Results 7,781-7,800 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that publicans are making a massive sacrifice to protect their communities and I am committed to ensuring that the Government offers as much assistance and support as possible. As part of the Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes, several top-up payments were approved by Government to deal with additional financial pressures caused by necessary Covid-19 restrictions....

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Departmental Strategies (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department is currently in the process of developing a new Statement of Strategy for the period 2020 - 2023. This new Strategy will set out the key goals and objectives that the Department will work to achieve in the coming years. It will take account of the many Programme for Government commitments that fall within the Department's remit and will reflect the changes in responsibility that...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am keenly aware that businesses are making a massive sacrifice to protect their communities and I am committed to ensuring that the Government will offer as much assistance and support as possible. Budget 2021 provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. The measures in...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Since the introduction of level 5 restrictions on the 21 October 2020 the Health and Safety Authority has carried out 13 inspections of meat processing plants, with 146 inspections since the 18thof May 2020. Of the 146 inspections, 116 were unannounced and 30 were announced. There have been no announced inspections since early August. In addition, Inspectors for the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: IDA Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government is strongly committed to regional development and this Department and its agencies - including IDA Ireland - are working towards ambitious targets to ensure that employment and investment are as evenly distributed as possible across the country. This includes actively marketing potential investment sites outside of our main cities and working to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has put enterprise measures in place for businesses that require finance as they develop a response to their exposure to impacts arising from COVID-19. The uptake of these supports has been robust and indicates that businesses are taking action in response to this period of disruption. Budget 2021 provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Brexit Preparations (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The U.K. will leave the single market & customs union in less than 60 days. No matter what happens between now and then, there will be changes. If you are a business owner, now is the time to get ready. The Government’s Brexit Readiness Action Plan sets out a broad range of changes that will occur from 31 December 2020, regardless of the outcome of ongoing EU-UK negotiations....

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Sick Pay Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am committed to bringing in a statutory sick pay scheme for Ireland and it is my intention that this scheme will be designed in consultation with unions and employer groups. Work is well underway. As a starting point I presented a draft issues paper on statutory sick pay to the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF) sub-group on employment legislation and regulation on Wednesday, 30...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Health and Safety Inspections (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Ensuring that the education sector is a safe learning and working environment for all is a priority for this Government. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the lead agency in relation to checking compliance with the Return to Work Safely Protocol. However, inspectors from other Government Departments and State Bodies, including the Department of Education, are also carrying out Protocol...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The level of support now being provided to businesses to remain viable and sustain employment across all sectors is unprecedented. I am satisfied that we have an appropriate mix of supports in place to support workers and businesses in moving to Level 5, in particular, so businesses can reopen and restore employment as we suppress the virus. Under Enterprise Ireland's Sustaining Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: We know the move to Level 5 has a significant impact on businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector. In order to reduce transmission of this disease quickly we have made this decision now so we can return to a lower level of the Living with Covid-19 framework. As part of the Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes, several top-up payments were approved by Government to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department has put a range of enterprise measures in place for businesses that require finance as they develop a response to their exposure to impacts arising from COVID-19. The uptake of these supports has been robust and indicates that businesses are taking action in response to this period of disruption. Budget 2021 provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Restart Plus Grant scheme was launched on 10thAugust 2020 from the Government’s July Jobs Stimulus. The scheme was designed primarily to help businesses that have not reopened yet and those struggling to do so. The Government carefully assessed the immediate needs of businesses and responded with a package of scale and speed to meet their most crucial needs. The eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: In March 2020 the Government introduced an emergency amendment to the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 which effectively 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. The Government was concerned that the financial impact of significant redundancy claims at this time would have a serious...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has a long-term involvement in the Seed and Venture Market in Ireland, bringing investment to Irish businesses and helping them start and scale. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is the agency tasked with delivering the State’s Seed and Venture investments, which involves public funding being matched with private investment. These investments involve funding at different stages,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: There is no doubt that our struggle with COVID – 19 and our battle to suppress this virus is having severe effect on certain business sectors and the food distribution and supply sectors in particular. We know the move to Level 5 will have a significant impact on food service businesses and their suppliers. Bord Bia is continuing to work with food producers and suppliers to diversify...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Domestic Violence Policy (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has policy responsibility for maternity leave, parental leave, carer’s leave and force majeure leave. The issue of paid leave for victims of domestic violence would fall within this category of compassionate leave. I understand that officials in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Trade Missions (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: There have been three Ministerial led trade missions to Japan since 2016 as follows: On 14-18 October 2019, the then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms Heather Humphreys, T.D. led a Trade and Investment Mission to Japan. On 27-29 September 2017, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. led a Trade and Investment...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Enterprise Ireland’s primary remit is the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Working in partnership with client companies through a national network of 10 offices and 40 overseas offices, the agency assists Irish enterprise to start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. Enterprise Ireland has two physical presences in Australia. The...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland is currently at Level 5 of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 - the Plan for Living with COVID-19. At Level 5, only essential retail outlets and essential services are allowed to open to the public. The list of essential services that can remain open during Level 5 includes therapy services provided by...