Results 21,421-21,440 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Of the new employment created by IDA Ireland supported companies, 70% is from existing companies. These companies continue to invest and we continue to support them to do so. Only last week, more than €3.2 million was allocated to the Ballina innovation quarter under the urban regeneration fund. This provided for the development of the old military barracks in Ballina into a new...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I reassure the Deputy that a wide range of supports is available for indigenous companies. Only yesterday, I announced the regional enterprise development fund. The Deputy stated there was nothing specific in the fund for County Mayo, but there was much in it for the region. I see regions, not county boundaries. A project that was funded in Sligo will have benefits for Mayo and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: IDA Ireland Data (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: In the past ten years, there have been three new name investments in Donegal out of a total of 18 investments in the county across that period. It is important to emphasise in this context, however, that foreign direct investment performance, whether in Donegal or any other county, is not necessarily reflected in new name investments. This is because almost 70% of all new FDI in Ireland...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The SME sector is the backbone of local economies throughout the country. I want to ensure SMEs are supported, and that is why I allocated an extra €5 million for our local enterprise offices in the budget. That represents an increase of 22%. We have 31 local enterprise offices, and they do great work throughout the country. They can provide grants to businesses with ten or fewer...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Like the Deputy, I recognise the great work the local enterprise offices do. I am committed to supporting them. The increase in budget 2019 of €5 million was considerable and it was very much welcomed. With regard to the Deputy's area, Enterprise Ireland-supported job announcements in 2017 and 2018 in the mid-west included 80 jobs in CAE Parc Aviation in Shannon and Dublin in May...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Job Creation (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I note the release of the results of the labour force survey for quarter 3 of 2018, as issued by the Central Statistics Office on 20 November 2018. Overall, the quarter 3 results are very positive. Figures show that employment continues to grow strongly, with 66,700 jobs created throughout the State in the year from quarter 3 of 2017 to quarter 3 of 2018. This brings total number of people...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ticket Touting (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 59 together. At its meeting on 24 July 2018, the Government decided on a package of legislative measures dealing with the resale of tickets for entertainment and sporting events. In order to implement the measures, the Government agreed that it would support and amend the Prohibition of Above-cost Ticket Touting Bill introduced in January 2017 by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ticket Touting (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I acknowledge that the Deputy wants the Bill to be enacted as soon as possible. There have been recent problems involving tickets for the Ireland versus New Zealand rugby match and the Spice Girls concert next year being sold online for multiples of face value. That is not right and it is not fair on genuine fans. I assure the Deputy that I will get the Bill enacted as quickly as possible....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ticket Touting (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: On the issue raised by Deputy O'Dea, I understand a letter from Mr. Edward Parkinson of Viagogo containing a detailed legal opinion from a senior counsel was sent to me as Minister on 21 November. The legal opinion was sent to the legal advisers seconded to my Department from the Office of the Attorney General for their opinion on 28 November. This is normal practice when such legal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: My Department and its agencies continue to be centrally involved in supporting businesses through these challenging times. Brexit is undoubtedly the most significant challenge to have faced Irish enterprise in more than 50 years. With less than four months to go, I am determined to deliver on the commitments in budget 2019 which have Brexit at their core, building on the many measures we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The account, not the synopsis, of the investigative shortcomings identified by Judge Aylmer was published today on the website of my Department. The purpose of publishing the account is to understand the factors that led to such investigative shortcomings and to take appropriate steps to address them. These steps include ongoing reform within the Office of the Director of Corporate...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: While the investigation is historical, it is crucial to understand the factors that led to the shortcomings identified by the judge in order that we can take measures to address them. For this reason, after the trial in the case of the DPP v.Sean Fitzpatrick ended in May 2017, the then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation requested a report from the Director of Corporate...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: To be clear, I cannot publish the report because if I do, I will be breaking the law.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Section 956 of the Companies Act prohibits me from publishing the report.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Those are the facts and I cannot change them. The law is the law and I must work within it, as must everybody else. The next issue is what we should do about what Judge Aylmer said.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I will tell the Deputy what we will do. One of the main shortcomings the judge identified was the lack of skill sets in the ODCE for this investigation, which took place between 2008 and 2012. It is clear that the office did not even have one forensic accountant at that stage. It now has eight forensic accountants and a number of other expert staff, including a digital forensic specialist,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Insurance Costs (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I agree with the Deputy. Fraudsters, gangsters and chancers should not be rewarded through fraudulent claims. That is wrong. The insurance companies need to challenge such claims and should not pay out until they are fully satisfied that a claim is genuine. It is a priority of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, to proceed with establishing the judicial appointments...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Data (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I note the release of the results of the labour force survey for the third quarter of 2018 issued by the CSO on Tuesday, 20 November. Overall, the release is very positive. The figures show that employment continues to grow strongly, with 66,700 jobs created in the year from the third quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2018. It brings total employment to 2,273,200. Between the launch...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Data (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The mid-west Regional Action Plan for Jobs process has had some notable successes such as the launch of Propeller Shannon Accelerator, a student enterprise network at the University of Limerick, and a Limerick for Engineering showcase, among many other initiatives. Earlier this year I asked the implementation committees for the Regional Action Plan for Jobs, including in the mid-west, to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Data (4 Dec 2018)

Heather Humphreys: On Monday I announced the allocation for the regional enterprise development fund. A number of projects in the mid-west were funded. Some €603,000 has been allocated to BNest Social Initiative DAC, a social enterprise initiative that assists businesses in seeking a social impact to achieve viability and scale in Limerick and the wider region. Some €1.7 million has been...