Results 901-920 of 4,715 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Sports Funding (4 Jul 2023)

Neale Richmond: My Department provides supports to businesses through the enterprise agencies. Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices provide direct financial assistance to businesses in the manufacturing and internationally trading services sectors; and advisory and training services to enterprises including those in the locally traded sectors. The recently redeveloped supportingSMEs.gov.ie...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (4 Jul 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that the person concerned in the details supplied was granted a Multi-Site General Employment Permit on 26thJanuary 2022 and is currently working in the State as a non-consultant hospital doctor on the basis of this employment permit. On 27thApril 2022 an application for a Stamp 4 support letter was received from the person concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (4 Jul 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Department of Justice report on the Review of the Atypical Scheme for non-EEA Crew in the Irish Fishing Fleet concluded that the employment of non-EEA crew in the Irish fishing fleet, which had been catered for under the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) since 2015, should be provided for under the Employment Permits system. The occupation of Sea-fisher is currently on the Ineligible...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Film Industry (4 Jul 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: State Bodies (4 Jul 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Office of Government Procurement operates as an office of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It is responsible for implementing national policy on public procurement, particularly in relation to construction procurement. Generally, the payment of subcontractors is a contractual matter between the contractor and the subcontractor and enforceable before the Courts. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (4 Jul 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is independent in the exercise of its quasi-judicial function, and I have no direct involvement in its day-to-day operations. However, I am informed of the following. Disability discrimination cases typically come before an Adjudication Officer under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, which prohibit discrimination in the workplace and in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: I will reply to Deputy Stanton directly in that regard. In relation to any changes that may arise - I do not want to pre-empt that - I believe I can do so through a statutory instrument. On the situation in Canada, I attended a meeting of the OECD in Paris yesterday. I sat beside the Canadian minister responsible for small business and employment for two days and we discussed the matter...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The priority of the section at the moment is the overall review of the critical skills list, which has just started. I have asked officials to ensure that the moment it finishes, by the end of August, that we will be able to work on this. I would like to be able to come back to the Deputy in the first week after Dáil recess with a definitive answer one way or another.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The intra-company transfer permit system is designed to facilitate the transfer of senior management, key personnel or trainees of a foreign employer to its Irish branch. At present, spouses of intra-company transfer employment permit holders can move to Ireland immediately with the permit holder, however they are not entitled to access the labour market automatically. Instead, they too...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Following constructive engagement with the home care sector on 16 December 2022, my predecessor announced changes to the employment permits system to allow home carers and care workers to become eligible for general employment permits. We know there is a lack of carers in Ireland and I am pleased that the employment permit system is able to help in this regard. This shows how responsive...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: We are starting to stray beyond the remit of this Department. The request made to us, and the advice received, was to make sure we could provide enough permits for people outside the European Economic Area to fill those roles and complete those hours. Let us be frank here. Some 1,000 permits were made available, but only 138 have been drawn down. That is disappointing when there are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: It was 138 approvals.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: There are a couple of good ideas there. I say to Deputy Ó Murchú that the Department would be more than happy to support foreign recruitment drives in any sector where we have a massive gap of talent, but in particular in this one. It has been done in the past, in the wider healthcare sector. We should all be supportive of bringing good, talented people into this country to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: As I laid out, two issues are widely in operation in the context of this discussion, namely, the examinership process as well as cases before the WRC and the ability of employees to bring further cases to the WRC. They are the two most important structures through which the company may be able to ensure it has a viable future and, equally, through which employees and their rights are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: It is important to stress we are dealing specifically with a unique case relating to one employer, albeit a large one with a presence in much of the country. Moreover, the case is going through two distinct processes, namely, examinership and the WRC, that we as legislators should not intervene in or directly comment on. The Government is always open to reflecting on legislation that can...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for raising this issue with me as a follow-up to our discussion last week, which included Deputy O'Reilly. Constant engagement on this is necessary from all sides in the House. My thoughts are with the employees of Iceland in all of their stores as well as those mentioned by the Deputy. I completely understand that this year has brought a great deal of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: I want to thank Deputy Murphy for raising this with me today, I know we had a good engagement on this issue just a few weeks ago and I’m happy to continue this today. Before I start I would like to put this discussion into context. In 2011, the minimum wage was €7.65 per hour. Today the full rate stands at €11.30, and we saw a 7.8% increase this year alone. This...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The employment permits occupations lists are usually reviewed once or twice a year, depending on other economic migration policy priorities, such as the new Employment Permits Bill. The reviews incorporate a public consultation, seek the views of lead policy departments and consider relevant research. The process from opening the consultation to making amendments to Regulations can take a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: The new Employment Permits Bill is continuing its legislative process in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill has been drafted to respond to the need to consolidate existing employment permits legislation, to modernise some provisions, to increase the agility and responsiveness of the system, and facilitate a more streamlined and flexible approach to the employment permits system in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Food Prices (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: I met with grocery retailers in May when I outlined that grocery prices in Ireland are too high and are putting some households under serious pressure. I was assured by the retailers that they will continue to pass the impact of any reductions in input costs on product prices to their customers. I met grocery retailers again on 21 June seeking an update on what progress has been made. They...