Results 901-920 of 4,708 for speaker:Neale Richmond

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...

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

Neale Richmond: As the Deputy is aware, the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment met in public session on the 25 January 2023 to discuss detailed scrutiny of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021. Following this meeting, my Department issued a detailed brief to the Joint Committee to assist with their detailed scrutiny of the...

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

Neale Richmond: The Deputy will be aware that Our Living Islands Policy and associated Action Plan were published on Árainn Mhór island off the coast of Donegal on 7 June 2023 by my colleague Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development. Balanced regional enterprise development is a key policy of mine and this Government and is reaffirmed in the White Paper on Enterprise. My...

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

Neale Richmond: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment commissioned the OECD to undertake a report to assess inclusive entrepreneurship training in Ireland and provide recommendations, based on international best practice, on how to enhance the provision of training interventions to improve their accessibility and impact. Based on the full report, DETE identified three priority actions to be...

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

Neale Richmond: The cost of energy is a major factor in the operation of most businesses. The impact of the very significant price increases experienced by businesses in 2022 and 2023, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was mitigated by the introduction of the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme to support companies dealing with increases in the price of metered electricity and natural gas. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: In 2022, Enterprise Ireland, in total, provided funding of over €10.9 million to 343 client companies, employing 23,330 people in the Border Region. In January 2020, my colleague, then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, announced an economic stimulus package for the border areas. This Package applies to counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Information and Communications Technology (29 Jun 2023)

Neale Richmond: Ireland’s approach to AI recognises the potential for the technology to enhance our socio-economic wellbeing as well as presenting great benefits for businesses in terms of productivity and innovation. We are also mindful of the concerns and questions that the public and workers have in relation to AI. Work is well progressed on a horizontal EU regulatory framework which will...

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

Neale Richmond: The Government has been proactive in limiting the fallout from higher rates of inflation. A total of €12 billion – 4½ per cent of national income – has now been provided in direct relief to absorb some of the impact and ease the burden of inflation on households and businesses. Budget 2023 included a €4.1 billion package to tackle the cost of living and...