Results 7,261-7,280 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Due to the uncertainties caused by Brexit, many European Employee Fora and European Works Councils (EWCs) currently situated in the UK are reconsidering their location and many are now considering Ireland as a location post-Brexit. Ireland has proven to be an attractive destination for EWCs for a variety of reasons including the fact that we operate a common law legal system, have a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149, 166 and 183 together. Directive 2019/1/EU empowers the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market. It is more commonly known as the “ECN+ Directive” and it is due for transposition by 4 February 2021. In Ireland, it is intended to transpose the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes were designed to help small and medium sized businesses get back on their feet after what has been an exceptionally difficult time. The purpose of the schemes was to help with the cost of reopening or adapting business premises so that normal business could resume. Grant payments were administered by the Local Authorities via the commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Údarás na Gaeltachta (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department does not provide any money directly to Udaras na Gaeltachta. However, Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta have an agreed Memorandum of Understanding to enable Údarás to optimise the resources available to its indigenous client companies through supports and programmes administered by EI. The Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Preparations (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I can assure the Deputy that I, and my Government colleagues, continue to engage actively with our EU counterparts across a number of different fora. I very much welcome the solidarity and strong support shown by EU colleagues throughout the period since the UK decided to leave the EU. Following engagement between my predecessors and Executive Vice President Vestager it was agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes were designed to help small and medium sized businesses get back on their feet after what has been an exceptionally difficult time. The Restart Grant scheme was launched on 15 May with a budget of €250 million. The Restart Grant Plus scheme was launched on 10 August with an additional budget of €300m from the Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that publicans are making a massive sacrifice to protect their communities. I am committed to ensuring that the Government offers as much assistance as possible. A comprehensive range of measures is in place for firms of all sizes, including the wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities and is available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Programme for Government (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government sets out a number of inter-related commitments under the “A New Social Contract” Mission. This Mission includes the following initiatives that pertain to the work of the Low Pay Commission: - Progress to a living wage over the lifetime of the Government - Request the Low Pay Commission to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes were designed to help small and medium sized businesses get back on their feet after what has been an exceptionally difficult time. The Restart Grant scheme was launched on 15 May with a budget of €250 million. The Restart Grant Plus scheme was launched on 10 August with an additional budget of €300m from the Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) plays a key role in Irish society and the Irish economy. Its services help to maintain industrial relations stability, mediate and adjudicate in individual disputes, raise awareness of and improve industrial and employment relations generally, promote, monitor and enforce compliance with employment standards and provides recourse for people who feel...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Preparations (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department’s budget allocation for 2021 has been increased by €154 million or 15.9% on the 2020 allocation in addition to €100 million earmarked from the Recovery Fund for Brexit. This is a record allocation and will significantly bolster the capability of our enterprise and regulatory agencies to help businesses examine their Brexit exposure, seek advice, avail of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Company Law (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Responsibility for employment rights, redundancy and insolvency recently transferred to my Department from the Department of Social Protection, and the recommendations made in the Duffy-Cahill report are currently being revisited. I have also asked the Company Law Review Group, as per the Programme for Government, to look again at aspects of Company Law in this area. I extend my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes were designed to help small and medium sized businesses get back on their feet after what has been an exceptionally difficult time. The Restart Grant scheme was launched on 15 May with a budget of €250 million. The Restart Grant Plus scheme was launched on 10 August with an additional budget of €300m from the Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: There is now a well-established method for determining the National Minimum Wage. The Low Pay Commission was established under the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Act 2015. The primary remit of the Commission is to make annual recommendations to Government on the appropriate rate of the National Minimum Wage using an evidence-based approach. In every year since its...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Agreements (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: In January 2020, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, commissioned independent consultancy firm, Implement Consulting, to undertake an Economic and Sustainability Impact Assessment of the EU-Mercosur Agreement. The Impact Assessment will consist of two equally important and complementary components, namely a comprehensive analysis of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: To enhance the suite of loans products available to Irish businesses who will be impacted by Brexit, Microfinance Ireland (MFI) launched their Brexit Business Loan on the 23rd of November this year. MFI and officials in my Department have developed this loan product to operate under MFI’s remit which means the loans are available to micro businesses, eg, businesses with less than 10...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As a consequence of the UK leaving the EU customs union and the Single Market on 1 January, significant changes will come into effect from that date. Substantial advice and resources on a range of issues across Government Departments/agencies, including extensive webinar content, is available on the Government Brexit portal at www.Gov.ie/Brexit. This covers issues such as customs...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes were designed to help small and medium sized businesses get back on their feet after what has been an exceptionally difficult time. The Restart Grant scheme was launched on 15 May with a budget of €250 million. The Restart Grant Plus scheme was launched on 10 August with an additional budget of €300m from the Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Agreements (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The EU reached political agreement in their trade negotiations with the Mercosur region in June 2019. The resultant EU-Mercosur Agreement is the EU’s largest trade deal to date and covers a population of over 770 million with trade in goods and services valued at €122 billion. Irish exporters have been subject to trade tariffs, barriers and restrictions when exporting to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Disability Support Services (17 Dec 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As a member of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities Implementation Group, my Department has committed to highlight the supports that are available to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities in the open labour market, or to retain in the workforce employees who acquire a disability. The Department of Social Protection offers a number of workplace...