Results 501-520 of 40,868 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: On 6th September this year, I launched the Business Users Support Scheme for Kerosene to provide support to businesses that were impacted by significant increases in the cost of this fuel following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The scheme provided eligible businesses with a payment to reimburse them for half of their increased costs in the period from 1st March to 31st December...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an extremely important role providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. They act as a ‘first stop shop’ at a local level providing expert advice and guidance, financial assistance, and offer a ‘signposting’ service for all government...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Strategies (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Following approval of the development of a National Industrial Strategy for Offshore Wind by Government Decision on 9th May 2023, my Department established a new Unit tasked with delivering on this objective recognising the vast potential the industry has for Ireland. The overarching objective of the Strategy will be to ensure that Ireland maximises the economic benefits associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Change Policy (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I am, of course, concerned that many businesses have yet to embark on their decarbonisation and sustainability journey. We need to bring all enterprises with us as we transition to a more sustainable, low carbon economy. I am conscious that businesses - particularly smaller businesses - have many competing priorities at present. That is why I and my Department have been focusing on meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Market (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: According to the latest employment figures from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey, published on 24th August 2023, total employment stood at 2.63 million. There are now more people employed in Ireland than ever before. As per the CSO Statistical Release on Monthly Unemployment from early November, the seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate was 4.8% in October 2023. It is essential...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: The occupations lists (Ineligible Occupations List and Critical Skills Occupation List) for employment permits are currently being revised as part of an evidence-based review which incorporates a public consultation to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to submit data on the extent of skills or labour shortages. The deliberative process is ongoing at present with submissions to the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: As part of my Department's Estimates negotiations, I secured an increase of €5m of Exchequer Funding on 2023 levels of €60m in capital spending for the IDA in respect of the agency’s property programme. The IDA Regional Property Programme ensures the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations as required by current and prospective clients of the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: It is important to acknowledge the challenges facing Irish enterprise over the last number of years, and I am aware of the concerns of SMEs, as they deal with the rising cost of doing business. The Government has provided significant support to business throughout the period of rising costs and has been proactive in limiting the fallout from higher rates of inflation in input costs and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: IDA Ireland’s property investment programme is aimed at supporting economic development and job creation across the country and provides property solutions available to IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices' clients. In this regard, the provision of property solutions is a key element of IDA’s marketing of the Midlands Region, including Longford. IDA Ireland has...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Change Policy (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: It is clear that our relationship with the planet's limited resources has become unsustainable and we need to significantly change how we make, use and dispose of the things that we use, moving to a more circular economy that continually re-uses those resources. As the Deputy will be aware, the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 was enacted in July 2022. Officials in my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I welcome the ambition set out by the independent Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce in their Final Report. Government has committed to examining the Taskforce’s Report in detail. Among its recommendations, the Taskforce proposed that my Department coordinate the Government response to their action plan. My officials have been engaging across Government and State Agencies on this with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I understand that the Deputy is enquiring about support for Irish companies to manufacture substitute products currently being imported from countries outside the EU. As a small open economy, Ireland relies on trade as a principal source of economic growth and improvement in living standards. Our openness to trade and investment has allowed for a diversification of our economy into sectors...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: IDA’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, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. The timely provision of appropriate, cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of Multi-National Companies (MNCs) remains...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Online Safety (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: The European regulation known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) establishes clear and proportionate rules to protect consumers and their fundamental rights online, whilst simultaneously fostering innovation, growth and competitiveness. It aims to rebalance the responsibilities of users, platforms, and public authorities according to European values, placing citizens at the centre. The DSA...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Climate Change Policy (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: The Government has committed to cutting our emissions in half by 2030, and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This means removing almost all emissions from business. All businesses, large and small, need to start planning and upskilling now to compete and thrive in providing low or zero carbon products and services. That means thinking about switching to renewable electricity,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Performance has been strong in the first half of the IDA’s 2021-2024 strategy despite the difficult global economic environment with total employment in IDA client companies reaching 301,475 in 2022. Furthermore, 260 investments of the 400 targeted over the lifetime of the Strategy for regional locations have been won and regional employment stands at 163,653 for 2022, an increase of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Regional Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: Delivering balanced regional enterprise growth and sustainable local job creation is a core objective of this Government and is a key component of the White Paper on Enterprise. Recognising the significant challenges businesses are facing, and to protect levels of employment right across the country, Government has put in place significant measures to help support regional enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: IDA Ireland’s Regional Property Programme aims to ensure the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations to meet the needs of current and prospective clients of the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices and is a significant driver of regional economic development and job creation. A robust property and infrastructure ecosystem can be a key...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 63 and 70 together. It is understandable that businesses are concerned about the impact of rising costs. Inflation in Ireland – although still elevated at 5.1 per cent in October – is generally declining. Recent forecasts from the Central Bank of Ireland indicate that inflation will continue to moderate to 3.2 and 2.3 per cent in 2024 and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Pension Provisions (23 Nov 2023)

Simon Coveney: This question relates to the 2021 Private Members Bill on Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) sponsored by the Deputy (and Deputies Paul Murphy, Richard Boyd Barrett and Gino Kenny). It is a matter for the Deputies to progress the Bill. At the Second Stage debate on the Bill, the former Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail,...