Results 2,781-2,800 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: On Deputy Brendan Smith's question, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, has informed me there is no difficulty with an engagement between the Department and the company to which the Deputy referred.

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Yes. A dialogue can be entered into in that respect. On the question of whether the jobs initiatives introduced by the Government are proving a success, the central point is that this is a ship which will take a long time to turn around. We acknowledge the figures and are bold and honest enough not to bury our heads in the sand in that regard. We are seeking to implement a set of policy...

Proposed Legislation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: In July 2011 my proposals for reform of consumer and competition legislation were approved by Government. These embodied two commitments given in the Programme for Government, namely, the merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority and the introduction of a legislative base for a code of practice in the grocery sector. In addition, the proposals gave effect to the...

Written Answers — Market Access: Market Access (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Driving export growth is central to our economic recovery and it is a key focus of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. Enterprise Ireland (EI) has established a new Potential Exporters Division, a key measure in the Action Plan for Jobs. Its role is to stimulate greater activity within companies across all regions and to reorient those demonstrating real growth potential from the domestic...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: "SWiFT 10 Adopting the Cloud – decision support for Cloud computing" is designed to provide guidance to all organisations, both large and small, on the various issues that need to be considered when moving to the Cloud. Cloud computing is a key sector identified in the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 and the development of this SWiFT by National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) marks the...

Written Answers — Patent Applications: Patent Applications (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 29 together. My Department, through the Patents Office, Enterprise Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards offer a range of supports to assist and enable entrepreneurs and enterprises to exploit the value of Intellectual Property (IP) and to engage in the optimal exploitation of research and development, and specifically in applying for patents....

Written Answers — Research and Development Supports: Research and Development Supports (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: A number of agencies under the remit of my Department provide supports for research and development including Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. Science Foundation Ireland operates a range of programmes designed to deliver a world class standard of research activity in third level institutions and linked to Irish enterprises. Their Centres for Science,...

Written Answers — Research and Development Funding: Research and Development Funding (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 37 together. Under the Europe 2020 Strategy, the European Council adopted a number of headline targets, including improving the conditions for research and development, in particular with the aim of raising combined public and private investment levels to 3% of GDP. In accordance with the Strategy, Member States have adopted national targets on the...

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) was established in 2000 with a mission to build and strengthen Ireland's scientific and engineering research capacity and human capital in the areas of greatest strategic value to Ireland's long-term competitiveness and enterprise development. This was one of a range of key industrial policy initiatives taken to grow our employment value chain as decades of...

Written Answers — Research Centres Programme: Research Centres Programme (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: On March 1st 2012 the Government published the Report of the Research Prioritisation Steering Group, which is now Government policy and a key pillar of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. As a consequence of the prioritisation process the changes to Science Foundation Ireland's (SFI) pre-selection procedure have only been recently introduced and therefore we should be cautious in making...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Minister Bruton announced the establishment of Enterprise Ireland's Pilot Competitive Feasibility Fund in January 2012. The Fund was outlined in the South-East Employment Action Plan which was published in late 2011. Companies in the ICT, industrial and food sectors based in the South East were eligible to apply. The purpose of the Pilot Competitive Feasibility Fund for the South East...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The recently announced New Frontiers Programme replaces the Enterprise Platform Programme and aims to raise the number of business start-ups and to increase the pipeline of HPSUs and other sustainable businesses. This new programme forms part of one of the action points set out in the Government's recently announced Action Plan for Jobs. The programme is currently being phased in across the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The use of technology and innovation has a crucial role to play in supporting economic recovery and in driving sustainable employment in the current environment. Enterprise Ireland in particular, employs a range of supports to encourage and facilitate Irish companies to adapt to, purchase and use new technologies. Amongst these supports are: · E-Business Initiative – under which...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7), with a budget of €55 billion for the period 2007 to 2013, is the EU's main instrument for funding research and development in Europe. FP7 offers Ireland's SMEs, multinationals, and research institutions valuable opportunities to participate in high-calibre research collaborations with our European counterparts. The...

Seanad: Euroscience Open Forum 2012: Statements (14 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I am delighted to be here to speak about this important year for Irish science and, most particularly, the Euroscience Open Forum, ESOF, 2012, which is being held in our capital city this summer. The programme for Dublin City of Science 2012 has been up and running since its launch on 26 January. This is very much an historic year for science in Ireland. We have already seen the science...

Seanad: Euroscience Open Forum 2012: Statements (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I thank Senators for their good wishes. There is always a great welcome in the Seanad.

Seanad: Euroscience Open Forum 2012: Statements (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I do not want to sound patronising, but there is an eclectic knowledge in the House, given its economists, musicians, food technologists and educators. The debate is more lateral and sometimes more interesting.

Seanad: Euroscience Open Forum 2012: Statements (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: We have all bought into the concept of ESOF and everyone acknowledges the positive role it can play. Given our aims for research and innovation, we need to be able to measure impacts more accurately. The prioritisation action group follows on from the research prioritisation exercise and was instigated by Mr. Jim O'Hara. It was concluded that the State would focus its research on 14 key...

Seanad: Euroscience Open Forum 2012: Statements (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: That is one possibility. With regard to the public and political engagement with science, we are talking about an apolitical space, which I mentioned before. Professor Mark Ferguson, the new director of Science Foundation Ireland, has engaged with the Oireachtas through breakfast briefings. If there are specific ideas that must come from this forum, we should try to facilitate it. That is...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The recently announced New Frontiers Programme replaces the Enterprise Platform Programme and aims to raise the number of business start-ups and to increase the pipeline of HPSUs and other sustainable businesses. This new programme forms part of one of the action points set out in the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. New Frontiers is a national programme delivered in 9 regional locations...