Results 21,121-21,140 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Preparations (5 Feb 2019)

Heather Humphreys: My Department has been working closely with the Commission and DG Competition since November 2017 through the Irish/EU Technical Working Group on State Aid. The objective of the Group is to scope and design schemes to support enterprises impacted by Brexit in line with State Aid rules. Through the mechanism of the Technical Working Group Ireland has fully utilised the provisions of the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Applications (5 Feb 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The objective of the Trusted Partner Initiative is to ease the administrative burden on employers and to remove the requirement that they replicate the same employer information in respect of each employment permit application made. It is aimed primarily at high volume users of the Employment Permit regime or those who expect to become regular users of the employment permits system. An...

Prohibition of Above-cost Ticket Touting Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Member's Bill and I commend Deputies Rock and Donnelly on introducing it. I acknowledge the work done by Deputy Quinlivan, who has been a strong advocate for measures to tackle ticket touting. There is no doubt about the public concern and anger that exists about the resale of...

Seanad: Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Members for their support for the Bill. As I stated on Second Stage last week, the Bill deals with an issue of considerable importance for consumers and businesses. Most of us have given or received a gift voucher at some stage. A great many retailers and service providers in all parts of the country issue vouchers and view them as an important element of their business....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Regional development, not just in the Border area but across Ireland, remains a key priority and my Department and its agencies are focused on strengthening investment and job creation all over the country. The recent annual results of the IDA demonstrate that we are making significant strides. In 2018, for example, 56% of all new jobs created by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I acknowledge the work Deputy Smith is doing on Brexit as Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence. I am from the Clones area and Deputy Smith's home is not far from Belturbet, Bawnboy and Ballyconnell, which are towns that bore the brunt of the Troubles when a hard border was in place. We never want to go back to those days. That is why everything the Government...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I agree with the Deputy. InterTradeIreland is doing a great deal of work with Border region companies to help them meet the challenges of Brexit. In the last budget, I allocated an extra €1 million to InterTradeIreland to help it support companies on a cross-Border basis. I met Commissioner Vestager last week and highlighted to her the issues arising in relation to Brexit, in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Reports (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: A great deal of work has been done in respect of the heads of Bill published in November. Off the top of my head, the general scheme is before the Deputy's committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. I thank the committee for its work on the Bill. When it comes back to me, I will be happy to bring the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas as speedily as possible.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Reports (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the joint committee for its co-operation in the matter.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Reports (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: That is women for you.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy McLoughlin for putting this question on behalf of Deputy Peter Burke. I congratulate Deputy Burke and his wife Olivia on the birth of their new baby boy. The Deputy was supposed to be in the Chamber for this parliamentary question but I think he deserves the day off. We want to wish them well. I am committed to delivering on this Government's objective of achieving...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I thank Deputy McLoughlin. In 2018 we had another record year for IDA Ireland with job creation when the agency had its highest regional jobs growth in 17 years. A total of 58% of all IDA Ireland employment is now outside of Dublin. Enterprise Ireland also had a record year, with two thirds of all Enterprise Ireland employment now outside of Dublin. I want to ensure that we continue to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I am aware that this question is coming up later, and if I get a chance I will give more detail to the Deputy. There has been a lot of job creation in the north-west region in the past year. I am very pleased with that. Since we launched Project Ireland 2040 jobs creation in Sligo seems to come into the news on monthly basis. I am aware that Deputy McLoughlin has played a very important...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: My Department and its agencies are providing extensive supports, schemes and advice to assist businesses in identifying key risk areas and the practical preparatory actions to be taken over the coming weeks. We are active in the Getting Ireland Brexit Ready public information campaign, including a recent event held in Monaghan in October where I was delighted to welcome many...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I am satisfied that the Government is doing everything it can to help businesses prepare for Brexit. There have been numerous seminars and meetings, as well as an extensive advertising campaign, which I am sure the Deputy has heard on the radio, encouraging businesses to come forward to seek help from different agencies to prepare for Brexit. There has been a great take-up of these...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: That is not the case.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The common travel area will be protected regardless of what happens with Brexit. It is important for people who live and work on both sides of the Border and who cross it every day. On the question about the take-up, some 811 firms have applied to Intertrade Ireland. It provides a start a plan voucher worth €2,250. More than 4,000 businesses have availed of the organisation's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: The account clearly shows that the ODCE investigation, in this instance, did fall below appropriate standards. The investigative shortcomings relating to the ODCE point to the need for a broader skills base, a greater range and depth of knowledge and experience, and a greater appreciation of the necessity to employ appropriate skills and experience for a case of this complexity. This was a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I am not going to make any comments on what the DPP does. That is a matter for it. On what falls under my remit, which is the ODCE, it has made many changes, the correct people have been employed and it is now well resourced. I will introduce legislation shortly so that the ODCE will become a stand-alone agency. That will give it much more power in respect of recruiting the people it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Brexit Preparations (31 Jan 2019)

Heather Humphreys: I assure the Deputy that there is no consideration of any such move within Government that there would be checks on the ports in the EU. I think there may have been some misunderstanding there. There is no consideration for that. Our issue here in terms of checks is in respect of the land bridge between us and the UK. I met Commissioner Vestager, the competition Commissioner, just last...