Results 22,161-22,180 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The best way for Irish companies to withstand current global economic challenges is by diversifying their export footprint. One of the new supports that Enterprise Ireland has introduced to encourage companies to enter new markets is the Market Discovery Fund. Launched in January 2018, the Market Discovery Fund aims to encourage companies to expand into new markets by helping with the costs...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Unified Patent Court (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The timing of any referendum is a matter for Government and no date has been set for a referendum on Ireland's participation in the international Agreement on a Unified Patent Court, which has yet to come into force.  To come into force the Agreement must be ratified by at least 13 contracting Member States, including France, the United Kingdom and Germany.  To date 16...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Strategy (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 110 together. Promoting diversified export markets in light of the potential impacts of Brexit is a key priority for my Department. This includes markets that are growing and have scale as well as markets where we are already well established but with potential for further growth. Through the Government’s Trade Strategy, ‘Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services Provision (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, through its enterprise agencies is committed to supporting companies in urban and rural areas to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future.  Reflecting the strength of the Irish economy and of global markets in 2017, Enterprise Ireland client companies reported strong employment performance. Enterprise Ireland’s 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Development (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, through the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), continuously monitors and advises the Government on future skills requirements and associated labour market issues that impact on the national potential for employment growth. The EGFSN is an independent, non-statutory body, which includes representatives from the business community, trade unions, and a small number...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Data (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 114 together. Enterprise Ireland, an Agency of my Department, supports companies in urban and rural areas to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future.  Enterprise Ireland’s focus for 2018 is to help clients with global ambition to build on the strength of their 2017 performance by supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Supports (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is carrying out extensive work to prepare for all Brexit eventualities.  Informed by detailed research, my Department has been putting in place a package of measures that will allow us to respond to the needs of businesses including the Brexit Loan Scheme which was launched in April 2018 and which will provide affordable working capital financing to eligible businesses that...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Since the first publication of the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012, Ireland's economy has performed stronger than would have been thought possible at that time. The unemployment rate has reduced from a high of almost 16 percent to 5.9 percent in April 2018. Our total exports are at an all time high. The performance of our indigenous exports remains robust and on target to achieve...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: My Department, through its enterprise agencies is committed to supporting business to understand and respond to technological change and to incentivising indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs to start, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and into the future. Enterprise Ireland’s focus for 2018 is to help clients build on the strength of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (24 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Ireland operates in an intensely competitive global environment for the attraction of business investment and talent. Our Irish owned enterprises compete on the international stage and face unprecedented challenges as they face the implications of Brexit and need to diversify to other export markets. In this context it is crucially important that we, as a Government, continue to focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Data (23 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: On 3 January 2018, Enterprise Ireland announced its 2017 end year results. The 2017 performance was strong, reporting the highest employment in the history of the agency, the highest net job creation in the history of the agency and the lowest number of job losses since 1998.  In 2017, Enterprise Ireland supported client companies employed 209,338 people. 19,332 new jobs were created by...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Data (23 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and ‘soft’ supports in the form of training and mentoring to anyone wishing to start or grow a business. The LEOs provide a ‘signposting’ service in relation to all relevant state supports available through agencies such as Revenue,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Targets (23 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Yearly job creation figures by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are captured by the Annual Employment Survey conducted by my Department and published in January each year. The 2017 survey remains the most up to date and accurate source of information on Enterprise Agency job creation until the 2018 figures are published early next year....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Staff (23 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: Over recent years, a number of senior-level vacancies have arisen within the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) through a combination of retirement, promotion and transfer to other parts of the public service. In that context, the skill sets, competencies, roles and responsibilities associated with each of those posts have been reviewed and reconfigured by the Director of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Motor Insurance Costs (22 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The Personal Injuries Commission (PIC) was established in January 2017 by the then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, with former President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns appointed as chair. Since its establishment, the Personal Injuries Commission has been actively engaged in delivering in accordance with the terms of reference of its work. A considerable amount...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Development (22 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The Hospitality Skills Oversight Group (HSOG) was set up on foot of a recommendation contained in the report on the Future Skills Needs of the Hospitality Industry, which was published in November 2015 by the national Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGSFN), to which my Department provides the Secretariat. The Group provides a forum for practical action and collaboration to address the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (22 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: The total expenditure in Subhead Ad3 of the Department's Vote, Learning and Development and Incidental Expenses, amounted to €1.05 million in 2017. Learning and Development related expenditure last year amounted to €399k and covered: - The provision of over 230 training courses attended by 1,280 staff. - Attendance at various seminars and conferences. - Payment of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (22 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: A breakdown of the travel and subsistence incurred by my Department, for the year ending 31 December 2017, is detailed for the Deputy in the following table. This is the total for my Department and its Offices only and does not include the Agencies of the Department. Travel and Subsistence Expenses Home Travel €527,886.83 Home Subsistence €297,841.11 EU Travel...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (22 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: My Department spent €1,133,297 on external consultancy, value for money and policy reviews in 2017. My Department considers hiring external consultants in cases where there is not the necessary expertise to deliver the project in-house, in cases where an external assessment is deemed essential, or in cases where a project must be completed within a short time scale, and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Proposed Legislation (22 May 2018)

Heather Humphreys: On 27 June 2017, the Government gave approval to the drafting of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Amendment) Bill along the lines of the General Scheme. The purpose of the Bill is to amend the existing legislation to strengthen PIAB in terms of operational issues to ensure greater compliance with the PIAB process and encourage more claims to be settled through the PIAB model. The...