Table of contents
Transitional Protocol: Good practice guidance for continuing to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Government approves law giving more powers to competition authorities to protect consumers
Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund - Call 4
Public Consultation: Reform and modernisation of legislation regarding Co-operative Societies
Spotlight on Skills
Transitional Protocol: Good practice guidance for continuing to prevent the spread of COVID-19
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD has published the Transitional Protocol, a guidance document, setting out best practice for keeping the workplace safe to help employers and their employees return to work safely.
The Transitional Protocol: Good practice guidance for continuing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a revision of the Work Safely Protocol, reflects the lessons learned to date and places a greater emphasis on guidance and best practice to support the safe return to physical attendance in the workplace.
This guidance is a general document applicable to all sectors. It is not designed to prohibit the introduction of specific measures in particular sectors or workplaces. All businesses and sectors who have specific guidance should review and update their own guidance in line with the latest public health advice.
Government approves law giving more powers to competition authorities to protect consumers
Maximum fine of €10 million or 10% of total worldwide turnover, whichever is the greater, for breaches of competition law.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD published the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 to give more powers to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) to protect consumers and challenge anti-competitive practices by business.
For the first time in Irish law, breaches of competition law can be enforced through administrative actions taken by competition authorities, with maximum fines of up to €10 million or 10% of total worldwide turnover, whichever is the greater.
Call 4 of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund
Closing date: 10 February 2022
The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a €500 million fund established under Project Ireland 2040. It is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland.
DTIF Call 4 is about funding collaborations that demonstrate technology-based disruptive innovation, collaborations that can:
- Alter markets;
- Alter the way business operates;
- Involve new products or the emergence of new business models.
Enterprise Ireland are particularly interested in projects of scale with a strong enterprise agenda. Ideally, we are looking for enterprise-driven research and development challenges that can demonstrate commercial impacts within 3 to 7 years of project completion.
Applications to Call 4 must be submitted via the online submission system on the Enterprise Ireland website by Thursday, 10 February 2022 (3.00pm Irish time).
Public Consultation: Reform and modernisation of legislation regarding co-operative societies
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is currently seeking views from stakeholders on the Public Consultation on Reform and Modernisation of Legislation regarding Co-operative Societies.
Work is nearing completion on proposed legislation to repeal the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1893-2021, provide a modern and effective legislative framework suitable for the diverse range of organisations using the co-operative model in Ireland and enshrine the co-operative model in legislation for the first time.
This consultation outlines a number of issues and asks specific questions to assist the Department prior to finalising legislative proposals. The Department is also taking the opportunity to give stakeholders a general overview of the proposed legislation.
Please send submissions using the Response Template to: coopconsultation@enterprise.gov.ie
The deadline for receipt of submissions is Friday, 25 February 2022.
Spotlight on Skills
Wednesday, 9 February 2022
In partnership with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science and the IMI, Enterprise Ireland has developed the Spotlight on Skills programme. This programme helps businesses create a company skills plan to identify and address their critical skills needs, build capability and achieve strategic growth.
Who should participate
The programme is targeted at senior managers with the knowledge of the entire business function and future growth strategy over the next 1-5 years. The programme is aimed at two senior managers per company.
Key Programme Outputs
At the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Assess the critical skills needs of their organisation
- Use a workforce planning toolkit on an ongoing basis
- Develop a company-wide skills plan for future sustainable growth
- Engage in skills planning discussions with their regional skills manager
- Inform and influence policy on enterprise skills needs
Cost
Spotlight on Skills is fully funded by Enterprise Ireland.
