Results 20,341-20,360 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: A very good range of research reports, commissioned by a variety of agencies, are available and this is important. I will share as much as possible of that information. Information relevant to companies will be shared with them. If there is information that is key to our negotiating strategy which it would be better not to publish at a particular point from a national interest point of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy has asked a number of detailed questions on this issue, in response to which I sent him a letter last night containing a lot of detail.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I sent the Deputy as much information as possible in regard to the questions asked.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy’s assertion that no prosecutions have been brought or convictions achieved by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in the past two years does not present a complete picture of the activities of that office over the past two years.   It is important to make the point that the Director of Corporate Enforcement is only statutorily empowered to initiate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information I gave to the Deputy was the information I was given at the time.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is doing a complete disservice to the work of the ODCE in the way he has described it this morning. He need only look at the 2016 report - as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle has said to me, I do not have time to go into detail - as there is figure after figure. In 2016 alone, 90 company directors were restricted and 11 were disqualified by the High Court, while 93 restriction...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The reason for that is the strong legal advice I have received from the Attorney General. I have had both direct confirmation and written legal confirmation with regard to this. Under the legislation, which has been carefully examined - since my approach would have been to publish this - it is not within the powers of the Minister to publish such a report. I certainly want to place as many...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have just come from a detailed discussion on competitiveness that was held by Enterprise Ireland. This is clearly a cutting-edge issue for companies to deal with in the months ahead particularly in view, as the Deputy said earlier, of the Brexit challenge. Despite intense competition, the trajectory of Ireland's competitiveness performance is positive. Ireland moved from 16th to sixth...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to be in a position to state the feedback from the international companies that invest here, representatives of dozens of which I have met in the almost six months I have been Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, both in Ireland and abroad on trade missions, is positive. The job announcements in Drogheda, Limerick, Waterford and so on and recent weeks bear testament...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I share the Deputy's concern about what has happened regarding Apple. That is why it has been a priority for the Taoiseach to meet Apple and discuss with its directors both here and in the USA the issues in this regard. The whole country regrets the delays because delays are always of serious concern to business. That is one of the reasons-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Direct Investment (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: We continue to work with Apple. I would not put it the way the Deputy has put it, that it is lost. We must continue to work with Apple. What is important is that we deal with infrastructure planning, as the Deputy rightly says, and data centres. The Taoiseach and I brought a memo to Government in order that we could fast-track data centres. This is very important because, as the Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Enterprise Ireland supports companies in urban and rural areas to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets. At the centre of its strategy is the Build Scale, Expand Reach strategy for 2017-20. It works in many different ways to help that employment development. In 2016, for example, 5,352 people were employed in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies in Tipperary,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take the points Deputy Lowry makes about some of the impact of the economic downturn in rural towns, and he has outlined it very starkly. The best way to begin to have that recovery that we need, and which is happening, as he says, is to ensure a regional focus when we attract jobs from overseas while also supporting local businesses. The kinds of projects I have described that the LEOs,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a subject for another question in terms of the planning framework. There has been a lot of consultation. It is a draft planning framework. There is certainly no question of placing areas at a disadvantage. I would say quite the opposite. It is about combining capital investment and a proper regional planning framework. The intention is to ensure we have balanced and inclusive...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is totally committed to this project, and at every available opportunity we have worked to ensure that no stone has been left unturned in bringing this project to fruition. We are striving to ensure that Ireland continues to be able to attract world-class data centres and other high-tech investments. The Taoiseach recently met the company's CEO in the USA and underlined the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no ideological resistance to what the Deputy has described. These companies, as the Deputy rightly said, are big users of renewable energy, and that certainly is to be welcomed. Their experience in this country has been good. I do not think what Deputy has said is correct, because it is very clear the planning delays were the issue relating to where we are at present. The delays...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Taoiseach and I have already brought the first update to the Government on this. I can confirm a cross-departmental group is looking at this. I will arrange for details to be sent to the Deputy of who is on the group and an outline of the work, and in so far as I can do so I am happy to do it. We should not forget that Ireland is still considered, and with good cause, the unofficial...

Other Questions: Jobs Initiative (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Durkan for his key question. It goes to the heart of the situation that the State faces on Brexit; how exactly can we ensure that the economic recovery continues. I have recently published a document form my Department about that very topic. It is about helping firms to innovate, to do research and to make sure they are prepared for Brexit. Earlier today I outlined to the...

Other Questions: Jobs Initiative (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is right. A really sustained cross-government approach is necessary to continue the economic recovery. We cannot take it for granted. We must continue to focus on all the right areas, particularly on the competition aspect, as I spoke of earlier. We must ensure that businesses who may need temporary financial support have it. This is extremely important. I will work with...

Other Questions: Jobs Initiative (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm to the Deputy that this whole area remains an absolute priority for the Government. The Action Plan for Jobs will be one of the key vehicles but it is only one. It is also about ensuring regional development. The Deputy would have seen in recent times that indigenous local companies are growing. A huge number of new companies are registering with the Companies Office every...