in Level 5 will stay in place...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy's question is relevant to my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications under whose remit this matter falls.

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

Leo Varadkar: I recognise the impact that this pandemic is having 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 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the Small Business Assistance...

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: Social Enterprise Sector (24 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 to 196, inclusive, together. There is no specific legal form under which social enterprises must operate. A social enterprise operating under company law has various options available including registering as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) or as a private company limited by shares (LTD). Irrespective of the option chosen, the Companies...

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

Leo Varadkar: On 15 January last I published Ireland’s first National Remote Work Strategy to make remote working a permanent option for life after the pandemic. A key action within the National Remote Work Strategy is to extend the mapping and classifications of hubs - as completed by Western Development Commission on the Atlantic Economic Corridor - across the country to develop national data on...

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

Leo Varadkar: My reply to the Deputy’s Question of 3rd February related to the application and operation of the European Union's Safeguard Measures on steel, which have been in operation since July 2018 and which were initiated in response to the United States applying a 25% tariff on steel imports originating from 3rd countries, including the European Union. In this regard, this action by the...

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. My Department has worked to ensure that appropriate supports are in place for businesses that require finance as they develop their response to their exposure to impacts arising from...

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

Leo Varadkar: International Trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties.  In exercising that competence at the WTO, the European Commission engages with Member States, including Ireland, through a variety of Committee and Working Parties/Groups, including on intellectual property.  The EU’s current position on the proposed waiver is that the WTO international agreement on Trade...

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)...

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)...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (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. Decisions on reopening are made by Government based on health advice. I know that adequate...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Future Growth Loan Scheme makes lending available to SMEs and small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) seeking financing for long-term strategic investment, including in response to the impacts of Brexit and COVID-19. The scheme was launched in 2019 and initially provided for up to €300m in long-term lending, however in July of 2020 it was expanded by €500m to make a total...

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

Leo Varadkar: The 2020 Revised Estimates Volume published in December 2019 provided my Department with an original gross allocation of €970.908 million for use last year. The Estimate also permitted the Department to carryover €42.5 million in unspent 2019 capital appropriations for use in 2020. The Revised Estimate actually presented to and approved by the Dáil on 30th June 2020,...

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

Leo Varadkar: Details of the payment options available for persons to pay fines, charges or bills to my Department and the Offices under its aegis are as follows: Workplace Relations Commission The Workplace Relations Act 2015 provides for the charging and payment of a fixed payment notice (a fine) for four specified contraventions of employment law by a person / employer.  A person who receives a...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: 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.  I know that Charities and charity shops are also struggling during these restrictions.  Individuals and businesses are making sacrifices in order to protect their communities. With that in mind, I recently announced the new...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to take that matter up with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and ask her to get back to the Deputy with a more detailed reply. I imagine the intention will be to enable people to catch up on any lost time or lost training that they missed out on due to Covid. At the same time, that has to be balanced with the need to have a churn of people coming on and off...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. To my recollection, it has not been brought to Cabinet but I will follow it up with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and ask him to provide the Deputies with a more detailed response.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: We are all grappling with the appropriate use of the GDPR in our work as Deputies and Ministers. I know that people working in public administration and business feel the exact same. The more clarity we can provide for people the better. If there is a specific aspect of the regulation that the Deputy has in mind, perhaps to do with medical cards, and he wants to give me more details later,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputies. I am certainly sympathetic to the proposal that car parking should be free for cancer patients. Everyone in this House would be sympathetic to that, although it raises the obvious question of what should happen for people receiving treatments for illnesses other than cancer. Why would they have to pay and others would not? There would be an inequity in that which...