Results 1,081-1,100 of 4,880 for speaker:Neale Richmond

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...

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

Neale Richmond: Firstly, I want to say my thoughts are with the employees of Iceland (Ireland). I appreciate that this is an incredibly stressful time for them and their families, with huge uncertainty. Ireland has an existing strong legislative restructuring framework for companies and there is a suite of employment rights legislation in place to protect impacted workers. I and my colleagues in...

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

Neale Richmond: Firstly, I want to say that I fully understand how difficult and stressful this time is for the workers at Indeed, as well as their family members. Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in collective redundancy situations. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective...

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

Neale Richmond: The Local Enterprise Offices 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 Social...

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

Neale Richmond: The Deputy will be aware that the Local Enterprise Offices are units within each of the 31 Local Authorities nationwide and act as a ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business. The LEOs provide a wide range of high-quality business and management development programmes, and productivity...

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

Neale Richmond: Delivering sustainable, balanced regional enterprise growth is a core objective of this Government and is a key component of the recently published White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030. My Department contributes to this agenda through a number of policy levers, including through the work of the Enterprise Agencies, Local Enterprise Offices and through implementation and oversight of nine...

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

Neale Richmond: Firstly, my thoughts are with the workers at Indeed, and their families, during what has been a very difficult and stressful period of uncertainty. Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in collective redundancy situations. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective...

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

Neale Richmond: Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (No 29 of 2021) gave effect to the policy changes that were required concerning the proper administration of justice as per the Supreme Court's judgment in Zalewski. The act amended, inter alia, the equal status acts.

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

Neale Richmond: My department recognises that the manufacturing and services sectors face various challenges when it comes to competing with imports and ensuring the competitiveness of Irish exports in foreign markets such as cost competitiveness, technological innovation, global market access, skills and talent and supply chain resilience. In that regard, Enterprise Ireland collaborates closely with...