Results 6,641-6,660 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I do not have plans at present to establish a task force to tackle unemployment blackspots. We have made extraordinary progress in reducing unemployment in recent years and there are a number of major initiatives currently underway to build on this success. Employment continues to grow strongly with 49,900 jobs created in 2018, bringing total employment to 2,272,200, an all-time high....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: My Department and its agencies are working to provide extensive supports, schemes and advice to ensure that businesses are prepared for Brexit. These measures aim to assist businesses in identifying key risk areas and to facilitate the practical actions to be taken in response to the UK's exit from the EU. The Brexit Loan Scheme provides affordable working capital to eligible businesses...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Jobs Data (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Regional development remains an absolute priority of mine. I am focused on both supporting and sustaining current regional employers and working to create new economic and job opportunities across the country. The recent performance of IDA Ireland, the State Agency tasked with promoting inward investment into Ireland, demonstrates the progress we are making in this context. By the end of last...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Productivity measures the efficiency with which an economy transforms inputs (labour and capital) into outputs. As such, productivity is a key factor of national competitiveness. Ultimately, productivity is the main engine of economic growth in the medium to longer run and the main driver of improvements in living standards by determining sustainable wage levels and financing of public...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Ireland’s overall competitiveness performance remains positive. Our improved fiscal position and increased cost competitiveness have contributed to Ireland’s improved international competitiveness. This improvement is reflected in a range of metrics, notably economic growth, increased employment, falling unemployment and a strong trade performance. Ireland’s inflation...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Jobs Data (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Regional development, not just in the Border area but across Ireland, remains a key priority. Together with my Department and its enterprise Agencies, I am focused on strengthening investment and job creation all over the country. The recent annual results of the IDA demonstrate that we are making significant strides. In 2018, for example, 56% of all net new jobs created by the Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Proposed Legislation (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Bill 2018 completed Second Stage in Seanad Éireann on 23 January 2019 and Committee and Remaining Stages on 31 January 2019. The Bill completed Second Stage in Dáil Éireann on 14 February 2019 and was referred to the Select Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The Bill will benefit consumers by requiring gift vouchers to be...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Being prepared for Brexit is critical for companies, therefore to support companies navigate potential emerging challenges, my Department and its agencies has engaged in a programme of: - Building resilience in Irish exporting companies focused on innovation, market diversification and competitiveness; and - Addressing the awareness and preparedness of companies to Brexit. As part of this,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Across Government Departments, significant work is ongoing including legislative changes, to ensure all necessary supports will be available to enterprise regarding a wide variety of Brexit implications. My Department included amendments to the Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland) Act 1998 provisions in the recent Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 48 together. My Department and its agencies are working to provide extensive supports, schemes and advice to ensure that businesses are prepared for Brexit. These measures aim to assist businesses in identifying key risk areas and the practical preparatory actions to be taken over the coming weeks. Brexit was one of my top priorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Enterprise Development Fund (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has made a significant commitment under Project Ireland 2040 to target €4 billion to support the key priorities of rural renewal, urban regeneration, the achievement of climate action objectives, and the development of new technologies. These funds will also act as key enablers for regional growth over the coming years. I will be looking particularly at the REDF in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Applications (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: It is currently taking 3 weeks to process applications for trusted partners and 13 weeks for standard applications. My Department is continuing to take steps to improve these processing times. The main reason for the delays is the current high level of demand for employment permits, due to our economic success, growing labour market and reduced labour surplus. During 2018 some 16,800...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Data (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The recently published Q4 2018 CSO Labour Force Survey employment figures are overall very positive. Figures show that overall, employment continues to grow strongly with 50,500 jobs created in the year from Q4 2017 to Q4 2018. This brings total employment to 2,281,300, the highest number at work ever recorded. The South-East regions have shown very good progress in employment levels...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Electronic Commerce (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I am convinced that all businesses, regardless of size or sector, in today’s competitive environment need to take steps to build their online capability. The agencies of my Department offer a range of supports to assist businesses to trade online. The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop-shop front line service assisting in delivering business growth and jobs for the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Aid (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Regional development - whether in north Meath or further afield - remains an absolute priority of mine. I am focused on both supporting and sustaining existing employment levels in regional Ireland while also working to create new economic opportunities and jobs in every county of Ireland. Significant progress has been made in recent years in creating new jobs and economic opportunities...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Portfolio (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Collaborative working spaces known as digital hubs, or “eHubs”, are envisaged under Project Ireland 2040 as part of an ongoing suite of measures to encourage greater levels of collaboration between entrepreneurs in accessing available supports and assistance in helping to make their businesses grow. These future eHubs will play an important role in facilitating remote working...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Enterprise Development Fund (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: In April 2018, I asked all the Regional Action Plan for Jobs Implementation Committees to start a process to refresh and refocus all Regional Plans to ensure their relevance and impact out to 2020, so that they continue to deliver jobs across the country, in every region, and can be robust to address the challenges we face, including Brexit. The outcome of this refresh process is nine new...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Minimising the impact of Brexit on cross-border trade and employment is a key priority for the Government. We are doing our utmost to protect the interests of those companies that are engaged in business activities on both sides of the border. InterTradeIreland (ITI) – one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement – is jointly...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 49 together. Brexit represents a significant challenge for businesses in Ireland, which cannot be underestimated. That’s why my Department started developing supports for businesses from the time when Brexit first became a possibility. Government’s priority is to ensure that businesses around the country can manage risks and avail of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (7 Mar 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Across Government Departments significant work is ongoing to ensure all necessary supports will be available to enterprise regarding a wide variety of Brexit implications. Provision in the revised estimates for financial support is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. In relation to State aid, my Department and its agencies have been working closely with the EU Commission...