Results 1-20 of 1,535 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Peter Burke

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputies for their questions. In my comparisons, I am talking about Northern Ireland as well. Hopefully, we do not see that as Brexit Britain. We are working hard to formulate a cost-of-doing-business package for the SME sector. I hope we will see that in the weeks ahead. We know the acute pressure the sector is under. Every time businesses came under pressure, including...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourist Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy and am happy to take him up on his kind invitation. It is so important we work closely with the sector he referred to. We had initiatives in the past such as The Gathering, and when our economy was on the floor, we saw how much that sector played a part in enhancing economic activity and getting employment back. It is at the forefront of our minds. As I said, it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: The Government is committed to backing business and will continue to work closely with small businesses nationwide to support their growth, help them find new markets and assist them in remaining competitive and resilient. The 31 local enterprise offices, LEOs, play an extremely important role providing assistance directly to micro, small and medium-sized businesses as well as promoting...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I fully understand the pressures businesses are under throughout the economy at this time, not least those businesses in retail, wholesale or hospitality, which are key. We are supporting them, with €250 million through ICOB and a 9% VAT rate for electricity and gas out to October. There is the grant in respect of energy efficiency that I spoke about, at €15 million. VAT...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I will not take any lectures from the Opposition about protecting workers. I am proud to have been a member of a Government that put €12 billion into the economy through the pandemic unemployment payment to ensure that people had certainty of income right through very difficult times in our economy. That ensured the economy was in good shape to deliver those commitments, protect...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourist Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Griffin for his kind words and also for his advocacy on behalf of the tourism sector, both as a Teachta Dála and in a previous ministerial role. The importance of the tourism sector to the economy and to communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood. It is recognised that the use of tourist accommodation to support the Government’s response to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tourist Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Griffin for his response and for setting out clearly the pressures the sector is under in his constituency and right across the south and west coasts. I fully understand the pressures and the acute nature of the problem. I am due to meet with the hospitality and tourist forum in May with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. Obviously, the forum will discuss this issue. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for the question. The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid, medically certified statutory sick leave for the first time in Ireland. Commencing on 1 January 2023, the initial statutory entitlement was up to three days’ sick leave, which increased to five days on 1 January 2024. This could potentially increase to seven days in 2025 and ten days in 2026. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I was very clear in my answer to Deputy Nash on a living wage. I said we were going to wait for the report from the Low Pay Commission. That is the mechanism and structure that is in place, and I am not going to pre-empt that report.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: On sick pay, we are very committed as a Government to improve the rights of employees. We are in the month of April. Section 6 of the Act clearly sets out that the decision has to be made in quarter 4 and a ministerial direction has to be given on 1 January next year. I make all my policy decisions based on evidence. Through the year, I will look at how the economy is progressing and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Living Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Nash for his kind words. As the Deputy will be aware, in 2021 the Low Pay Commission was asked to examine the programme for Government commitment to progress to a living wage and provide recommendations on how best to achieve this commitment. The Low Pay Commission’s recommendations were received and considered and in November 2022, the Government agreed that a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Living Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: The Low Pay Commission was established by a Government of which my own party was a member. This shows we are very committed to employees right across the economy. On an objective analysis, last night we voted for auto enrolment to ensure pension rights to those right across our economy. The most vulnerable will benefit. We also introduced sick pay on a statutory basis, which will also...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Living Wage (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I am in a Department where we have to balance the rights of employers and protect employees. I have to protect the rights of consumers and balance that with the rights of businesses. We have to be in a very strong position to protect all those across our economy. I would say, demonstrate by evidence. This Government has shown huge evidence. We have been a reforming Government, in line...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for her question and her kind wishes. We look forward to working with all Members across the House. As we have demonstrated in previous Departments, working relationships are very important. I and the Ministers of State, Deputies Higgins and Calleary, will do our very best in our respective roles. The Labour Employer Economic Forum's sub-group on employment and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: First, with regard to the legal issues, we were working with the Attorney General and additional external advice has been sought on the potential issues arising from it. We will keep the impetus going in that regard. With regard to Article 4 of the directive and the 80% threshold, we are required to prepare an action plan in line with the directive and work is under way at the moment in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Relations (18 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: We are very much committed to this process. Obviously, just a week into the job, I am trying to go through and evaluate all of these issues, but we are absolutely committed in the first instance. The Deputy can see that demonstrated by the establishment of the LEEF group chaired by the Taoiseach and the sub-group chaired by our own Department. We are working at pace on the issues that have...

Taoiseach a Ainmniú - Nomination of Taoiseach (9 Apr 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I second the name of Simon Harris to lead the thirty-fourth Government of Ireland. Every Member of this House is elected by their communities for a five-year mandate. It is this great assembly's constitutional duty to elect a Taoiseach. On 15 December 1994, the late John Bruton put it best before he was nominated as Taoiseach, when he described the office...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Student Accommodation (20 Mar 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Farrell for raising this very important matter. As the Deputy is aware, the difficulties faced by students trying to secure affordable student accommodation is an issue the Minister, Deputy Harris, is actively pursuing. The student accommodation provider referred to by Deputy Farrell in the supplementary information is privately-owned and operated and, therefore, it is not...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Student Accommodation (20 Mar 2024)

Peter Burke: As the House will be aware, the Minister, Deputy Harris, secured Government support for his Department's long-term student accommodation policy in January. The policy sets out a number of measures to increase the supply of accommodation through all forms of tenure, recognising the differing regional needs. The aim of the policy is to increase the supply of student accommodation and to...

General Practice and Local Health Services: Motion (20 Mar 2024)

Peter Burke: I would like to thank Sinn Féin for raising this discussion on primary care health services. The Government acknowledges there are issues in delivering healthcare in some communities, including issues regarding access to care for GP services in certain areas. However, the actions of this Government to improve service provision over the longer term will lead to significant...