Results 2,421-2,440 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

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: 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...

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: This is clearly a significant additional burden, which will apply to every employer even if all the employees are full time and there are no rosters. It applies to every business, from the corner shop to the largest multinational. A further flaw in the Bill is that the six months reference period is too short. What about seasonal work patterns? Someone working in the summer peak from...

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I have listened attentively to Deputies Cullinane and Quinlivan. It is timely that the House is having this debate this evening. The programme for Government contains a commitment to tackle the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen regulation of precarious work hours. The University of Limerick study on zero-hour contracts and low-hour contracts...

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I have three more pages. They might be included in the record.

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: IDA Ireland is targeting a minimum of 30% to 40% increase in the number of investments in the area. There are 33 multinational companies based in the midlands employing 4,214 people and most of the companies have been located in County Westmeath. I will give the Deputies the facts on IDA Ireland site visits in Westmeath. There were nine site visits in quarter 1 of 2016. In 2015 there...

Topical Issue Debate: Job Losses (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputies Penrose and Troy for raising this matter. I have had telephone calls form Senator Gabrielle McFadden and Deputy Burke on the same issue. Clearly, my first thoughts are with the 87 workers affected by this announcement. I am very conscious of the anxiety that the announcement creates for the workers and their families as well as the local community. In regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Agreements (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 648 to 658, inclusive, and 665 to 674, 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Reviews (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy will recall that, in my previous response of 31 May 2016, I advised that the report of the Copyright Review Committee entitled “Modernising Copyright” was published in October 2013. My Department has conducted extensive analysis of the recommendations since. As advised, it is my intention, in coming weeks, to bring to Government the Department's response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (5 Jul 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The role of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) is to promote entrepreneurship at the local level. The LEOs provide information, guidance and ‘soft’ supports to anyone seeking to start or grow a business. Subject to certain eligibility, they offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector which,...