Results 13,441-13,460 of 16,369 for speaker:Peadar Tóibín

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Applications (15 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: 457. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when the allocation of funding for housing grants for people with disabilities and the elderly will be released to Meath County Council who are anxious to distribute these funds as a matter of urgency to successful applicants. [30683/14]

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: Roimh an briseadh, bhíomar ag caint faoin geilleagar agus na fadhbanna atá againn, go háirithe an fhadhb atá againn mar go bhfuil an córas infheistíochta tar éis briseadh síos go hiomlán. Tá an tóin tar éis titim amach as na bainc agus as an Rialtas mar gheall ar an fhadhb seo. Tá fadhb mhór againn de bharr easpa...

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: Statements will not achieve that.

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: One of the most significant outputs of the economic crisis has been the collapse of private and public investment, and that has become one of the major causes of the length of time of the economic crisis. From the outset, Sinn Féin has argued for stimulus. In our response to the Fianna Fáil emergency budget of 2008 we published alternative revenue and expenditure proposals and a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Online Business Voucher Scheme (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: 7. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the annual trends regarding the level of investment in e-commerce by indigenous Irish business; and the numbers of persons employed in the sector. [29883/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Online Business Voucher Scheme (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: Retail is one of the forgotten sectors of the economy, although it has probably suffered the most outside of construction in recent years. It has lost approximately 50,000 jobs recently and representative organisations state those in another 30,000 are clinging on by their finger tips. We are seeing a radical reorientation of people's spending patterns from the shop to online purchasing and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Online Business Voucher Scheme (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister will agree that the figures are startling. People are spending €8.5 million every day online; while 43% of the population had bought something online. Millions of Irish people now regularly orientate towards online shopping. The figure of €6 billion given in the Minister of State's reply is up from €2.9 billion in early 2012 and it is reckoned that it will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Online Business Voucher Scheme (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: We are talking about an annual spend of approximately €32 billion. We expect €21 billion of this to be accounted for by the spend online by 2017, with 75% of it going abroad. It is reckoned that every 1% of that spend we win back boosts the local economy by approximately €40 million. Every time we have this debate the Government rightly states it is doing something...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: 6. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the new direction he will give to the new chief executive officer of the Industrial Development Agency to improve the geographical distribution of foreign direct investment here. [29881/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: A two-tier economy is developing, with people in the Border, midlands and west region much more likely to experience poverty and unemployment or have a family member emigrate. The most recent census found a general increase in the population of the State and a decrease in population in many rural areas. This trend can be ameliorated through good Government policy, especially on enterprise....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: I am glad there will be a new emphasis in IDA Ireland's strategy because, while its job creation efforts have been positive and successful in recent years, the regionalisation aspect of its strategy has been a disaster. The figures speak for themselves. In 2010, some 37% of inward investment was located outside Cork and the greater Dublin area. This figure fell to 27% in 2011 an declined...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: The Minister may have been concentrating on more important matters when I asked my earlier question on foreign direct investment. My first point was that foreign direct investment is positive and necessary and we must fight for more of it. I pointed out, however, that the imbalance in our exports on the FDI side is dangerous and implored the Minister to seek to rebalance the position. For...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: I seek balance.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: 5. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the educational processes that have been put in place to ensure local authority staff are qualified to deal with clients of the new local enterprise offices, LEOs; and the training that has been put in place to ensure seamless delivery between the LEOs and Enterprise Ireland. [29882/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: Bhí an-áthas orm fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Perry, go dtí An Uaimh Dé Máirt seo caite. I am sure the Minister of State is busy going around the country launching the local enterprise offices, LEOs, in each county and city. One of the major worries for us and enterprise organisations at the start of the process was that the LEOs would not...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: I have no doubt the Minister of State is correct and that the two officials, Mr. Hugh Reilly and Ms Jackie Maguire, will do a tremendous job. My concern is with the whole of the State, which has seen a transition period. From what I hear, that has not been completely smooth, with LEOs not being able to communicate and engage with entrepreneurs and citizens for a number of weeks as they...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: I want the Minister of State to focus on the key question. What educational process will be put in place to ensure that the staff of a local authority are at one with the LEOs in an enterprise culture? This should be seen as a major opportunity to orient the entire local authority. For years, many would have been of the view that some local authorities around the country had a culture of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Enterprise Ireland Funding (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: 2. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the fact that just a small number of American firms account for two-thirds of Irish headline exports and that they directly employ about 72,000 persons here, his plans to re-balance employment distribution on a sustainable level. [30183/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Enterprise Ireland Funding (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: Foreign direct investment is good and my party welcomes it. The Government must do all it can to ensure we will continue to win high levels of it. However, over-dependence on it is a major source of concern, especially when it is based on a small number of factors such as the bargain basement corporation tax rate used by the State. A number of years ago a senior adviser to US President...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Enterprise Ireland Funding (10 Jul 2014)

Peadar Tóibín: The effective corporation tax rate is too low. It is an international joke. It is a serious issue when, during the Taoiseach's travels to California, senior politicians joke that Ireland is considered to be an international corporation tax haven. Our reputation is low as a result. The Minister of State is correct in stating that, comparatively, there is a small number of employees working...