Results 1,481-1,500 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Applications (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The delivery of an online application system for employment permits is listed and reported as one of my Department’s commitments in the Action Plan for Jobs 2016 (Action 73). My Department went to tender in July 2015 for the provision of an Employment Permits Online Application System. Following a competitive process a contract was signed with the preferred provider in November...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Community Enterprise Centres (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 118 applications for the Community Enterprise Initiative Competitive Fund were considered with a total value of €12.3m. There was strong demand for the funding and the process was highly competitive with a threshold mark of 60 to be reached to be successful. The primary criteria and basis for marking the applications were: - Representation of community interests - Financial need and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Programme (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I do not intend to re-initiate any Bills from the previous Dáil. The table sets out the Bills that I intend to introduce in the coming Dáil sessions. Bill Provisional Timeframe Hallmarking (Amendment) Bill 2016. It is intended that the Hallmarking (Amendment) Bill 2016 will be initiated in the coming sessions. It is hoped to publish the Bill by end July 2016. Companies...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Measures (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Following extensive and positive engagement with social partners, significant work over the past few years has resulted in key legislative developments that significantly enhance the rights of employees to collectively bargain with their employer and to access the State’s workplace relations machinery in order to vindicate their rights. The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Liquidations (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 to 228, inclusive, together. In situations such as this, the legal process for the appointment of a liquidator is fully prescribed in statute and a matter entirely for the Courts. My Department therefore has neither a direct role in proceedings nor any involvement with the legal documentation that may be lodged. When a company acquires another...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Competitive Fund is targeted at collaborative initiatives between LEOs aimed at fostering increased collaboration, networking and a joined-up approach to national, regional and local micro-enterprise capability building, growth and job creation. A table details the collaborative projects that have been approved for funding, together with the LEO project...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 118 applications for the Community Enterprise Initiative Competitive Fund were considered with a total value of €12.3m. There was strong demand for the funding and the process was highly competitive with a threshold mark of 60 to be reached to be successful. The primary criteria and basis for marking the applications were: - Representation of community interests - Financial need...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Airline Charges (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I understand that the increase in baggage fees applied by one of the Irish airlines is not a new price rise as such but rather an increase in baggage fees that applies annually during the peak summer holiday period. The other Irish airline has revised its fee structure for baggage replacing a large number of different fees with seasonal variations with six year-round fee bands based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: UK Referendum on EU Membership (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The EU-UK question is a strategic priority for Government, and for my Department. This is because UK membership of the Union is hugely important both to Ireland’s interests, and to the interests of a stable, successful and prosperous EU as a whole. The Government’s overriding focus has been, and remains, on helping to keep the UK in the Union, not preparing for its departure....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The breakdown of loan approvals by participating lenders and accepted by borrowers under the Credit Guarantee Scheme are collected and collated on a regional basis and are listed in a table. I welcome the increased levels of activity between December 2014 and December 2015 which is delivering much needed finance to our SMEs. The total drawdown figure at end of December 2015 was...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microfinance Loan Fund Scheme Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The total number of applications received by Microfinance Ireland (MFI) from its inception to 31stDecember 2014 was 887. The figure to 31stDecember 2015 was 1,639. The value of approvals for the time periods totalled €6.318 million (413 in number) up to end December 2014 and €11.696 million (770 in number) up to end December 2015. Total value of drawdowns to end December 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Details of the amounts approved and paid out by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) at end 2014 and 2015 are set out in a table. Once a project application is approved, funding can then be drawn down by the client over a specified period of time in accordance with appropriate terms and conditions set out by the LEO. There is no direct correlation between approvals and payments in a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy should be aware that much of the information sought is available in the Quarterly Reports provided to me by Microfinance Ireland and published on Microfinance Ireland’s and my Department’s website. For ease of reference I have detailed below the information that the Deputy has sought. Microfinance Ireland (MFI) was established in 2012 to address a clearly perceived...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Development Capital Scheme (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The establishment of the Development Capital Scheme is a critical action under the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs process and has the objective of increasing the availability of risk capital and closing the ‘equity gap’ experienced by SMEs seeking risk capital in the region of €2 million to €12 million. Such a measure, in tandem with the many other...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Seed Capital Scheme (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Successive Governments have invested in the domestic venture capital sector over the last twenty years. This investment has sought to increase the availability of risk capital for SMEs to support economic growth through the continued development of the Seed and Venture Capital industry in Ireland, thereby achieving a more robust, commercially viable and sustainable sector. As part of Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Innovation Fund Ireland (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Innovation Fund Ireland is an Irish Government initiative designed to attract leading international venture capital fund managers to Ireland to compliment the domestic venture capital sector. Innovation Fund Ireland funding involved Enterprise Ireland and NPRF investing together and separately. The NPRF has now been reconstituted as the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). The dual...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Personal Injury Claims (9 Jun 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: State Bodies Data (14 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The mission of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) is to improve the compliance environment for corporate activity in the Irish economy by encouraging adherence to the requirements of the Companies Acts, and bringing to account those who disregard the law. The Office's staff comprise a multi-disciplined team of accountants, administrators and lawyers and civil servants...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation I have Government responsibility for the development, promotion and co-ordination of innovation, research and development policy and programmes. I am delegating responsibility for research and innovation policy and programmes to Minister of State, Mr Halligan, TD. Innovation 2020, Ireland's new cross Government strategy for research and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (14 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 607 together. I understand there have been no applications to the Labour Court under Section 41(1) of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 since its enactment. The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides (in Section 41) that the Labour Court may exempt an employer from the obligation to pay an employee or employees entitlements otherwise payable to them...