Results 1-20 of 7,422 for speaker:Peter Burke

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: We currently have €230 million transferred to the local authority sector and that will cover the first and second rounds. Once that is disbursed, there will be a small enough buffer left over and, at that stage, we will assess what we can do with it. My focus is that any money that is voted by this House in the budget will be spent by my Department this year, and I am very clear on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: We will do our very best to have a strong budget for businesses. That is central to what we are doing in the Department. The benefits of our SME package are now being felt across the country. The reduced rate of PRSI will take effect from 1 October for workers on the national minimum wage. That process will be linked directly to the Low Pay Commission to ensure that minimum wage workers...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for his question. The increased cost of business scheme was announced in budget 2024. It has been allocated €257 million and is specifically designed to target smaller businesses. It was initially opened for registrations between 14 March and 1 May. However, on 15 May, I announced two changes to the scheme as part of the wider SME package. First, registration...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Flaherty for his important question and the work he is doing in this regard. IDA Ireland’s regional property programme ensures the continued supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations to meet the needs of current and prospective clients of IDA Ireland, as well as Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise offices. Indeed, the availability of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: I will do that. I spoke with the chief executive of IDA Ireland in connection with how important it is to progress investment in the midlands and in Longford town. The Deputy quite rightly points out the significant offering in Longford. The infrastructure is improving. One can see the N4, now obviously the preferred route, coming to the fore. It is an important artery of connectivity...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: For Deputy Flaherty's information, we will continue to work hard on that. It is in the capital plan. Hopefully, we will have a strong budget for business. We are working hard with our bilateral discussions with both Ministers to ensure that we have a strong business budget and, obviously, IDA Ireland will be central to that. In response to Deputy Murnane O'Connor, I will endeavour to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Creation (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: Wavin Ireland has been an IDA Ireland client company for more than 60 years. My Department received a notification of collective redundancy from the company last Friday, 5 July, confirming its intention to reduce its workforce by some 50 positions by the end of the year due to the transfer of manufacturing functions to its facility in the UK. As always, the primary concern, in the House and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Creation (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: I am happy to work with the Deputy to support the community and provide high-quality jobs. That is important to our economy. IDA Ireland is drawing up a new strategic plan to ensure we remain competitive and can attract high-quality jobs into the region. The statistics are very good. Approximately one third of the new investment coming into the country at the moment is by new-name...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy. The recent announcement from Becton Dickinson, BD, to close its Drogheda facility over the next two and a half years is extremely disappointing, especially for the staff and their families impacted by the decision. I assure the Deputy the Government is on hand to support those employees as they seek alternative employment. IDA Ireland has regularly engaged with BD on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: It was a privilege yesterday to meet Trevor, the representatives of SIPTU and the team, who are working so hard on behalf of employees on the ground, and to see their passion and what the plant means to the fabric of Drogheda because it is a very significant employer. I did agree to take a submission from Trevor but I was equally clear, as I have to be, that I was in no way raising...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: I absolutely understand how important this is and give my firm commitment that I will do my very best when I meet senior management, including the group chief executive, next week. The BD site is utility rich and has a lot going for it. We will work on it with the IDA to ensure we will get a strong tenant in there. Deputies Nash and O'Dowd have consistently raised the need for investment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: The Government's White Paper on Enterprise recognises clustering as a key tool for achieving enterprise policy objectives, including driving innovation, attracting and embedding FDI and developing linkages between multinationals and indigenous firms. It proposes the establishment of a National Clustering Programme (NCP), with a target to fund five national cluster organisations by 2025, and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: As the Deputy will be aware the Increased Costs of Business Scheme has now closed and payments are currently being made to qualifying businesses by each Local Authority. Since I came into office, I made two changes to the ICOB Scheme as part of the SME package that I announced in May. I reopened the Scheme for an additional two weeks to allow businesses another chance to sign up for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: The Government's White Paper on Enterprise, which was published in December 2022, emphasises the importance of FDI to the Irish economy and highlights the importance of the green and digital agendas as drivers of future growth and competitiveness. The latest implementation report, for the second half of 2023 and which I published in May 2024, includes updates on the initiatives led by IDA...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: Where job losses are announced by companies based in Ireland, my first thoughts are with the staff members and their families impacted by such decisions and the supports we can provide in conjunction with our Enterprise Development Agencies and other Government Departments. In relation to the specific companies identified by the Deputy, my Department received a collective redundancy...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: The Government is acutely aware that businesses in all sectors, including the locally traded sector, are concerned about the impact of rising costs. The Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant was introduced in Budget 2024 package to help businesses with their increasing overheads. The Local Authorities are administering the ICOB scheme on behalf of my Department and the priority is to get...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Change Policy (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: My Department is pro-actively integrating climate action in our activities, and those of our agencies; engaging with businesses in Ireland from microbusinesses to large corporates about the many opportunities for decarbonisation and cost effective efficiencies. The White Paper on Enterprise highlighted the need for an integrated approach to enterprise policy that aligns our growth with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: My Department published the White Paper on Enterprise in December 2022, which set out Government’s enterprise policy for the period through to 2030. The White Paper on Enterprise details how we will deliver on our ambition of a vibrant, resilient, regionally balanced and sustainable economy made up of a diversified mix of leading global companies, internationally competitive Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Action Plan (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: Over the next decade the transition to a low carbon economy will substantially alter the business environment, while improving competitiveness and resilience. 'Integrating Decarbonisation and Net Zero Commitments' has been a key policy priority under the White Paper on Enterprise and as such, my Department promotes and supports decarbonisation across the enterprise base. Government...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (11 Jul 2024)

Peter Burke: The Institute for Management Development (IMD)’s World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024 ranks Ireland as the most competitive country in the euro area and the 4th most competitive economy in the world (out of 67 economies), a decline from 2nd position last year. Ireland has consistently been placed in the Top 20 most competitive economies globally since 2012. Ireland’s strong...