Results 6,861-6,880 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. My Department is engaged in ongoing research to assess the extent of Brexit preparation among Irish businesses. Over the last two years, my Department has worked to raise awareness of the key Brexit challenges which include supply chain, tariffs, customs, regulatory standards, working capital and movement of labour, goods and services to build...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: We have identified a number of categories of businesses that are particularly exposed to Brexit-related difficulties, including businesses in the agrifood sector, in the Border region and engaged in export and import to, from and through the UK. The Getting Ireland Brexit Ready public information campaign included workshop events throughout the country aimed primarily at businesses and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy knows, all negotiations on Brexit issues are done through the EU. I had the opportunity last year to meet Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Trade in the UK, and he talked about technological solutions. I was not very clear about how they would work. For somebody who lives on the Border, I am still not clear how they are going to work. Businesses, both large and small,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for her question. As I have said on a many occasions, Brexit of any kind means change and we must prepare for this unprecedented challenge. A no-deal Brexit is the worst possible outcome and that is why we welcome the agreement of the European Council to an extension of the Article 50 process until 31 October 2019, which prevented a no-deal outcome on 12 April and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I do not agree that the uptake has been abysmal. It is important to remember the Brexit loan scheme, whether it is the working capital facility or the long-term loan scheme I launched last month, comprises loans which businesses have to repay. I can understand a natural reluctance on the part of some businesses to take on debt until the full details of the Brexit challenge become clearer....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: There have been approximately 600 applications to the Brexit loan scheme, with 550 approved-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I worked in the banking sector for many years and I know businesses are often reluctant to borrow money because it must be repaid. If the Deputy can describe any cases of businesses having difficulty with this, she should bring them to me. I have had no complaints about this loan scheme so if the Deputy has such an example, she should give it to me and I will follow it up without any...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Schemes (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. During February and March of this year, I launched nine new regional enterprise plans to 2020, which build on the very strong progress made on employment creation under the Regional Action Plan for Jobs 2015-2017. I am pleased to say that implementation has commenced in all regions. Shaped from the bottom up by regional stakeholders and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Schemes (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The Deputy has raised this issue with me on a number of occasions. As part of its €150 million regional property programme, IDA Ireland is directly investing in a building programme to help ensure that property solutions are in place for overseas companies. I understand that IDA Ireland has now completed the acquisition of a suitable site for the Carlow advanced technology building,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Schemes (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy knows, the agency did not own the land in Carlow and had to acquire a site through the open market. This was a lengthy and complicated process that resulted in the overall completion objective for the facility being delayed. I will certainly keep a close eye on the timelines I have given the Deputy and I have no doubt he will keep an even closer eye on them. I look forward to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ticket Touting (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: As I indicated in a recent reply to the Deputy, my Department is currently working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, OPC, on the preparation of amendments to the Prohibition of Above-cost Ticket Touting Bill 2017. While good progress is being made on these amendments and it is my aim to finalise them as soon as possible, it is not possible to provide a precise timeframe for their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ticket Touting (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I am committed to progressing this Bill. It is an important issue for consumers and fans. As I stated previously, I do not want to see them getting ripped off anymore. There have been delays in drafting the amendments because the drafting of Brexit-related legislation had to take priority. The Deputy will understand why that is the case. While this is an important issue for fans, I am...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Project Ireland 2040 (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: My Department launched the €500 million disruptive technologies innovation fund in June 2018. Information on the fund and how to apply was provided by my Department with the support of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland, SFI. Expressions of interest were sought for funding commencing in 2019. In December 2018, I was delighted to announce the 27 projects...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Project Ireland 2040 (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I hope to launch the next tranche in June. The projects which have been funded to date have been very successful. For example, I was at the Tyndall research centre only two weeks ago where I saw that a hand-held MRI machine was in development. That is something for the future. I also saw a tiny camera. It was smaller even than the head of a pin. The project will allow cameras to enter...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Legal Cases (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: There has been extensive engagement with the Office of the Attorney General on the publication of the Report of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) prepared under section 955(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2014. Because of section 956 of the Companies Act 2014 the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation is prohibited from publishing reports prepared pursuant to Section 955 of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Schemes (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: As set out in Future Jobs Ireland 2019, all businesses, regardless of size or sector, in today’s digital environment need to focus on building competitive 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 service assisting in delivering business growth and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Enterprise Plans (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: During February and March this year, I launched nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2020, which build on the very strong progress made on employment creation under the Regional Action Plan for Jobs 2015-2017. County Louth forms part of the new Regional Enterprise Plan for the North-East region, and implementation of the Plan, which also includes counties Cavan and Monaghan, has already...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Initiatives (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: A total of 18,500 more people are in employment in the South-East at the end of 2018 than in 2015 when the Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative was launched. Unemployment in the region has reduced from 11.7 percent to 7.7 percent in the same period. While we have had great success through the Action Plan for Jobs in reducing unemployment, in the context of Brexit and other global...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Staff Remuneration (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Remuneration for staff within my Department is set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in line with Government policy. I have no remit in this area. Based on the Civil Service 37-hour standard net working week, the suggested living wage equates to an annual salary of €22,975. There is a total of 7 staff in my Department currently on an annual salary less than the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Initiatives (14 May 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...