Results 1,001-1,020 of 4,715 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: l welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I will lay out a few background points before dealing with the specifics raised by the Deputy. The Minister has responsibility for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post to ensure that the company is fully compliant...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Digital Start scheme is administered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices. It is designed to help businesses prepare and implement a plan for the adoption of digital tools and techniques across the business. Digital Start will provide strategic interventions for businesses to work with third party consultants to:assist them in identifying where they are on their digital business...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The information sought by the Deputy is not available within the time frame available but will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (31 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 55 together. Firstly, I want to express my sympathy to all workers facing redundancy. My Department has received correspondence from and on behalf of employees affected by these redundancies, and I appreciate that this is a very difficult situation for them. Under the Protection of Employment Act 1977, an employer proposing a collective...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Environmental Policy (30 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: There is an existing comprehensive suite of occupational safety and health legislation in place in Ireland designed to protect the health and safety of workers and to mitigate against work related injuries, ill-health and fatalities. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, sets out the responsibilities of employers, the self-employed, employees and various other parties in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Funding (30 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Deputy will be aware that my Department has secured up to €145m from the European Regional Development Fund to support innovative enterprise focused projects. The Scheme, the ‘Smart Regional Enterprise Innovation Scheme’ (SREIS), will be aimed at accelerating economic growth in all regions of the country by delivering on the potential of local and regional...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (30 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I note the Recommendations in the Report. The Report suggests that the concerns of employees raised in relation to technological surveillance could be addressed through collective bargaining between employers and employee representatives. It also requests that a report be prepared on possible legislative changes in this area. In relation to collective bargaining, it has been the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (25 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together. Appeals received in respect of the refusal of all permit types are processed in date order. The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that as of week ending 22 May 2023, appeals received on the week of 3rd of April 2023 are being processed. The time taken to process an appeal can vary depending on the application. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (24 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports for anyone, including people with disabilities, intending to start or grow a business. In that regard, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (24 May 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: Work Permits (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: In December 2022, changes to the employment permits system were introduced which made the role of Dairy Farm Assistants eligible for General Employment Permits subject to a quota of 500 permits. This change was made in order to help address skills shortages in Ireland’s Dairy Sector. It followed constructive engagement between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme does not exclude newly established businesses. Businesses who are newly established within the past 12 months can apply for TBESS. Where the eligible business does not have a reference electricity bill or reference gas bill for the reference period because the business had not commenced at that time or because the relevant electricity account or...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: At the outset, I must emphasise that the responsibility for the resolution of an employment law dispute is a matter for the WRC's adjudication service. I have no role in the administration of justice. Under Irish law, an individual has the right to join a trade union of their choice. The Unfair Dismissal Acts 1977-2016 provide for a number of grounds under which a dismissal may be...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Sick Leave Act 2022 commenced on 1st January 2023, and introduced a new statutory right to employer-paid sick leave. This progressive Act provides protection to employees who do not currently have employer-paid sick pay schemes, many of whom are low-paid and cannot afford to miss work. As a starting point, the scheme provides an entitlement to 3 days of employer-paid sick leave. In...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Company Law (23 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I am acutely aware that many families and workers are struggling with increased grocery costs and general rising prices on households. We are particularly concerned about the cost of essential staple items and welcome the recent cuts to prices of butter, milk and bread. I met with representatives from the retail and grocery sector on 10 May and the high prices and factors driving...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (18 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Employment Permits Bill 2022 has been drafted to respond to the need to consolidate existing employment permits legislation, to modernise some provisions, and to facilitate a more flexible approach to the employment permits system in Ireland. The ability for permit holders to transfer to a new employer, inside the existing permit duration, and without the need for a new employment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I would like to thank the Deputy for his question. I have had sight of the correspondence. I cannot comment on a contractual relationship between commercial enterprises.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (18 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are a ‘first stop shop’ for providing advice and guidance, and act as a signposting service for all government supports available to anyone looking to start or grow their own business. As such, I would recommend that this individual contact their Local Enterprise Office to inquire about what supports would be available to them. The LEOs are...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: I appreciate the Deputy's work on this matter and thank her for bringing it up. This is a live issue under the concern of the Department. We would first and foremost encourage everyone to engage with the WRC. There are a number of issues going on in the stores, as the Deputy mentioned, in relation to salaries and rent. I am due to meet the new head of Iceland in the coming weeks. To talk...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (17 May 2023)

Neale Richmond: Contractual terms of employment are a matter for agreement between the parties to the contract.  Whilst it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the particulars of proposed changes to employment contracts within a company, I would note that any alterations must comply with our existing suite of employment legislation including the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the Payment of...