Results 2,861-2,880 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Topical Issue Debate: Health Professions Admission Test Administration (20 Sep 2012)

Seán Sherlock: With all due respect to her, I ask Deputy Mitchell O'Connor for the courtesy of allowing me respectfully to respond to her query. I would be happy to engage with her on the issue of Project Maths, knowing that she has made some quite vociferous statements in the last month or so regarding Project Maths. The offer is there for her to engage further on the issue of Project Maths. Is that...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Professions Admission Test Administration (20 Sep 2012)

Seán Sherlock: As Minister of State with special responsibility for STEM and Project Maths, I am happy to sit down with her myself in that regard. I have not seen the findings of the report of the research group. As I have indicated, the report is expected to be published within the next few days. I have not seen the report but Deputy Mitchell O'Connor suggests she has already seen some of its...

Topical Issue Debate: Health Professions Admission Test Administration (20 Sep 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The report will be submitted to the academic councils of the institutions concerned for consideration. It is understood that the report will be considered by the academic councils before the end of the year, most likely in November or December. The implementation of any changes will be a matter for the institutions and their medical schools. More generally with regard to third level entry...

Topical Issue Debate: Unemployment Statistics (20 Sep 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Deputy for the tenor in which he made his contribution. I acknowledge that the latest quarterly national household survey, QNHS, figures show an increase in unemployment, but we never said recovery would be fast or easy. The Government inherited a jobs market in free fall with more than 250,000 private sector jobs lost in the three years before we took office. That is not a...

Topical Issue Debate: Unemployment Statistics (20 Sep 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Deputy has stood where I am standing today and knows I will not be drawn on the budgetary process. Let me talk, however, about the EU Presidency. One of the central themes of the Irish EU Presidency will be job creation. There will be statements on Ireland's position on getting Europe to engage on this agenda in due course. The planning is ongoing and this week there was a Cabinet...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Copyright Legislation Review (2 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: An independent Copyright Review Committee was established in May 2011 to examine the Irish copyright and legislative framework to identify areas that might be deemed to create barriers to innovation and to make recommendations to resolve any problems identified. The ‘fair use’ doctrine was also to be examined to see if it would be appropriate in an Irish/EU context. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council Meeting: Discussion with Minister of State (2 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I thank members for giving me the opportunity to provide a summary of the outcome of the previous Competitiveness Council and discuss the agendas for the meetings in Luxembourg on 10 and 11 October. I will also briefly apprise the joint committee of my Department's priorities for the EU Presidency in 2013. I am accompanied by Mr. Tommy Murray and Mr. Pat Kelly from my Department and Mr. Tim...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council Meeting: Discussion with Minister of State (2 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: With the permission of the Chair, I will call on my officials, Mr. Tommy Murray and Mr. Pat Kelly, on some of the technical issues. I was not aware of the sunset clause to which Senator Quinn referred, but I will defer to Mr. Murray to answer that specific question. The issues relating to food are in the health silos but we have a prioritisation action group which is a research...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council Meeting: Discussion with Minister of State (2 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I shall try to answer the Acting Chairman and give the Irish position because he asked a question on the Single Market Act. To be fair to the Minister, Deputy Bruton regarding his interaction with Commissioner Barnier, there is a determination to distil the Act into areas where Ireland has an interest. In terms of the Presidency we are talking about the proposed establishment of a high...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council Meeting: Discussion with Minister of State (2 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I wish to reinforce the idea that the Government is prioritising smart regulation through the entrepreneurship agenda and reducing the regulatory burden. Hence, the communication between the Minister, Deputy Bruton and Commissioner Barnier. There will be an impetus during the first six months of the Presidency to drive results and reduce regulations in the SME sector. Over-regulation is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council Meeting: Discussion with Minister of State (2 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Acting Chairman.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Initiatives (4 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is not a direct job-supporting agency in the same way as its sister enterprise agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. SFI is specifically mandated to focus excellence in research investments through the higher educational sector in the areas of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), Biotechnology and Sustainable Energy and Energy...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Geothermal Energy (4 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The recommendations of the Report of the Research Prioritisation Steering Group, as adopted by Government Decision on February 21st 2012, were made within the context of a 5 year time-frame. I personally chair the Research Prioritisation Action Group tasked with driving implementation of the recommendations in the report and a primary focus of our agenda is to target support towards the 14...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Copyright Infringement (9 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: An independent Copyright Review Committee was established in May 2011 to examine the Irish copyright framework to identify areas that might be deemed to create barriers to innovation and to make recommendations to resolve any problems identified. The ‘fair use’ doctrine was also to be examined to see if it would be appropriate in an Irish/EU context. The Committee conducted an...

Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: There is new technology now.

Topical Issue Debate: Credit Availability (17 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I thank Deputy Butler for raising this issue. As a Government, we have moved decisively to restructure the banking system and ensure that it provides credit to the economy every year. We are also acting to fill gaps where specific market failures exist. The Deputy will be aware that the Department has introduced two targeted initiatives to support an additional flow of credit for small...

Topical Issue Debate: Credit Availability (17 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: It is hard not to agree with the points made by the Deputy in relation the banking sector. A distinction must be made between businesses seeking to restructure loans in order to survive and retain their viability and loans generated for new business. I refer the Deputy to the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 and the third progress report which states that the Department of Finance published the...

Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (17 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Deputy for raising it as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position on the application for additional accommodation received from Millstreet Convent national school, County Cork. It is a co-educational primary school catering for boys and girls from...

Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (17 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I note the Deputy's concerns in this regard and the points he has made on the school's developing school status. I reiterate that the Department will be in contact with the school when the demographic analysis in the area has been completed. If, through the good offices of the Deputy, the board of management was to contact me directly, I would be happy to engage with the school, subject to...

Prospects for Irish Economy: Statements (Resumed) (24 Oct 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Is it working in the Six Counties?