Results 19,181-19,200 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Since March of this year, Enterprise Ireland’s Strategic Sourcing staff have been working tirelessly with public health officials and companies throughout the country to increase the supply of a whole range of personal protective equipment (PPE). As part of this, the agency has connected both clients and non-client Irish companies with capability to produce hand sanitiser/PPE with the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Commission (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 and 276 together. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent statutory office under the aegis of my Department. The Commission’s primary statutory functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation and advisory...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Language Schools (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Unlike the Higher Education Institutions in Ireland, where Enterprise Ireland (EI) has been given the mandate, by the Department of Education & Skills under the Education in Ireland brand to promote Ireland as a third level destination for international students, EI does not have the mandate to promote English Language Schools on a national basis yet. When the International Education...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Business Continuity Voucher scheme was launched on 26th March. The purpose of the scheme was to provide expert guidance and advice to SMEs employing up 50 people and enable business owners make informed decisions about what immediate measures and remedial actions could be taken at the outset of this crisis, to protect staff and sales and eventually help the business recover. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Preparations (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: My colleague, the Minister for Health, is leading the health sector's response to Brexit. This includes the key priority of ensuring the continued supply of medicines and medical devices post-Brexit. The Department of Health and its agencies have published comprehensive details about the work undertaken in relation to this issue, which can be found in Chapter 24 of the Brexit Contingency...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: As Chair of the Retail Consultation Forum, I am acutely aware that Covid-19 has brought particular challenges for retailers - large and small, across the country. Trading online is a very important route for retail businesses to grow and improve their business in the current crisis and will be an important element in their recovery over the longer term. The objective of the Covid-19 Online...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business sets out how the COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted. Ireland is now in Phase 2 of the roadmap. The Roadmap is a living document and Government has demonstrated great flexibility in its decision to accelerate the phases as set out in the original Roadmap which is based on the input and advice of NPHET. The Government also had regard to a paper...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under the reconfiguration of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business announced on the 5th June, there are now just two remaining phases instead of three, with Phase 3 starting on the 29th of June, and Phase 4 on the 20th of July. Further work will be carried out in the coming days and weeks to determine which actions will take place in each phase. Updates to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Restart Grant support is just one part of the wider €12bn package of supports for firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, the pandemic unemployment payment for the self-employed, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs. I understand the concerns relating to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under the reconfiguration of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business announced on the 5th June, there are now just two remaining phases instead of three, with Phase 3 starting on the 29th of June, and Phase 4 on the 20th of July. Further work will be carried out in the coming days and weeks to determine which actions will take place in each phase. Updates to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cycle to Work Scheme (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) administers the Cycle to Work scheme on behalf of my Department. The bicycles and any related equipment which qualify under the scheme are paid for by staff themselves by way of salary sacrifice spread over a single year. Accordingly there are no direct costs incurred by the Department in the facilitation of the scheme. Details regarding the number...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business sets out how the COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted. Ireland is now in Phase 2 of the roadmap. The Roadmap is a living document and Government has demonstrated great flexibility in its decision to accelerate the phases as set out in the original Roadmap which is based on the the input and advice of NPHET. The Government also had regard to a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trading Online Voucher Scheme (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is delivered nationwide through the 31 Local Enterprise Offices. The Scheme offers skills training, mentoring and financial support of up to €2,500 to help small and micro-businesses to develop their ecommerce capability. I introduced new flexibilities to the Scheme in April including reducing the requirement for co-funding from 50% to 10% and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: I would very much like to see consumers here buying locally produced and sourced products in order particularly to help retailers and producers recover as quickly as possible from the effects of Covid-19 on businesses and jobs. It is not open to me however to initiate a Buy Irish campaign or to take other measures to influence consumers to buy Irish goods and services. In 1981, the European...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: In order to assist businesses to reopen safely in accordance with the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, the National Return to Work Safely Protocol was developed. The Protocol is a useful guide for businesses in making their assessments and adapting their workplace procedures and practices to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Under the reconfiguration of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business announced on the 5th June, there are now just two remaining phases instead of three, with Phase 3 starting on the 29th of June, and Phase 4 on the 20th of July. Further work will be carried out in the coming days and weeks to determine which actions will take place in each phase. Updates to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The primary aim of the Business Continuity Voucher scheme was to support companies to make informed decisions regarding the immediate measures needed to continue trading during the COVID lockdown phase while securing the safety of all employees and future business viability through identification of remedial actions. Examples of what it could be used to support include: - Develop business...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Health and Safety Inspections (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: The Health and Safety Authority is a member of the National Outbreak Control Team (NOTC). The NOCT is led by the HSE and it is working to address the issue of outbreaks in meat processing plants with input from professionals in public health, environmental health, animal health and the Health and Safety Authority, in relation to occupational health and safety. The NOCT and local Outbreak...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Application forms for the new €250m Restart Grant providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses are now available online on all local authority websites. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational. To qualify for the Restart Grant, a business must be in a rateable premises and; - have a turnover of less than €5m and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Heather Humphreys: Government has agreed a new €2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme as a further development of the existing Credit Guarantee Scheme already available. This Scheme forms a major component of the government’s strategy to aid SMEs in these difficult times by providing critical support to ensure businesses are facilitated in having access to credit facilities to assist a...