Results 2,581-2,600 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Liquidations (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 to 228, inclusive, together. In situations such as this, the legal process for the appointment of a liquidator is fully prescribed in statute and a matter entirely for the Courts. My Department therefore has neither a direct role in proceedings nor any involvement with the legal documentation that may be lodged. When a company acquires another...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Competitive Fund is targeted at collaborative initiatives between LEOs aimed at fostering increased collaboration, networking and a joined-up approach to national, regional and local micro-enterprise capability building, growth and job creation. A table details the collaborative projects that have been approved for funding, together with the LEO project...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 118 applications for the Community Enterprise Initiative Competitive Fund were considered with a total value of €12.3m. There was strong demand for the funding and the process was highly competitive with a threshold mark of 60 to be reached to be successful. The primary criteria and basis for marking the applications were: - Representation of community interests - Financial need...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Airline Charges (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I understand that the increase in baggage fees applied by one of the Irish airlines is not a new price rise as such but rather an increase in baggage fees that applies annually during the peak summer holiday period. The other Irish airline has revised its fee structure for baggage replacing a large number of different fees with seasonal variations with six year-round fee bands based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: UK Referendum on EU Membership (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The EU-UK question is a strategic priority for Government, and for my Department. This is because UK membership of the Union is hugely important both to Ireland’s interests, and to the interests of a stable, successful and prosperous EU as a whole. The Government’s overriding focus has been, and remains, on helping to keep the UK in the Union, not preparing for its departure....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The breakdown of loan approvals by participating lenders and accepted by borrowers under the Credit Guarantee Scheme are collected and collated on a regional basis and are listed in a table. I welcome the increased levels of activity between December 2014 and December 2015 which is delivering much needed finance to our SMEs. The total drawdown figure at end of December 2015 was...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microfinance Loan Fund Scheme Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The total number of applications received by Microfinance Ireland (MFI) from its inception to 31stDecember 2014 was 887. The figure to 31stDecember 2015 was 1,639. The value of approvals for the time periods totalled €6.318 million (413 in number) up to end December 2014 and €11.696 million (770 in number) up to end December 2015. Total value of drawdowns to end December 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Details of the amounts approved and paid out by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) at end 2014 and 2015 are set out in a table. Once a project application is approved, funding can then be drawn down by the client over a specified period of time in accordance with appropriate terms and conditions set out by the LEO. There is no direct correlation between approvals and payments in a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications Data (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy should be aware that much of the information sought is available in the Quarterly Reports provided to me by Microfinance Ireland and published on Microfinance Ireland’s and my Department’s website. For ease of reference I have detailed below the information that the Deputy has sought. Microfinance Ireland (MFI) was established in 2012 to address a clearly perceived...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Development Capital Scheme (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The establishment of the Development Capital Scheme is a critical action under the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs process and has the objective of increasing the availability of risk capital and closing the ‘equity gap’ experienced by SMEs seeking risk capital in the region of €2 million to €12 million. Such a measure, in tandem with the many other...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Seed Capital Scheme (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Successive Governments have invested in the domestic venture capital sector over the last twenty years. This investment has sought to increase the availability of risk capital for SMEs to support economic growth through the continued development of the Seed and Venture Capital industry in Ireland, thereby achieving a more robust, commercially viable and sustainable sector. As part of Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Innovation Fund Ireland (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Innovation Fund Ireland is an Irish Government initiative designed to attract leading international venture capital fund managers to Ireland to compliment the domestic venture capital sector. Innovation Fund Ireland funding involved Enterprise Ireland and NPRF investing together and separately. The NPRF has now been reconstituted as the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). The dual...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Personal Injury Claims (9 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) is an independent statutory agency and I, as Minister, am not permitted in my executive function to interfere in any way with the day to day operations and functions of PIAB. Section 54 of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 sets out the principal functions of the Board. Section 54(1)(b) states: ‘to prepare and publish a...

Adjournment Debate: Employment Rights (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputy Jan O'Sullivan for raising this serious matter and I share her concerns about the position of the employees in question. I know the Deputy has a significant interest in children's welfare and education, which was so evident when she was Minister for Education and Skills. I also share her concern about the position of families who may be affected by the sudden closure of the...

Insurance Costs: Motion [Private Members] (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am pleased the House is having this debate on the important issue of insurance costs. CSO inflation data indicates insurance prices have increased by 55% since 2011. This is well in excess of European Union trends and it is vital for our consumers and enterprise base that Ireland maintains its price competitiveness to continue attracting inward investment and supporting job creation. ...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Initiatives (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Supporting enterprise development in all regions of the country in order to support job creation is a key priority of the Government, with initiatives such as the regional Action Plans for Jobs seeking to build on the capabilities and strengths of each region to maximise enterprise growth and job creation. The Action Plan for Jobs for the Midland Region was launched on June 29th, 2015, the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Government is currently focussed on best utilising the mechanisms already in place for strengthening economic cooperation between both sides of the border. The work of InterTrade Ireland (ITI) is especially important in this context. ITI, which is jointly funded and overseen by my Department and the Department for the Economy in Belfast, provides a range of enterprise development...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Both of our main economic development agencies, Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland, engage with relevant bodies in Northern Ireland to pursue areas of mutual interest. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in place between EI and Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to enable clients of both agencies to access market services and each other’s trade events. There is also close...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Since 2015 IDA Ireland has been working towards targets set out in their strategy “Winning Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019” including the creation of 80,000 new jobs and 900 new investments, which would bring total FDI employment in Ireland to 209,000 by 2019. For the first time, the Agency aims to increase the level of investment by between 30% to 40% in each region. ...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Investments (8 Jun 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: In 2015, EI client companies’ total employment topped 192,223, a record high for the agency. EI client companies, directly and indirectly, are supporting c.400,000 jobs which effectively translates into one in every five of Ireland’s workforce. I will shortly be announcing the outturn for client exports for 2015. 2016 is the final year of its 2014-2016 Strategy “Driving...