I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I share his concern about the impact of the announcement on the staff and the local community. I also share his concern about the manner in which the announcement was made. I confirm that IDA Ireland is already seeking a buyer for the company's site and I am optimistic, given its location, infrastructure and connectivity, that it will prove appealing to companies looking to locate or expand here. I have asked IDA Ireland to keep me regularly updated on its progress in findi…

As our country continues to navigate the global health crisis, remote working and enabling digital technology have become more important than ever. My Department is aware of the potential benefits that remote working offers to employers, employees and society in general. These benefits include increasing participation in the labour market, attracting and enabling talent, enabling balanced regional development, alleviating accommodation pressures, improving work-life balance, reducing the amount of time spent commut…

The Senator, and indeed, any other Senator should feel free to contact me directly about any particular areas under my remit. If Senators have difficulty in raising a Commencement matter, I am always happy to assist any Member of this House or, indeed, the Dáil so feel free to contact me at any stage. Covid-19 has, understandably, raised a number of issues for mobile home owners. Current level 5 restrictions mean people generally cannot travel to their mobile home in the normal way and this has been the case for si…

I thank the Senator. I reiterate that where there is a complaint from a consumer that he or she was subject to unfair practices in the way that the terms and conditions of an agreement were reached, it is open to him or her to make a complaint to the CCPC under the regulations on unfair terms in consumer contracts. Despite the fact that 70 people have contacted the CCPC this year and despite the survey the Senator conducted whereby 200 people came back to him directly expressing dissatisfaction with their contracts…

I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I am happy to have the opportunity to respond to his question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, who, unfortunately, cannot join us. I am delighted to respond to the Senator. I served with his father between 2011 and 2016 and always found him an honourable public representative and a gentleman to deal with. I ask him to pass on my good wishes to him. The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory responsibility of the relevant local authori…

Without question, there is a commitment on behalf of the Government to make sure this project proceeds. The proof of the pudding is always in the eating. Despite the fact that available funding for strategic grants under the NDP was reduced in the 2021 budget, provision was still made to move the project in Athy forward. I am conscious that the overall scheme will cost €42 million. This Government and previous Governments have made an investment of €5.4 million in this project. Some €3.5 million was allocated to th…

The Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 enables the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to request the CCPC to carry out a study or analysis of any issue relating to consumer protection and welfare, any practice or method of competition affecting the supply and distribution of goods or the provision of services, or any other matter relating to competition and to submit a report to him or her. No requests have been made by the Minister to the CCPC to carry out a market study or analysis in the pas…

I am aware that during a debate on the challenges facing the beef sector in the Dáil on 18 September 2019, the Deputy tabled an amendment to a motion, agreed to on 26 September, proposing that the CCPC carry out a market study and analysis on the nature and scale of beef farming issues in the beef market and make recommendations. A request for the CCPC to undertake a market study or analysis under section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 is not a substitute for the commission undertaking it…

I can relay to the Deputy what has been relayed to me by the CCPC. It has reviewed the beef sector and following an extensive review and assessment of all the information it gathered, the CCPC announced in June 2020 that there was insufficient evidence of a breach of competition law to warrant taking any further action at that time. It stated that it would not launch an investigation into the reported practice in the beef sector. One of the first bodies I met on being appointed Minister of State in this Department …

I was very pleased that the programme for Government committed to the delivery of a national SME growth plan that will map out an ambitious strategic blueprint for SMEs and entrepreneurs beyond the period of Covid-19. The SME growth task force, which was established last September, is reviewing policy across four sub-groups: entrepreneurship; productivity, digitalisation and competitiveness; internationalisation; and clustering and business networks. The latter sub-group is examining how to strengthen the connectio…

My Department is working collectively to strengthen the connections and interdependence of businesses through engagement with our nine regional enterprise plans. Our focus is on region-specific enterprise development, including sectoral networking and clustering initiatives, such as the regional technical cluster initiative, and opportunities for Irish companies to connect with multinationals based in Ireland to raise awareness of the capabilities of the SMEs across a range of sectors. We must be cognisant of the f…

I take on board what the Deputy has said. The SME task force was established in September of this year and is part of a commitment in the programme for Government. I was very supportive of this because I believe that over recent years, there was not a sufficiently significant focus on our SME sector. This task force has put a spotlight on our SMEs. We have brought together, under the stewardship of the Tánaiste, key businesspeople, including people who have created employment over the years and who have built up SM…

I thank the Deputies for their constructive contributions on the topics of business and Brexit. Deputy Fitzmaurice is dead right that the banks must step up to the mark, particularly when the Government is underpinning lending by up to 80%. I have engaged with people in my constituency in this regard. It is regrettable that the banks are not stepping up to the mark. Deputies raised the issue of additional supports for businesses in the contexts of Covid and Brexit. We have had our July stimulus. That was one of the…

I understand Deputy Murphy in her former role as president of the Irish Road Haulage Association has extensive knowledge in this area but I take issue with her remarks. I have visited Dublin Port. Either they are misleading me, or they are misleading the Deputy.

I have listened carefully for the past hour or so to the concerns expressed by Deputies. I share their frustrations on behalf of the Debenhams workers and all those facing job losses at this time. It is clear that any proposal to progress requires careful consideration involving further consultation with many stakeholders on the recommendations in the Duffy Cahill report. I would note that the Companies Act 2014 already provides for a court power to order the return of assets improperly transferred in appropriate c…

Protecting jobs and supporting business is fundamental to our economy and society. The Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation has spoken about the challenges facing our businesses and the unprecedented levels of financial supports which the Government has made available. We also have to ensure that the right conditions exist for our businesses to flourish. As Minister of State with responsibility for trade promotion, digital and company regulation, my focus is on protecting jobs and supportin…

I move: "That the Bill be now a Second Time." I am pleased, as Minister of State with responsibility for trade promotion, digital and company regulation, to present the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 for the consideration of the House following its successful passage through the Seanad. The Bill will provide for the first phase of measures intended to mitigate the impact Covid-19 has had on the normal operation of business in Ireland. Before proceeding with a summary of the detailed provi…

I thank all of the Members who have contributed to the debate, which has been largely positive. As quickly as I can, I will go through some of the issues raised and there are other issues that I will leave and go through on Committee Stage because there might be a better opportunity then to tease them out with the Deputies. A number of Deputies noted that the Tánaiste and Minister, Deputy Varadkar, was not here for the debate. Very frequently, people are critical of the roles of Ministers of State and their role in…

Perhaps we will have an opportunity while discussing amendments to make more points.

At the outset, I did not hear Deputy MacSharry's contribution in the Dáil. For my part, in my dealings with Westmeath County Council, Longford County Council, the HSE, the people who are running the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Garda and other bodies, many people went over and above the line of duty to facilitate the smooth running and operation of their respective roles. That goes without saying. That also applies in the private sector. Consider the retail workers who went above and beyond to ensure the shops sta…