Results 2,081-2,100 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for the enforcement of domestic and EU competition and consumer law in the State. Section 9 (5) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 provides that the CCPC is independent in the performance of its functions, including carrying out investigations of alleged anti-competitive practices. As...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) reports to Government on competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy. I met with the chairman, Professor Peter Clinch on 5 July to discuss Ireland’s competitiveness performance. I subsequently brought the Council’s Competitiveness Scorecard report to the Cabinet Committee for Economy, Trade and Jobs and to Government for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 499 together. The economic and political implications and timing of Brexit – and indeed the institutional arrangements between the UK and EU, and between Ireland and the UK remain unclear at this juncture. Notwithstanding this considerable uncertainty, the immediate implications for Ireland of the UK leaving the EU are being addressed by...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Portfolio (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The property mentioned is not under the ownership of IDA Ireland. The Agency is aware, however, of its availability and has engaged with its owners about marketing the facility as suitable for potential FDI investors. The property has also been included on the IDA’s database of available office and manufacturing properties in Co. Westmeath. While Enterprise Ireland does not purchase...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Closures (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I would welcome the opportunity to meet with a delegation from Monaghan County Council in relation to the former BOSE factory at Carrickmacross. My office will follow up with the County Council to arrange a suitable date. I am informed by IDA Ireland that the Agency has had frequent engagement with Monaghan County Council and District Councils with regard to the Bose facility. More...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Strategy Statements (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My Department is currently finalising its Statement of Strategy 2016–2019 and I expect that a final draft will be submitted shortly to Government for information. The Statement of Strategy will then be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, in accordance with Section 5(2) of the PSMA, 1997 and will be published thereafter. My Department does not have a direct role on the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: There is a whole of Government approach in place focusing on Brexit issues, and my Department and I, together with the Agencies under my remit, are to the forefront of this effort. Any changes in the UK’s relationship with the EU will present both challenges and opportunities for the Irish economy, and I am fully aware of the challenges for the Irish SME sector in regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Promotion (8 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Both agencies under the aegis of my Department, Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland, engage with relevant bodies in Northern Ireland to pursue areas of mutual advantage. Developing all-island initiatives and cooperation can, in certain circumstances, better build our competitive advantage internationally. In the period 2010 to 2015, Enterprise Ireland had representation from Northern...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Data (9 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department and its Agencies, have no contingent assets where amounts can be owed and are not listed in the national accounts as assets.

Topical Issue Debate: Regional Development Initiatives (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. First, I should point out that the factory concerned is not under the ownership of Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland. The owner of the facility is not a client of either agency. Both agencies are aware of the factory's availability. They have engaged with the relevant parties about marketing the facility as suitable for potential investors. The...

Topical Issue Debate: Regional Development Initiatives (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The IDA does not own the facility but it is selling it by promoting it, as is Enterprise Ireland, and I will make sure it is on the top of their list. We have an action plan for regional development in the area and we are pushing it as much as possible. I will take on board the Deputy's suggestion about Mullingar being a centre of excellence. I visited Mullingar and I was very impressed by...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Services (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body that was established on 1stOctober 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The Commission’s name was specified under Section 10 of this Act. I believe that the suggested renaming to include Equality Commission in the WRC title would risk confusion with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC),...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Services (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body which was established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. As an independent body I have no involvement in its day to day running. The WRC has responsibility for information provision, workplace advice, mediation, conciliation, adjudication, inspection and enforcement in relation to employment...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Applications (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My Department’s Employment Permits Section has no record of the named person having applied for an Employment Permit. If the person is a non-EEA national, they must have either an employment permit or a permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality to live and work in the jurisdiction. The details of this person have been passed on to the Department of Justice and Equality...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Business Regulation (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Good regulation aims to provide a stable base for economic activity and a level playing field for business, while also protecting workers, consumers and the environment. Better Regulation Policy aims to ensure that the processes for generating new regulation, and for evaluating existing regulation, are as effective and efficient as possible. Regulation should achieve the policy goals...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, which is co-ordinated and developed by my Department since 2012, has set out a comprehensive set of measures to improve our competitiveness performance. Substantial progress has been made in terms of improving Ireland's competitiveness in recent years and we have climbed from 15thto 7thin the 2016 IMD competitiveness rankings. We have moved from...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Growth (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Enterprise 2025 set out the Government's ambitions for sustainable enterprise, employment and export growth. The growth potential was set in the context of the macro-economic forecasts contained in the Short-term Economic and Fiscal Outlook for the period 2014-2021 prepared by the Department of Finance. The Programme for Partnership Government affirms the ambition for the creation of 200,000...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic and Social Research Institute (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Enterprise 2025, the Government’s long-term enterprise policy is an ambitious strategy, with the objective of delivering growth over the next decade that is sustainable. The objective is to achieve strong export performance that is underpinned by innovation, productivity, cost effectiveness and competitiveness. We aim to diversify our export markets beyond the UK and to broaden our...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 335 together. IDA Ireland maintains statistics of site visits by potential investors on a quarterly basis. The latest data available covers the first three quarters of 2016, during which there were 489 site visits countrywide. The breakdown by county of those visits is provided in the enclosed table. The table also shows, on a county-by-county...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (10 Nov 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: IDA Ireland maintains data on the number of visits by investors on a county, rather than individual site, basis. The breakdown by county of such visits in 2015 and 2016 is set out in the following table. Where clients inspect more than one site within a county during a visit, this is reflected in the statistics as one site visit only. Information on the precise number of visits to...