Results 8,401-8,420 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: IDA Ireland (15 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: COVID-19 has presented undeniable challenges to our ongoing efforts to sustain and grow foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland. The introduction of travel restrictions around the world is already disrupting the typical way in which the IDA engages with investors, resulting in fewer numbers of site visits and client meetings. The pandemic has also impacted investor confidence and has...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The development and promotion of schemes to support incomes is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands Ms. Heather Humphreys, T.D.   While every effort is being made by this government to identify and develop supports that will benefit the widest spectrum of our communities, the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Government has authorised the reopening of pubs which do not serve food (so-called "wet pubs") on 21st September next after discussions with NPHET subject to strict regulations on social distancing and hygiene. However, given concern over the incidence of COVID-19 in Dublin, and based on NPHET’s recommendations, the Government has agreed that "wet pubs" in the County should remain...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Departmental Projects (15 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I would advise the Deputy that the exchequer funding provided through the DBEI Vote is mainly to support the activities and programmes of the Department, its Enterprise and Innovation Agencies and its Regulatory Bodies and would not normally involve expenditure of over €1 billion. The Deputy will be aware of the recently launched €2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I believe the former staff of Debenhams have been treated very badly by their employer in the way these redundancies came about, and they have our sympathies. Like many people, I have been impressed by, and respect, the campaign they have waged for nearly 160 days. They have shown extraordinary resilience and real strength but it is also the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I have engaged with the workers too. I have met them. I have engaged with Mandate, the trade union, and ICTU. I have spoken directly to Debenhams UK and I have sought advice from the Attorney General. The facts that I have are different from the facts the Deputy has. The basic fundamental facts differ as follows. Clerys was a very different situation. There was a very substantial and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know that a large number of Deputies, particularly in rural constituencies, are getting many representations about school transport, as we always do at this time of year, but they are of a very different nature this year because of the pandemic. It is absolutely the case that there have been positive Covid-19 cases among schoolchildren...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I will have to come back to the Deputy in respect of her specific question on Dublin Bus as I do not have that information to hand. Among the actions that the Department of Education and Skills is taking is the provision of grant support to parents to help them with the cost of private transport arrangements where they want it. So far just under 1,000 parents or guardians have contacted...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid will meet this afternoon and it will be an opportunity for us to receive an update from the Minister for Health and our public health team and consider a draft of our new plan to live with Covid over the course of the next six to nine months. In many ways, the first chapter of dealing with this pandemic was about locking down the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. The winter plan is being developed by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the HSE. I agree with the Deputy's comments that this needs to be done within the next few weeks and not when winter is already upon us. That is the plan and intention of the Government. We do not know what winter will be like. We cannot know for sure to what extent Covid will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for asking this important question and I will do my best to clarify the situation. The HSE commenced a programme of serial testing in meat and food production plants on 21 August. Since then, 13,000 tests have been carried out and 34 cases were detected. The testing of staff at meat and food processing plants has not been cancelled, it has been rescheduled for next week....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I hope the Deputy will respond to the questions I have asked later in the day. We will be happy to make time for that, or for a debate on the matter. Testing demand nearly trebled on Monday compared to last week, with a requirement for over 13,000 tests in the community and 3,000 hospital tests, a total of 16,000 in one day. Capacity is approximately 15,000 per day. While demand has...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Flood Relief Schemes (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: TI announced the Emergency Humanitarian Scheme at the beginning of August to provide urgent funding to small businesses, community and voluntary organisations in the South West region and other areas which were affected by flooding due to heavy rainfall caused by Storm Ellen. With the continuation of the adverse weather conditions and the arrival of Storm Francis, following a Government...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Employment Rights (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that on 1st November 2019 a General Employment Permit application was received in respect of the named person (details supplied). On 20th February 2020, a General Employment Permit issued in respect of the person concerned. Under the Covid-19 Employment Permits Contingency Arrangements, published by my Department on 30th March 2020,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Employment Rights (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The national Return to Work Safely Protocol, introduced in May, is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The Protocol sets out in very clear terms for employers and workers the steps that should have been taken before a workplace reopens, and as it continues to operate. It can be used in all workplaces in...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Health and Safety Authority is the lead agency in relation to overseeing compliance with the national Return to Work Safely Protocol. Between the period 18 May to 1 September the Health and Safety Authority completed 64 inspectionsof meat processing plant facilities (11of these were revisits), which include those connected with COVID-19 outbreaks. In the month of August alone, the HSA...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Trade Fairs (10 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I recognise the adverse impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on businesses right across the country, particularly those in the trade fairs and exhibitions industry. I know that employers, employees and the self-employed in this sector want to get back to work as quickly as possible and I support them in that ambition. Unfortunately, in recent weeks there have been multiple...

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

Leo Varadkar: The Business Continuity Voucher scheme was launched on 26th March. The purpose of the scheme was to provide expert guidance and advice to SMEs employing up 50 people and enable business owners make informed decisions about what immediate measures and remedial actions could be taken at the outset of this crisis, to protect staff and sales and eventually help the business recover. The scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Construction Contracts (9 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: As Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I am determined, together with the IDA, to attract further investment to Louth and the Border counties, as we seek to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. As part of its Regional Property Programme (RPP) the IDA successfully constructed an Advanced Office Building (AOB) at Finnabair Business Park in Dundalk last...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland (9 Sep 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I have been informed by IDA Ireland that there are currently no plans to open a new office in Melbourne, Australia. The Agency does, however, operate an office in Sydney as part of it global footprint of 19 offices which includes a number of locations in the Asia-Pacific region. The IDA continues to review its presence overseas on an ongoing basis, in line with the strong emphasis it places...