Results 1,641-1,660 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 679 and 680 together. The changes to the overall staffing numbers shown in the following table reflect a range of entrance/exit mechanisms – retirements, resignations, transfers in and out on promotion, recruitment of new staff and also include changes due to the transfer of functions both in and out of my Department with the associated staff performing...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Losses (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Clearly my first thoughts are with the workers affected by the announcement by the company concerned to close its Mullingar facility. I understand that the company has initiated a consultation process with its employees and their representatives who are impacted by the announcement. In regard to the employees concerned, Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation, which...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (6 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: IDA Site Visits (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: IDA Ireland collates data on its site visits on a quarterly basis. The latest data available is for the first quarter of 2016, during which there were 136 IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits countrywide. The breakdown is provided in the following table. Figures for the second quarter will be available early next month. It is important to note that data on site visits is not an accurate...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Jobs Data (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: IDA Ireland’s official employment figures are drawn from an employment survey conducted by my Department on an annual basis. It is therefore not possible to provide job numbers mid-year. The following table provides a breakdown of jobs created in IDA Ireland client companies in 2014 and 2015. The figures for 2016 will be available early in 2017 when the next survey is completed....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Enterprise Ireland, the Government agency responsible for developing Irish business globally reported the creation of 21,118 new jobs by client companies in 2015. This translates into a net increase of 10,169 jobs (taking account of job losses) in Enterprise Ireland supported businesses and brings total employment in these companies to 192,223 for 2015 - a record high for the agency. Almost...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Data (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The numbers employed in Local Enterprise Office (LEO) supported businesses stand at 32,592 overall, according to the results of the 2015 LEO annual jobs survey. A total of 7,122 new full- and part-time jobs were created in gross terms in 2015 (7,305 in 2014), details of which are set out in the following table. The Annual Employment Survey of LEO clients is undertaken towards the end of each...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Appointments to State Boards (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Since my appointment as Minister, one set of Board appointments has fallen for consideration in respect of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) - where I have made 5 appointments. In the NSAI, each April, the three longest serving members of the Board tender their resignation. In so doing, they signal to the Chairperson their intention to either retire or seek re-appointment....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Sector Staff Data (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Recruitment to my Department is undertaken principally by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) through competitions advertised publicly, setting out the competencies required for general civil service posts and technical/professional posts as appropriate. The Department is an Equal Opportunities Employer and the PAS operates under relevant Codes of Practice and its Customer Charter in an...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foireann Roinne (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Níl aon phost sainaitheanta ag mo Roinn ina próiseas pleanála fórsa saothair ina bhfuil inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge ina réamhriachtanas. De réir Scéim Teanga 2015-2018, tá mo Roinn tiomanta do mheasúnú a dhéanamh ar bhonn leanúnach ar leibhéal an éilimh ar sheirbhísí trí Ghaeilge lena chinntiú go...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: To clarify, I am speaking to section 1. I welcome those in the Gallery. I am listening very carefully. I believe the House can agree on the principle behind wanting to protect vulnerable self-employed workers. That is clear and that is what I am here to do. This is my second time in the House. On Report Stage, I propose to introduce amendments in respect of the later sections of the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: This section aims to amend the Competition Act 2002 to establish rights for self-employed individuals to be represented by a trade union for the purposes of collective bargaining and price-setting. In introducing the Bill Senator Ivana Bacik highlighted the need for protection of vulnerable self-employed workers such as actors. The principle behind wanting to protect vulnerable...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The ILO committee invited the Government to report in detail to it before its next session in November 2016. I want a robust Bill and to have Report Stage in October. Special attention will be paid to such false self-employed and fully dependent self-employed workers in the proposed amendments. These amendments have to be finalised in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General and...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 3 proposes to allow the representative body of any profession to represent its self-employed members who are paid by the State, such as doctors providing health care for the State. In effect, this would allow such professionals to set prices. Accordingly, the Bill, as drafted, would result in a large increase in the cost of services provided to the State by professionals with...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It is usual to provide for a commencement order in legislation. To this end, it is the Government’s intention to introduce amendments to section 4 on Report Stage to this effect.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: UK Referendum on EU Membership (7 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It is important to emphasise that the UK is still an EU member, therefore our businesses can continue to trade with the UK on the same terms as before. The precise implications of the UK vote will now depend on the period of negotiation ahead, involving the UK and our EU partners. The Government has undertaken careful planning in recent months for the contingency of this result. We will...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Development (7 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: In 2013, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) published a report on “Addressing Future Demand for High-Level ICT Skills”in Ireland. This report indicated a strong on-going demand for people with high-level ICT skills across many sectors of the economy – not just the ICT sector itself. The Export Group’s report suggested that 44,500 new job openings...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (7 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 and 318, 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, open-up services market, and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (7 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The details supplied pertain to a Westmeath based unit of the Irish Manufacturing Research Centre (IMR). IMR is an Enterprise Ireland/IDA Ireland Technology Centre focused on manufacturing and industrial energy efficiency research aimed at delivering solutions to manufacturing companies throughout Ireland. The Centre offers the manufacturing industry a unique environment to collaborate with...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Expenditure (7 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Capital funding for the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) is provided by my Department via the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Enterprise Ireland, who distribute the funding to individual LEOs. The Capital allocations are for direct financial supports to the micro-enterprise sector (Measure 1 grants) and so-called “soft” supports for LEO clients, such as training and mentoring...