Results 401-420 of 1,022,520 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Dara Calleary)

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I am confident that it cannot be. It is also important that the board, even though it is formally appointed by the Minister, will be selected through the public appointments process as well. I will ask the officials to examine it again and make sure it is as tight as possible ahead of Report Stage.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: We certainly do not want any civil or public servant not to be able to be accountable to an Oireachtas committee. They must be.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: In terms of the highlights, a flavour of which I gave earlier, since 2012, just over 5,000 loans issued, at €83.5 million, supporting 10,000 jobs. In terms of sectors, which is probably interesting, 20% of loans were in wholesale and retail, 11% were in manufacturing, 10% were in other services and 9% were in professional, scientific and tech. A total of 42% of approvals were to...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I would absolutely support that. The recent changes we have announced, such as increasing the loan ability to up to €50,000, will help businesses and increase their capacity. The figure €25,000 was good ten years ago but it needed to be changed. To give the Deputy some more information on the bad-debt level, in 2020, during Covid, it was 31%, whereas in 2023, it was down to...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: It is not where I want it to be, by any means. We tend to land Microfinance Ireland into emergency situations and people have not heard about it. This year, we will introduce the enterprise hub, that is, the one-stop shop where people will be able to go to get all the supports, and bringing it into the Department will allow us to do that. Second, in respect of the increase in its ability...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Absolutely. We certainly intend to incorporate its services much more into our promotion and we will use the enterprise hub, which will come online later this year, in that regard. The expansion of the cap from €25,000 to €50,000 gives it a whole new space it was not previously able to enter.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: To an extent, the LEO system is a different beast, even though it is a partner with MFI. Furthermore, it is worth acknowledging this is the tenth year of the LEOs, a significant year. To go back to Deputy Stanton's point, which is aligned with that of Deputy Shanahan, we have a lot more work to do to promote the work of MFI. One aspect that has changed is that on the body’s...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: It is still in place but it comes under the Department of Finance, so I cannot give the Deputy an update on the office's work. I will ask the Department of Finance to give us a note about its current space, which I will forward to the Deputy.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: It will come through PAS and we do not necessarily have nominating bodies, as such, from my understanding of it. The Public Appointments Service will lay down the criteria for membership of the board. Is the Deputy suggesting we should have a nominee?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: This comes back to Deputy O'Reilly's point. It is kind of a given but what I will do, and I go back to the commitment I gave in response to her, is look to see whether we can tighten the language in that regard. It is normally not stated in legislation that the Public Appointments Service has the function, but that is now the normal way for filling appointments, and the governance code of...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: That would contravene the governance structure side of things. I can signal now that we will look at this ahead of Report Stage to see if it reflects other legislation in the context of appointing boards. The code of practice for the governance of public bodies is also very strong on the role of the Public Appointments Service in selecting directors. It is not for a Minister to do so....

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Chair, the members and the secretariat for their help and support.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Funding (21 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I am dealing with this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter of funding for East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support, which is based in Ballinasloe, County Galway. The need to address survivorship care for those living with and beyond cancer is now recognised internationally. Groups such as East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support emphasise...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Funding (21 May 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I acknowledge the announcement of the one-off €3 million in funding that will roll out this year. I have no doubt that East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support will attain full membership of that alliance. However, that does not guarantee it X amount out of that €3 million and therein lies the problem. I reiterate that this a is a cancer centre in the heart of Ballinasloe...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Funding (21 May 2024)

Colm Burke: I very much agree with her in respect of the number of people diagnosed with cancer who have come through treatment. They need support. The Department of Health and the NCCP are committed to working with cancer support services. This will ensure that various programmes and services are appropriately developed and made more widely available to those who need them. The current National...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Funding (21 May 2024)

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 11.12 p.m. go dtí 9.10 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 22 Bealtaine 2024. The Dáil adjourned at at 11.12 p.m. until 9.10 a.m. on Wednesday, 22 May 2024.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: The Minister of State is a good person but that response, by and large, is a standard reply. I contacted his officials, as he will be aware, this evening to let him know that I would read into the record this agreement from November 2019. I cannot state this any clearer. If the Department, which, granted this, in 2019, was the then Department of Justice and Equality, cannot honour the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: Notwithstanding the letter the Deputy has, unfortunately there have been other situations around the country where, because international protection applicants have been in IPAS accommodation and because the community have been supportive, the community has not been happy when we have had to move them.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: Did they have a letter like this?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I heard about the letter in question and I tracked it down today. I am glad it was the Deputy who read the piece into the record, rather than me. My analysis of that commitment was that it showed an incorrect understanding of the different between our mainstream housing supports and IPAS housing supports.