Results 8,821-8,840 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Regarding guidelines for pubs, nightclubs and other businesses that do not serve food, they will be allowed to reopen, all things going to plan, in phase 4, which is due to begin on 20 July. Usually we have the guidelines out a week or two before the start date of a new phase - I do not know for sure, but that is generally when one would expect to see them - to give people the opportunity to...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I do not like to see any business cutting people's pay and I know the Deputy does not either and nor does anyone in the House. The reason a company qualifies for the wage subsidy scheme is because it cannot afford to pay the wages. While most companies are topping up the wage subsidy scheme, some cannot even afford to do so. This is the situation we are in. We have had an enormous shock...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The Deputy and I appreciate that every business is different. In speaking about them in the way we are, we are very much generalising. I would not use the term "reasonable". I would say it is regrettable if any company has to reduce the pay of staff. It should only do so if it genuinely has to and we both agree on that. Certainly it is preferable to see reductions in pay rather than...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: Just a brief response. I thank the Deputy for his contribution and his support for the Revised Estimates. He made a point that I agree with absolutely, namely, that what is being done today is not enough. He is right. These are Revised Estimates to allow us to pay for what has already been announced, but we will make further announcements as part of the July stimulus package. That will...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am aware of the High Court judgment. My officials and the Attorney General's office are currently studying it. We will make a decision in the next couple of days on whether or not to appeal it. We have until 14 July to appeal. I say to anyone who works in those sectors, be it in construction, contract cleaning, electrical contracting or anyone covered by an SEO or an ERO, that their...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I believe that fraud is fraud, be it welfare fraud, tax fraud or companies gaming Government grants. I take the same dim view of fraud, whether it is committed by an individual or by a company. I do not take the view, as I have seen some Deputies to my left do, that some forms of fraud are okay because of the social class of the person committing that fraud. That is a rather perverse way...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: It is not business as usual in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. We have the wage subsidy scheme, which is a massive and unprecedented scheme such as I have never seen in my lifetime. The State is essentially paying the wages of the best part of 500,000 employees in private sector firms so that they have retained their jobs. Nearly €2 billion has been paid out to...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I may be able to answer a few of her points but I will have to come back to her on others. As things stand, the grants and loans offered, including the restart grant, the wage subsidy scheme and the various loan schemes, are not tied to any particular environmental or social obligations. That may well be the case in the future. Down the line, we...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: If the Deputy wants to go over the details of the restart grant, which have been provided to her, 34,000 businesses have claimed it so far but only €61 million has been drawn down. This Estimate, if passed today, will provide €250 million. That still leaves the best part of €180 million to be drawn down. We are not dealing with the July stimulus plan today. That...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I am afraid I do not know what the Deputy means by "arbitrary" in this context. The way the restart grant works is that a business has its rates refunded. If a business did not pay rates, then it is not arbitrary for that business to not get a rates rebate. It is a common sense approach but that is not to say there are not other schemes that might help businesses. For example, there is a...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I will respond to as many of the Deputy's questions as I can now and perhaps revert to her other queries by correspondence. I am two days in the job and I am not across everything just yet but I promise I will get there very soon. With regard to the supports that are in place for businesses, there is a very long list of them but they really fall into four major categories, one being the...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I move: That a sum not exceeding €1,401,200,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, including certain services administered by that Office, for the payment of certain subsidies and grants and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: I have set out in the table below the value of Restart Grant applications which have been approved and paid by each Local Authority as of 26th June, 2020. Local Authority Value of Applications Paid Carlow €433,183 Cavan €435,815 Clare €1,920,115 ...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: On Friday, 15 May, 2020, the Government decided to establish a new a new €250m Restart Grant providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses to help them with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. The grant is being administered by the local authorities and the online Application Form went live on Friday May 22, 2020. To...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Co-operative Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: My Department supports co-operatives in the same way as it supports other enterprises. Worker co-operatives set up prior to 2019 cannot be definitively identified on the Register of Friendly Societies as worker co-operatives so it is not possible to give a definitive position in relation to any funding provided to such entities. Since 2019, no co-operatives have been registered under the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Farm Safety (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The agriculture sector remains one of the most high-risk sectors in terms of workplace fatalities and injuries and this is a matter of concern to both myself and to the Health and Safety Authority. So far this year, of the total twenty- seven workplace fatalities which have been reported to the Health and Safety Authority twelve have been in the that sector and, tragically, three of these...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The National Return to Work Safely Protocol is the primary guide for businesses in making their assessments and adapting their workplace procedures and practices to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures. It sets out in very clear terms for employers and employees the steps that they must take firstly before a workplace reopens, and then while it continues...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: The National Return to Work Safely Protocol is a useful guide for businesses in making their assessments and adapting their workplace procedures and practices to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures. It sets out in very clear terms for employers and employees the steps that they must take firstly before a workplace reopens, and then while it continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: On Friday, May 15th, 2020 the Government announced details of the new €250m Restart Grant providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers. To avail of the Restart Grant, applicants must be a commercial business and be in the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Leo Varadkar: On 19thJune, the Government, having considered the expert public health advice provided by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), approved the rephasing of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. Apart from some exceptions, most sectors have been brought forward to Phase 3, which began on Monday 29 June. Cinemas are among the businesses permitted to reopen on 29thJune,...