Results 161-180 of 40,856 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Following the appalling events of Thursday, 23 November, in Dublin City Centre, I, along with Ministers Richmond and Calleary met with business and retail representative bodies, alongside Dublin City Council, on Tuesday 28 November 2023, to discuss how to best support the continued operation of businesses in the city centre. Also, at the Retail Forum meeting in December 2023, concerns around...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Government published Making Remote Work, the National Remote Work Strategy, in January 2021. The Strategy sought to ensure that remote work is a permanent feature of the Irish workplace in a way which maximises its economic, social and environmental benefits. My Department led the development and implementation of the Strategy through the Remote Work Interdepartmental Group during 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Data (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) compiles statistical data in relation to Goods Exports and Imports. According to the CSO, the value of our total goods exports was €166 billion in 2021 and €209 billion in 2022 which was the highest figure on record. The value of goods exports for the period January to November 2023 was valued at €183 billion. Statistics for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Balanced regional enterprise development continues to be a key focus of mine and this Government and is reaffirmed 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. The South-East Regional Enterprise Plan is overseen and monitored at a regional level...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flood Relief Schemes (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The purpose of the Emergency Humanitarian Flood Relief Scheme administered by my Department is to provide urgent funding to small businesses (up to 20 employees), community and voluntary organisations affected by flooding who were unable, through no fault of their own, to secure flood insurance. The Scheme provides a contribution towards the costs of returning such premises to their pre-flood...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 64 and 75 together. Although not unique to Ireland, it is understandable that businesses are concerned about the impact of rising costs. It is also important to acknowledge that SMEs, and in particular the retail and hospitality sectors, are key employment generators for Ireland, particularly in more rural areas. While input costs have gone up for...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 82 together. Currently, a person from outside the European Economic Area must first make an application to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an employment permit, and then make a second application to the Department of Justice for an immigration permission. Both applications are subject to consideration of separate processes...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Minimum Wage (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides for the obligation to pay an employee a national minimum hourly rate of pay and applies to all individuals engaged under a contract of employment. Apart from the employment of close family relatives and the engagement of registered industrial apprentices, there is no exemption in law from the obligation to pay the national minimum hourly rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: White Papers (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The development of the White Paper was underpinned by an extensive consultation process, to ensure the views, experience and aspirations of Ireland’s citizens, workers and businesses were adequately captured in the analysis. My Department held a public consultation process from 3 July to 29 July 2022. As part of the Department’s aim to ensure a broad reach during this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Co-operative Sector (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Co-operative Societies Bill provides for the most far-reaching reform of the legislation regarding co-operative societies in over 130 years. The Bill provides for a specific legislative framework for co-operative societies for the first time, with societies registering under the legislation being required to adhere to the co-operative ethos. It consolidates and modernises existing...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I announced the report of the 2023 Review of the Employment Permits Occupation Lists in December last which delivered comprehensive changes to the employment permits system. The report comprised the addition of 11 roles to the critical skills occupations list and the removal of 32 roles from the ineligible occupations list (with or without quota) thus becoming eligible for a general...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Export Controls (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: My Department is the National Competent Authority with responsibility for Export Controls, including Controls on defence-related exports and exports of Dual-Use goods. Controls on the export of Dual-use items are administered by my Department, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union regime for the control of exports,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: I understand that the Deputy is referring to Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (EU) 2022/2464 which entered into force in January 2023 and replaced the Non-financial Reporting Directive 2014/95/EU. Ireland along with other EU member states has until 6 July 2024 to transpose the Directive and officials in my Department are working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware, the availability of appropriate, innovative, and cost-effective property solutions that meet the needs of multinational companies at the forefront of a modern economy remains essential to winning Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). A robust property and infrastructure ecosystem can be the key differentiator in winning FDI projects. The IDA Regional Property...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Creation (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Since taking office, this Government has made regional development a priority. My Department and its agencies have contributed to this effort through funding and job creation measures all across the country, including in Donegal. This approach is guided by the White Paper on Enterprise, which sets out the Government’s approach to enterprise policy for the period to 2030. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The Government has provided significant support to enterprise throughout the period of increasing costs and has been proactive in this regard. However, it is not possible to insulate every business from the total impact of rising costs. Over the two years prior to Budget 2024, a total of €12 billion was provided in cost of living and doing business supports, comprising a mix of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Intellectual Property (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Copyright legislation applies in the context that rights of authors and performers (including actors, performers, writers and directors) continue to be protected by certain provisions of copyright legislation when the authors or performers choose to transfer their rights to another party, for example to producers in the film and TV industry. This transfer is usually done by way of a license...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The information requested is currently being collated by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is the largest component of the European Union’s €800 billion NextGenerationEU recovery instrument and Ireland is in line to receive almost a billion Euro in grants over the lifetime of the Facility. In order to access this funding, Ireland developed the National Recovery & Resilience Plan which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Expenditure (8 Feb 2024)

Simon Coveney: The below table details the expenditure base for the programme expenditure under 'jobs and enterprise development', 'enterprise innovation and commercialisation' and 'regulation' for 2024 as published in the Revised Estimate Volume 2024. Subhead Subhead Description Current Allocation Capital Allocation Total Allocation ...