Results 1,101-1,120 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Senator is entitled to his opinion but I am entitled to respond on the record. There is no ideological issue here in the context of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: -----my approach on this or the Department’s approach on this. We have a difference of legal interpretation with the Commission. We are working through that. That is not unusual between a member state and the Commission. We will bring this to a conclusion as soon as we can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: It has long been acknowledged by stakeholders that the industrial and provident societies legislation governing most Irish co-operatives is outdated and lacks clarity in several areas. As a consequence, the current model is not considered an attractive option for incorporation, in contrast to the modern environment available under company law. Reform of the legislation is long overdue and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: There were a lot of questions, as I would expect from Deputy Bruton. I know Deputy Bruton has done quite a lot of work on the circular economy, as has Fine Gael. I will let him know in practical terms what is being done. First, there is a second iteration of a Government strategy being prepared on the circular economy by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: In response to Senator Ahearn, the jobs growth numbers have been phenomenal. As Deputy Bruton pointed out earlier, we deliberately have not set a definitive number for job growth for the next two years because Ireland is at full employment right now. We are seeing really strong jobs growth. We have also got to bed down the employment we currently have and support adding value in terms of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: It will because it means spending money on companies that have already made the change when perhaps we should focus that money on the companies that need to change but cannot afford to do so. I take the point that any policy must be fair. On the queries by Senator Lombard, I am former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine so I understand only too well the pressures on primary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is right that people doing their shopping every week do not want to hear comparisons with what is happening to prices in France and Spain. I only raised that issue because we asked the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, to look at this and come back to us with recommendations as to suggestions that have been made on price caps, the State fixing prices and so on....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: I hear the Deputy on that point. However, we are legislators and policymakers and we have to go a little deeper into the argument, while recognising the frustration of consumers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: Of course. On research, development and innovation, the European innovation scoreboard put Ireland in sixth place overall last year. We were considered a strong innovator, with our position improving from 11th the previous year. We are moving in the right direction. In 2021, gross expenditure on research, development and innovation increased to an estimated €4.686 billion, which is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: On the corporate sustainability directive, I mentioned earlier that we have bought into it. There is a big communications job for us to do with companies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy might send me a note with her question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: On the grocery prices issue, there has been a change of tone from Government. We want a response from the retail sector to the reality that price inflation is reducing across the economy but price inflation within the food retail sector is not. One is running at double the other. We need to understand, from a retail perspective, why that is. We want consumers protected in terms of retail...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: This is an issue that many families are discussing. They want to understand why the State would not intervene to set prices. There are potentially significant negative consequences by making that kind of intervention, which the Government has been warned against by the expert body that has examined this issue. That is why we are not going down that road for now, and that is not a road that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: To date.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: The National Training Fund is predominantly the responsibility of other Departments, to be fair. The Minister for Justice and Education are both involved with it. There is a big emphasis on apprenticeships and on the upskilling and training that is needed. We will continue to invest heavily in that space, which is badly needed. To make offshore wind infrastructure happen in our ports,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy was very involved in the Balance for Better Business initiative. Ireland is now among the top ten countries in the EU for female board representation, in figures released by the Balance for Better Business group. This is an independent, industry-led, and Government-supported group with a secretariat provided by my Department. It is encouraging to see steady progress when it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: That is fine. It is a big sector. I know I have mentioned a number of ports in the context of offshore wind because of the natural depth of space that is there. There are obviously others too, including Waterford, Bantry, Arklow, Killybegs, Galway and Rossaveel. There are many strategic ports around the country that we need to focus on. If an appropriate case is being made for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: I will give the official position on that. Ireland has been more ambitious for the proposal in a number of areas, including favouring a value chain-based approach, in recognition of the fact that adverse human rights and environmental impacts can occur throughout the value chain. We are seeking a greater focus on the gender aspects of the proposal, as women can suffer disproportionately...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (10 May 2023)

Simon Coveney: I am glad the Deputy supports us on it.