Results 20,701-20,720 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

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: 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: Work Permits Eligibility (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am very well aware of the skills shortages currently being experienced in some sectors of the economy. The issue is all the more pressing given the strong economic growth being experienced and high demand being placed on a number of sectors to respond to a range of needs across the economy. Ireland operates a managed employment permits...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits Eligibility (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy who has raised this matter on a number of occasions. Work-riders are currently not eligible for employment permits. A submission was made by Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association to the most recent review of the occupation list and this was considered on the available evidence. The horse racing industry is recognised as a significant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits Eligibility (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The important point is that the sector needs to show it cannot get the workers in Ireland and in Europe and make the case to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I assure the Deputy that when that case is made, we will not be found wanting in terms of reviewing it positively. The Minister of State, Deputy Breen, was in Deputy Heydon's county today where he announced 80...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Creation (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: There are six objectives in the regional enterprise development plan. The Government supports all the agencies to provide the necessary support in the region. Hearing that there will be job losses in a traditional industry is a big blow to any region. Much work has been done. Many of the agencies, driven especially by the local authority, have collaborated here. The regional enterprise...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Creation (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: While recognising the challenges posed in the necessary transition to a low-carbon economy, I especially regret that individual workers, their families and the community will be negatively impacted by the job losses announced by Bord na Móna. Since I became Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I have made job creation and enterprise development in the regions a top priority....

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Creation (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and I, along with the local authority, met with a group from the midlands regarding the Bord na Móna job losses at the time. The regional transition team was established by Offaly County Council in response to the announcement to consolidate and simplify traditional peat-harvesting operations. It aims to pursue funding...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The Government has been working to raise awareness of the Brexit supports through events, including through clinics and seminars, and the Getting Ireland Brexit Ready campaign. When it comes to Brexit preparedness, it is important to note that companies are choosing from a full suite of supports available from the agencies. A wide array of different supports is in place to help businesses...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: Additional funding was provided to both Enterprise Ireland and the IDA to get more boots on the ground and to diversify our markets. There have been extensive trade missions to China and Japan. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, is in China at the minute, and I myself have been there, as well as to Singapore. The Minister of State at the Department of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Economic Competitiveness (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Ireland is a competitive economy, as reflected in a range of economic metrics such as high economic growth, the strong performance of the labour market across sectors and regions, strong trade figures and productivity figures. For example, the results from the Labour Force Survey show there was a 2.3% increase in employment in the year to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Economic Competitiveness (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: In the 2018 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook Ireland was ranked 12th in the world, as compared with 24th in 2011. As such, we have made substantial progress in recent years. We continue to attract high levels of foreign direct investment, FDI. IDA Ireland had another record year for job creation in 2018 in a highly competitive global market. This shows that internationally Ireland is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Economic Competitiveness (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: In terms of the skill shortages, my Department has reviewed economic migration policies to ensure they are fully supportive of Ireland's emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages. The report of the review, which was published in September 2018, confirms that the current employment system is robust and has served the country well in recent years. An action plan has...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Supports (14 May 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. We have been preparing for Brexit for well over two years. The last three budgets introduced supports to help businesses prepare for Brexit. Informed by detailed research, my Department and its agencies have put in place extensive supports, schemes and advice to ensure that businesses are prepared for Brexit. These measures aim to assist...

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...