Results 1-20 of 1,013 for at speaker:Neale Richmond

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Schemes (30 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: ...issue with me this evening. I love Drogheda too. My mother went to school there. She was in the Drogheda Grammar School for many a year, although it was many years ago. It is a small city that I visit regularly. I appreciate Deputy Nash's passion, which is shared by my colleague, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, whom I know Deputy Nash has worked very well with for many years. He will soon be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Schemes (30 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: I again thank Deputy Nash for his contribution here this evening. I repeat that the special regeneration areas are designated by the Minister for Finance on independent advice. We respond to the advice and we look at the maps of the regeneration areas, as they are sought and provided. I said quite clearly to Deputy Nash that like any tax expenditure, the living city initiative is kept...

Petrol and Diesel Excise Rate Increases: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (30 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: I am very grateful for the opportunity to respond to some of the issues raised in the debate on the Sinn Féin motion on the increases in fuel excise effective from 1 August and 9 October this year. Sinn Féin has expressed the view that the restoration of excise duty of 1 April should be reversed and that both the final restoration of excise duty due to take place on 1 August and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Agreements (25 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: I will restate a few points. I acknowledge that the reports were made by a UN committee. The Government also has a position. We cannot always take everything as read. On the process and the vote the Deputy mentioned, I will provide exact clarity. It is important to recall that Ireland signed up to the OECD two-pillar solution in October 2021. We intend to follow through on our...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Agreements (25 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: I sincerely thank Deputy Collins for submitting this important Topical Issue. As this House is no doubt aware, Ireland is a full supporter of multilateralism and is committed to effective international tax co-operation through various forums including the aforementioned OECD and the UN. Ireland is contributing constructively to the process at the UN to develop a framework convention on...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (9 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: ...of complementary supports to support people who want to start up or grow a business. The 31 LEOs across the country act as the "first stop shop" for businesses and entrepreneurs in Ireland and operate in each Local Authority area. Businesses operating in the domestic market (regardless of numbers employed) such as sole traders, micro businesses and small and medium sized companies may...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (9 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: My Department received a collective redundancy notification from the company concerned on 2 April 2024. The rules governing collective redundancies are set out in the Protection of Employment Act 1977, as amended. Collective redundancies arise where, during any period of 30 consecutive days, the employees being made redundant are: 5 employees where 21-49 are employed, 10 employees where...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Priorities (9 Apr 2024)

Neale Richmond: ...is a key policy of mine and is reaffirmed in the Government’s 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 Regional Enterprise Plans are driven by regional stakeholders and focus on undertaking collaborative projects that help strengthen...

Seanad: An Bille um an Aonú Leasú is Daichead ar an mBunreacht (An Comhaontú maidir le Cúirt Aontaithe um Paitinní), 2024: An Dara Céim - Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Agreement on a Unified Patent Court) Bill 2024: Second Stage (21 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Agreement on a Unified Patent Court) Bill 2024 to the House. In line with Article 46 of the Constitution, the Bill sets out a proposal for an amendment to the Constitution and, if passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, a proposal will be submitted by referendum to the decision of the people. This...

Seanad: An Bille um an Aonú Leasú is Daichead ar an mBunreacht (An Comhaontú maidir le Cúirt Aontaithe um Paitinní), 2024: An Dara Céim - Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Agreement on a Unified Patent Court) Bill 2024: Second Stage (21 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: I thank all of the Senators for their contributions to what is a lively and important debate. I accept the more general political comment that this is a very technical piece of work. It is going to be difficult to engage with people. I do not hide from that for an instant but it will require frank and open engagement, and clear and honest facts. I have been involved in quite a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (21 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: Since the last update provided on 28 November 2023, work has progressed significantly on drafting the General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) Act 1984. The primary purpose of that Bill will be to allow employees of companies that cease trading without engaging in any formal wind-up process to access the Insolvency Payments Scheme. The drafting...

Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024 here today. Essentially, the Bill will provide a statutory basis for the transfer of Microfinance Ireland into State ownership, under the remit of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Before commenting on the specifics of the Bill, I wish to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Enterprise Support Services (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: I sincerely thank Senator McGreehan for bringing forward this very important issue. At the outset, I will take the liberty to address my response not just to Senator McGreehan, but to the school kids who are in the Visitors Gallery because this is really important. We are dealing with a very important issue for every one of them and they are very welcome to the people's House and the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Enterprise Support Services (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: My office is always open to the Senator. I mean that sincerely. Last year, we increased national funding for local enterprise offices by €9 million. We gave them additional funding so they can not only maintain current programmes but can do more programmes. However, if the team in County Louth feel they do not have sufficient resources, the Department will of course be more than...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Policies (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: The Sick Leave Act 2022 commenced on 1 January 2023 and introduced a new statutory right to employer-paid sick leave. This Act provides a minimum protection to employees who do not have access to a more favourable employer sick leave scheme, many of whom are low-paid and cannot afford to miss work. As you are aware, the minimum days were initially set at 3 days for 2023 and this was...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: The EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages includes two key areas: Minimum Wages, and Collective Bargaining. The Directive requires Ireland to develop an action plan to enhance collective bargaining coverage by the end of 2025. The Final Report of the expert group on the transposition of the Directive, released in November, will be helpful in guiding how Ireland should transpose the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: ...of the Council of 20 June 2019 on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions in the European Union has been transposed. The European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No 686 of 2022) became law on 16 December 2022. Ireland pre-empted many provisions of the Directive through the enactment of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (20 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: The 2023 Review of the Employment Permits Occupation Lists delivered comprehensive changes to the employment permits system, with changes to 43 occupations. Submissions to the review were subject to consideration by the Interdepartmental Group (IDG) on Economic Migration Policy. The IDG consists of cross-departmental membership including the Department of Health, which has policy...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Closures (7 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: Go raibh maith agat. I do not disagree with anything the Deputy has said. The case from the perspective of sustainability for local businesses and the environment and for the protection, preservation and promotion of our national language is well made and completely understood by me and, indeed, by the Minister, Deputy Ryan. The process is in play. An Post is going to try to do everything...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Middle East (7 Mar 2024)

Neale Richmond: I thank Deputy Troy sincerely for raising this matter. He has particular insight and knowledge that not everyone in this House has concerning the importance of trade missions and, indeed, the importance of speaking truth to good friends. Everyone in this House knows the scale of devastation we are witnessing in Gaza. After more than 150 days of brutal conflict, some 5% of the population...