Results 7,061-7,080 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Remote Working (21 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government advice is clear. We are currently at Level 5 of the Government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan and within Level 5 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. The Health and Safety Authority has produced detailed guidance for both employers and employees in relation to...

EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Motion (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate and to recommend the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement to the House. Brexit is not good for Ireland, Britain or Europe, and Brexit was not our decision. It was a decision of the British people, one we regret but one we respect. From day one, our policy was to protect Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement, citizens' rights both North...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Court (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Labour Court held a hearing with all interested parties on a proposal submitted to it by the Security Industry Joint Labour Committee (JLC) on 18 January 2021. The Labour Court shall consider the matter pursuant to section 42B (12) of the IR Act 1946. The Labour Court may, as it thinks proper, adopt the proposal, amend the proposal, or refuse to adopt the proposal. Should the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) contributes to multi-agency efforts to enforce the Atypical Worker Permission Scheme for Non-EEA Workers engaged on certain Irish-registered whitefish fishing vessels. In terms of fisher activity, 31 desktop inspections and two on-board inspections were completed in 2020, covering...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Agreements (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, commonly known as CETA, is one of the EU’s new generation of progressive free trade agreements. CETA is designed to benefit EU and Canadian companies through improved trade flows in support of increased employment for our citizens. The elimination of tariffs, reduced trade barriers and simplified customs procedures that flow...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The Government published the national COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy on 15thDecember 2020. The Strategy outlines Ireland’s high-level plan for safe, effective and efficient vaccination on a phased basis across different categories of our population while safeguarding continued provision of health and social care services. The Deputy will be aware that the first COVID-19 vaccines to be...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Government Level 5 restrictions only construction sites considered essential are allowed to remain open. The limited list of essential construction sites that can remain open from 8 January is set out on www.gov.ie. The Health and Safety Authority has no role in determining whether any business, including construction sites, is essential or not. However, inspectors from the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Issues (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Since January 1, following the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, the UK has been outside the EU Single Market and Customs Union and this means that a range of new formalities apply to goods moving to, from or through the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland. I am aware that Revenue fully appreciates that the new regulatory requirements and customs formalities...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Issues (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: A number of Government Departments and statutory bodies have a role or interest in monitoring the impact of Brexit on retail prices. These include the Department of Finance, the Central Statistics Office, and the Central Bank of Ireland. In terms of my Department, the Economic the Social Research Institute undertook research at the request of the Competition and Consumer Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Government Level 5 restrictions only businesses considered essential are allowed to remain open. The limited list of essential businesses, services and construction sites, which includes certain large projects in the Exporting/FDI sector, that can remain open is set out on www.gov.ie. To implement the new measures S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Growing Irish exports into the Eurozone is a key strategic focus of Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland supports companies to start, scale and succeed in international markets. Through Enterprise Ireland’s network of 40 international offices, the agency assisted client companies to increase their exports by providing market intelligence to inform companies’...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Value of Exports (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 21, inclusive, and 32 together. The long-term response to Brexit is for companies across all sectors to become more competitive, more innovative and to diversify their export footprint into more international markets. My Department’s 2021 budget allocation of €1.13bn represents an increase of €154 million or 15.9% on the 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. Further information can be found on . The decision to move to full scale Level 5 was not taken lightly and all factors were considered. The restrictions are in place for a period of at least one month from 31 December 2020. S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. Further information can be found on S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 () clearly sets...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The economic disruption wrought by COVID-19 has been widespread across all sectors of the economy and all regions of the country. Using the latest quarterly national accounts data from the CSO, the Arts and Entertainment sector was identified as the sector most affected by COVID-19 related disruption, followed by the Professional, Admin and Support Services Sector and the Construction Sector....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Remote Working (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: As our country continues to navigate Covid-19, remote working has become more important than ever before. To date, my Department has had a strong focus on the topic of remote work. Last year as a response to COVID-19, my Department launched a Public Consultation on Remote Work Guidance and created a new guidance webpage for employers and employees. Building on this work, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: From the outset of Covid-19, many employers have taken the initiative, in line with subsequent requests from the Government, to be as flexible as possible in allowing staff time off to look after their children who are not attending school or crèche. Employers have a general duty of care towards their workers and that care is often expressed in the form of negotiation, compromise and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Section 12A of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 is the emergency provision which suspends an employee’s entitlement to claim redundancy from their employer following certain periods of lay-off or short time work due to Covid-19. When this emergency provision ceases to have effect, eligible employees will be able to make a claim for redundancy from their employer. The employer can then...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. Further information can be found on S.I. No. 701 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 and S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 () clearly sets...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Haulage Industry (20 Jan 2021)

Leo Varadkar: The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time. The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the two occupation lists: critical skills...