Results 1,421-1,440 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Health and Safety Regulations (25 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (the Act), makes provision for securing the safety health and welfare of persons at work and covers all those at work including the self-employed. In reference to any activity or sector, the Act only applies where there is a work activity or likely to be one carried out in the near future. The Act defines a place of work as including any...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Personal Injury Claims (25 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) is an independent statutory agency and I, as Minister, am not permitted in my executive function to interfere in any way with the day to day operations and functions of PIAB. Section 54 of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 sets out the principal functions of the Board. Section 54(1)(b) states: ‘to prepare and publish a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The 13th round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations between the EU the US and took place from 25th – 29th April, 2016 in New York. Progress was made on the two texts on regulatory cooperation and good regulatory practices. Substantial progress was achieved on the SME chapter and on the provisions of Customs and Trade Facilitation which would simplify customs...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own business. In the first instance, the LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant state supports available through agencies such as Revenue, the Department of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Applications (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My Department has no record of an application for an Employment Permit from the person named by the Deputy and consequently I cannot comment on the matter. From the details supplied, it would appear that the application number cited by the Deputy relates to the Department of Justice and Equality.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Jobs Protection (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 257 together. In the case of these companies, my Department, through IDA Ireland, has engaged intensively with both local management and with the parent companies abroad to pursue new investors to take over the plants in question. Unfortunately, with regard to the company in Co. Tipperary, these efforts have not been successful to date and a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Ireland’s system of industrial relations is, essentially, voluntary in nature and responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers, whether in redundancy or other collective disputes, rests with the employer, the workers and their representatives. The State provides the industrial relations dispute settlement mechanisms to support parties in their...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 279 of the Companies Act 2014 provides that US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles may be used by companies for a particular transitional period, subject to compliance with Irish company law and to the company meeting certain criteria. That transitional period runs to 31 December 2020. A number of factors will need to be considered before a decision is made on any...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The current legal position is that civil fines are not provided for in Irish law for anti-competitive practices. The Attorney General has previously advised my Department that providing for them would pose legal difficulties having regard to Article 38.1 of the Constitution, even at the level of a class A fine. In that context any legislation to introduce civil fines that would lower the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (26 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The search powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) for the purposes of investigating alleged breaches of competition law are set out in section 37 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 (the “2014 Act”). Section 37 of the 2014 Act gives the CCPC significant powers of entry, search and seizure in the context of competition law...

Workers' Rights: Motion [Private Members] (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “supports a social economy model to deliver a strong economy and a fair society; welcomes the commitment of Government to:— respond to any recommendations of the Low Pay Commission as part of Budget 2017 to increase the statutory minimum wage; — fully...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Tourism Industry (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 888 and 900 together. The amount of pay an employee receives is a matter for negotiation and agreement between the individual and the employer. This is subject only to the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000. There is nothing to prevent employees reaching individual or collective agreements with employers on higher rates based on qualifications or...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Copyright Legislation Review (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: An independent Copyright Review Committee was established by the then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in May 2011 to examine the Irish copyright framework from the perspective of removing any obstacles to developing and growing innovation. The Report of the Copyright Review Committee entitled “Modernising Copyright” was published in October 2013. In its Report,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Appointments (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Government recently appointed two Ministers of State to my Department. John Halligan T.D. serves in my Department as Minister of State with special responsibility for Training and Skills. Pat Breen T.D. serves as Minister of State with special responsibility for Enterprise and Small Business. Research and development, science and innovation are important priority areas for my...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Legal Cases Data (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The State Claims Agency (SCA) is the delegated authority for handling certain claims against my Department. There are currently 6 legal actions and proceedings ongoing through the SCA against me or my Department and its offices. The following table is a brief summary of these cases, in so far as the timeframe of the Deputy’s request allows. Who was involved Incident/Hazard Category...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Properties (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Accommodation for my Department is provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in buildings which are either State owned or leased by OPW on our behalf. Therefore, my Department does not directly own or rent any properties. Any property owned or leased by Agencies of my Department are a matter for the individual Agencies concerned for which I have no direct function. I have asked all...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The number of people employed in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies supported by IDA Ireland in the years 2005, 2010 and 2015 is outlined in the attached table. The number employed in such companies experienced a relatively small dip during the recession but has now not only recovered but has reached the highest FDI employment levels in IDA Ireland’s history, with over 187,000...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: In the time available, it has not been possible for my officials to compile all of the information requested by the Deputy. Once the available information is collated, I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and its Member States and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States combine both trade and development provisions. The mandate for their negotiation derives from the Cotonou Agreement of 2000, between the EU and the ACP states. Their central objective is the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty, consistent with the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Labour Court Awards (31 May 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 43 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015 provides that where a complaint which has been upheld at first instance by an Adjudicator of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), and has not been appealed by either party, remains unimplemented after a period of 56 days, the complainant concerned, a trade union or excepted body acting on behalf of the complainant, or the WRC in certain...