Results 6,561-6,580 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Economic Data (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Digital Economy and Society Index Report (DESI) is a composite index that summarises five relevant indicators (Connectivity, Human Capital, Use of Internet Services, Integration of digital technology by businesses, Digital public services) on Europe’s digital performance and tracks the evolution of EU member states in digital competitiveness. Ireland is now ranked in 6thplace, an...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 140 together. The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, however, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As you are aware, I recently announced a new €60m Covid Business Scheme. The aim of this scheme is to provide grants to businesses ineligible for the Government’s other existing schemes such as CRSS and is designed to help with fixed costs. Wholesalers, suppliers, caterers and events companies down 75% or more in turnover and in receipt of a rates bill may benefit, including...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Privacy and data protection concerns are a matter for the Data Protection Commissioner. The ICT measures referred to by the Deputy to monitor employees are not matters which are provided for within the suite of employment rights law or in the context of the information required under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act, 1994.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Missions (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Each year, Enterprise Ireland offers a programme of trade missions and events which support the goal of securing high-level market access for companies based in Ireland who are aiming to grow business overseas and increase domestic employment. In recent years the majority of Ministerial-led Trade Missions have taken place to the Eurozone, North America and Asia Pacific, which...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 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 Restrictions Support...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has been working to prepare for Brexit for several years – with intensive effort across many Departments and Agencies, including legislation, supports for business and other sectors, stakeholder outreach and widespread public communications to promote readiness. Details of the business Brexit Supports available from my Department can be found at: My Department and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Internships (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The number of students who undertook work experience or internships with State Agencies under the aegis of my Department in 2019, the cost of these placements, and the estimated numerical capacity of these Agencies to provide work experience and internships on an annual basis is outlined below in tabular form: Agency No. of students on work experience/internship in 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 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. Businesses have had to make sacrifices in order to protect their community. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Broadband Plan (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I met with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) last week for an update on their progress with the National Broadband Plan. the National Broadband Plan is the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification. NBI informed me of their progress to date. Government will continue to engage with NBI over the coming months. If the plan can be speeded up, it will be speeded up.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am not aware of the development of a remote working hub in Adamstown, County Dublin. However, currently there is an Enterprise Ireland open ‘Regional Development Feasibility Fund’ that promoters, looking to scope out and investigate the viability of larger full-scale projects such as remote working hubs, can apply for. A feasibility grant of €15,000 or 50% of eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government announced that additional public health restrictions would apply under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19 on 6 January 2021. The introduction of the new restrictions followed advice from NPHET that the situation with the virus had deteriorated to the point where there was an absolute need to reduce the level of mobility and congregation in order to reduce all...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Customs and Excise (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am acutely aware that particular issues have emerged, and continue to emerge, for stakeholders as we all seek to implement the new EU-UK trade arrangements under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) consequent on Brexit. These are the inevitable outworkings of Brexit, a policy choice by the UK with which we did not agree, with the UK now a "Third Country" from a trade policy...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Data (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As the Deputy will be aware, the European Union and the United Kingdom reached an agreement on their future relationship on 24 December 2020, which provisionally entered into force on 1 January 2021. The Agreement delivers on the EU’s and Ireland’s objectives with businesses having access to zero rate preferential tariffs and quotas on goods traded between the EU and UK once...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Equality Issues (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I have not received nor had the opportunity to read the report referenced by the Deputy. I am advised it relates to deprivation and inequality in Ireland. I assure the Deputy these are priority areas for the Government.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Advertising (10 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As part of the broader Government’s COVID-19 Communications campaign, my Department promoted COVID-19 supports for business, as well as raised awareness around the Return to Work Safely Protocoland safe reopening of the retail sector through a Shop Safelycampaign. The following table sets out the funding spent on such campaigns by month, between 1stMarch 2020 and 1stMarch 2021. Attachment

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. I have come across similar cases. I am not sure if it is the exact same constituent. I will raise it with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on behalf of us both. It is a hard one to solve because any time a boundary is moved, the same issue arises. If the Dublin 15 figure is applied in Clonee, why not apply it to Dunboyne and then Dunshaughlin?...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I am sure the Deputy will not begrudge Kilkenny being one of the eight areas that benefited from those grants, but she makes a reasonable point as to why Carlow should be included as well. I will take that up with Fáilte Ireland. On the small business aid scheme that Deputy McAuliffe raised, that will be launched next week or so and it is a cash grant to help those businesses with...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising this issue and acknowledge his interest in issues relating to people with disabilities and his advocacy in this area. I checked in advance and that Bill has not been restored to the Order Paper when the new Dáil was formed. There are issues around policy and principles that need to be worked out. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Mar 2021)

Leo Varadkar: On that latter question, if I recall correctly from my time as Minister for Social Protection, someone in receipt of the disability allowance can move over to the back to enterprise allowance and receive both social welfare payments and grant support to get their business up and running. Perhaps I will come back to the Deputy with some more information on that On the issue raised by...