Results 61-80 of 8,617 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Data (30 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) produces guidance for consumers on a wide range of consumer matters. This guidance includes information on buying from businesses outside of the EU and buying online, including informing consumers how to check where a business is based, and advising consumers to check the policies of businesses outside of the EU. The information is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Consumer Rights (30 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: My Department’s work in relation to the broader Circular Economy can be seen in the transposition and embedding of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulations, which are the cornerstone of the EU Commission’s approach to more environmentally sustainable and circular products. My Department is also working on the transposition of the both the Green Transition and the Right...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Clendennen. The Government recognises that the cost of doing business has been an issue for firms in recent years arising from wider inflationary trends, including energy costs. It is important to note that costs for firms, as measured through the CSO’s wholesale price index, are declining and are down 3% in the 12 months to August 2025. Most recently, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: Deputy Clendennen has been a firm advocate for small family businesses. His voice has been very strong in that regard. We know many of those operate around the kitchen table; they do not have a finance or HR director. They employ two thirds of all people in our economy. That is why we have worked very hard to reduce the red tape in LEOs. We set about working through the centre of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for his strong support of the 9% VAT proposal. I know as tourism Minister as well that the key link in our identity is the authentic offering we have through our independent businesses like small coffee shops and restaurants. That will be key to the Government's response. We know the pressure they are under. There are over 240,000 jobs in regional locations and an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I would absolutely support Deputy Fleming in what he set out, those 30 ha and the critical importance of an advance factory unit or a building solution unit because we know that it shortens lead time for investors. When you are bringing someone on site and you have a ready-made building, or the consent agreed for a building, it makes a difference. We will absolutely work with the Deputy on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I do indeed. Our new life science strategy will be brought forward next year. That will be in line with the EU life science strategy and will aim to grow the 100,000 employees in the sector and the more than €100 billion in exports. Galway is very much front and centre of that, being a hub of medtech. About 70% of medtech companies are doing research and development and they are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I understand that work is ongoing with the local authority in relation to that. My Department is very happy to support that planning permit, which will be very important for the sector. There is huge opportunity. We hear some negative things about the planning process but one thing that strikes me, as a former Minister of State with responsibility for planning, is that over 90% of planning...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Fleming for his question on the midlands region. Regional development is a key focus in the programme for Government and is central to the work of my Department and its agencies. In that regard, IDA Ireland has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional development as a core pillar of its 2025 to 2029 strategy, which we launched a number of months ago. This ambitious...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I will be categorical in stating that we are absolutely not excluding Laois. I was down there recently. The Leprino plant is an existing sector business under Enterprise Ireland that we are trying to find a replacement for through the FDI sector. It is a highly regulated plant that needs very significant support. As the Deputy will be aware, we are also working on an advance planning...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourism Policy (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I am happy to bring in the stakeholders to see how we can improve the offering. I have no objection to that, especially when, as the Deputy has well described, the asset could have great potential. That is what we need to do. We need to get back to the authentic beauty that Ireland has to offer and the authentic céad míle fáilte that we are so renowned for worldwide. We can...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: IDA Ireland’s regional strategy has a proven track record of success, and the agency has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional development as a core pillar of its strategy for the period 2025 to 2029, which I launched some months ago. The strategy aims to secure 550 regional investments over its lifetime. That is 55% of all investments, including 100 in the west, reflecting...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourism Policy (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: First, I should say that we will have a new tourism plan, hopefully in the next month, following consultation right across Government. That should be a good response to where we need to be for future-proofing the sector. I should clarify that the promotion and operation of regional tourism is a matter for the local authorities, Fáilte Ireland and other tourism stakeholders. Cork is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourism Policy (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Moynihan for his question. Absolutely, I am open to working with the Deputy on that. Maybe we could set up a meeting with Fáilte Ireland to see what is specifically being done for the Gearagh to ensure that the message about its natural beauty is being advertised. Údarás na Gaeltachta and Fáilte Ireland met recently to form a strategic partnership. They...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for the question, which I appreciate. It concerns a very important area for us as a Government and one that under the programme for Government we have committed to finalising the action plan on the promotion of collective bargaining by the end of 2025, in line with the EU directive on adequate minimum wages. Work on developing the action plan in conjunction with our...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh again for her comments on the matter. As I said, it is one area that through the programme for Government we are very much committed to. The Deputy quite rightly spoke about participation in the various forums. Deliberations will be ongoing on that and how we can address it in our action plan. We will be doing that. We have got a lot out of the LEEF structure...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I absolutely agree that quality jobs are so important in our economy. I think this will be one of the areas we will focus on during our Presidency of the EU in the second half of next year. That will give us a key opportunity. We must remember that in the action plan and under the adequate minimum wage directive, MEPs from my party, including Regina Doherty and others, played a huge role...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Schemes (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I appreciate the feedback and ideas because we all need ideas to come forward. Along with Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs, I am particularly focused on making things more accessible and trying to reduce the administrative burden. I am trying to establish a new accelerator programme for our country. The Deputy will be aware of PorterShed in Galway, Dogpatch Labs in Dublin, the NDRC and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: I am not aware of making any such promise. I want to be very clear on that. The National Minimum Wage Acts allow for lower or subminimum rates of the minimum wage for employees aged 20 years and younger. Those aged less than 18 years can be paid 70% of the full minimum wage rate, while those aged 18 and 19 years can be paid 80% and 90%, respectively, of the full rate. As the Deputy is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wage-setting Mechanisms (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Burke: This is not an over and back exchange. The Deputy can make his contribution.