Results 101-120 of 1,613 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Emer Higgins

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The Mid-West REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 25th August 2023 the then Minister for Business Employment and Retail signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 4th September 2023. The ERO provided for a wage increase to €12.90 per hour from that date. The full details of the ERO are available here: enterprise.gov.ie/en/legislation/legislation-files/si-no-424...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: 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: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically-certified, statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. From 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to 3 days’ sick leave, which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. The Deputy will be aware that statutory sick leave, and its phased roll-out, was designed in consultation with the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: While the issue of false self-employment is complex, and debate often exists as to scale of the problem, there is consensus that it is important to tackle the issue where possible to prevent people being exploited across all sectors, including the building trade. Ireland has robust mechanisms for the determination of the employment status and the Government is committed to tackling false...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically-certified, statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. From 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to 3 days’ sick leave, which increased to 5 days on 1 January 2024. The Deputy will be aware that statutory sick leave, and its phased roll-out, was designed in consultation with the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The Midlands REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for me and this Government as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise. My Department contributes to this agenda in several ways, including through the development, implementation and oversight of nine Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs). The South-East REP is implemented at a regional level by a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Balanced economic regional development is a key focus for this Government and requires a whole-of-government approach. Activity supporting economic development around the country is driven by the local authorities, central Government Departments and a wide range of state agencies and offices. My Department contributes to this objective through a range of activities as set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 25th August 2023 the then Minister for Business Employment and Retail signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 4th September 2023. The ERO provided for a wage increase to €12.90 per hour from that date. The full details of the ERO are available here: si-no-424-of-2023-employment-regulation-order-security-indus...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Health and Safety Authority, from 01 January 2024 to date, has conducted 3,673 inspections. The tables presented at the end of this response set out the number of inspections by month and by sector. Health and Safety Authority inspectors, following an inspection may give advice either verbally or in writing, on how a duty holder can make improvements on health and safety in their...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: In December 2023, my Department introduced a Roadmap, up to January 2026, for increasing the minimum annual thresholds for employment permits. The first adjustments were introduced on 17 January this year. The thresholds for most employment permits had not changed in almost a decade and were out of date, having not kept pace with wage inflation since 2014. The purpose of the minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On 24 August 2022, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment was informed that the High Court had granted an injunction prohibiting the commencement of the proposed Statutory Instrument giving effect to the new Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Industry. As a result of the injunction, the Order could not be proceeded with at that time. On 28 July 2023, both the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: On the 25th August 2023, the then Minister for Business Employment and Retail signed the Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Sector which came into force on 4th September 2023. The ERO provided for a wage increase to €12.90 per hour from that date. The full details of the ERO are available here: si-no-424-of-2023-employment-regulation-order-security-indus...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: There is presently no general statutory entitlement in Ireland for workers for bereavement leave. An employee's entitlement to take time off in such circumstances depends on whether any such provisions exist in the employee’s contract of employment. For the majority of workers, conditions of employment, including bereavement leave provisions, are matters for negotiation between...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Government fully supports the right of any worker to join and be active in their trade union. Employees have the right under the Constitution to form associations and trade unions. Under Irish legislation, an employee cannot be discriminated against or dismissed because they are a member of a trade union. The Unfair Dismissal Acts provide for a number of grounds under which a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a policy priority for me and this Government. The Government’s efforts to create sustainable enterprise in the regions is working, as can be seen by the latest Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Local Enterprise Office figures. Enterprise Ireland’s strategy fully aligns with Government's ambition to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: In Ireland, the support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been robust and multifaceted, reflecting the government's recognition of their critical role in the economy. Recently, the Government agreed on a range of measures aimed at reducing costs for SMEs, including reopening the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) Scheme, introducing a second payment for businesses in the retail...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (23 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The concept of working from home or via digital hubs has progressed across a number of fronts. The right to request remote working is now available to all employees under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. These provisions were commenced on the 6th of March 2024 and this right is now in operation. The Act includes obligations for the employee and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Tobacco Control Measures (22 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Amendment) Bill 2024 is a matter for my colleague Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD. This Bill refers to the commencement of section 28 of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act. I have been consulted on this and I support these changes. I have also asked that I be appraised of...