Results 1,621-1,640 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Insurance Costs (30 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Improving Ireland’s competitiveness position is a key economic priority for Government. As set out in 'A Programme for a Partnership Government', our objective is to protect our national competitiveness from unsustainable cost growth and to deliver a job-fit business environment which ranks in the top tier globally. The Costs of Doing Business Report published by the National...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: UK Referendum on EU Membership (30 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 to 270, inclusive, together. The Deputy will be aware that the UK decision will not take effect for some time and that the precise implications of the referendum result will now depend on the period of negotiation ahead, involving the UK and our EU partners. As indicated by the Taoiseach in his statement last Friday, the Government has adopted an initial...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (30 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) is a new generation agreement that will remove over 99% of tariffs between the EU and Canada and will create sizeable new market access opportunities in services and investment. It will end limitations in access to public contracts, open-up services market, and offer predictable conditions for investors. The main benefits for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: UK Referendum on EU Membership (30 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: On June 24th the UK voted to leave the European Union. This decision has significant short-term and long term implications for Ireland. Economically, the uncertainty arising from the outcome of this decision in the short term, has resulted in a weakened exchange rate, stock market volatility and lower growth prospects for the UK economy. Due to our close and well established ties with the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Data (30 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Employment in IDA supported companies from the United Kingdom in 2015 stood at 6,827. This represents 4% of total IDA Ireland client employment of 187,056. Further details are set out in the table. The timetable for the sale of Allied Irish Banks falls outside the remit of my Department and is a matter for the Minister for Finance. IDA Ireland client companies from Great Britain Country of...

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputies Penrose and Troy for raising this matter. I have had telephone calls form Senator Gabrielle McFadden and Deputy Burke on the same issue. Clearly, my first thoughts are with the 87 workers affected by this announcement. I am very conscious of the anxiety that the announcement creates for the workers and their families as well as the local community. In regard to the...

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I have three more pages. They might be included in the record.

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: IDA Ireland is targeting a minimum of 30% to 40% increase in the number of investments in the area. There are 33 multinational companies based in the midlands employing 4,214 people and most of the companies have been located in County Westmeath. I will give the Deputies the facts on IDA Ireland site visits in Westmeath. There were nine site visits in quarter 1 of 2016. In 2015 there...

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I have listened attentively to Deputies Cullinane and Quinlivan. It is timely that the House is having this debate this evening. The programme for Government contains a commitment to tackle the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen regulation of precarious work hours. The University of Limerick study on zero-hour contracts and low-hour contracts...

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: This is clearly a significant additional burden, which will apply to every employer even if all the employees are full time and there are no rosters. It applies to every business, from the corner shop to the largest multinational. A further flaw in the Bill is that the six months reference period is too short. What about seasonal work patterns? Someone working in the summer peak from...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Agreements (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 648 to 658, inclusive, and 665 to 674, inclusive, together. The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) is a new generation agreement that will remove over 99% of tariffs between the EU and Canada and will create sizeable new market access opportunities in services and investment. It will end limitations in access to public contracts,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Reviews (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy will recall that, in my previous response of 31 May 2016, I advised that the report of the Copyright Review Committee entitled “Modernising Copyright” was published in October 2013. My Department has conducted extensive analysis of the recommendations since. As advised, it is my intention, in coming weeks, to bring to Government the Department's response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The role of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) is to promote entrepreneurship at the local level. The LEOs provide information, guidance and ‘soft’ supports to anyone seeking to start or grow a business. Subject to certain eligibility, they offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector which,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: UK Referendum on EU Membership (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Earlier this month Enterprise Ireland reported that its client companies saw an increase of 10% in exports in 2015 amounting to an all-time high of €20.6bn. The export figure is now almost double what it was 10 years ago (€10.73bn in 2005). Exports to the UK increased by 12% last year to reach €7.5bn. Significantly however, in the context of Brexit, UK exports, as a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Determination on whether consumer protection legislation has been breached is ultimately a matter for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and/or the Courts depending on the relevant legislative provision. The CCPC, which is statutorily independent in the exercise of its enforcement function, has advised me that the matter referred to in the Deputy’s question is...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Directives (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy may be aware that some provisions of Directive 2014/104/EU already exist in national legislation or in existing court rules. The other provisions of the Directive that need to be transposed are being considered during the drafting process currently underway and will be addressed in the transposing legislation, and/or by amending court rules, by the deadline of 27 December 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is an independent statutory body and I, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation have no direct function in the day to day operations of the Agency including in relation to its internal organisational structure and investigation activities. As the Deputy is aware, the Global Competition Review (GCR) is a review of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Records (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Responsibility for records management and the implementation of the National Archives Act, 1986 is dispersed across the Business Units in my Department. There is no central Archives Unit. In accordance with the National Archives Act, 1986, Regulations 1988, the Secretary General has appointed officers of not less than Principal Officer and equivalent grades as Certifying Officers for the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Data (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: IDA Ireland markets Cavan and Monaghan as part of its North East Region. There are seven IDA Ireland client companies in Cavan and five in Monaghan. This existing client base has performed well with a total of 1,311 IDA supported jobs in Cavan and Monaghan, 81 new jobs have been supported by IDA in these counties in 2015. Figures for IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits are collated on a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is an independent statutory body and I, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation have no direct function in the day to day operations of the Agency including in relation to its recruitment activities. The CCPC is now well advanced into the process of hiring 25 additional staff to make up the numbers that have been depleted...