Results 5,521-5,540 of 11,834 for speaker:Niall Collins

Other Questions: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: In her reply, will the Minister address the concerns we have expressed previously, and which I will express again, on Irish competitiveness with regard to the UK, and the competitiveness gap which exists and which seems to be widening? This is particularly concerning in the context and backdrop of Brexit.

Other Questions: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: I have mentioned this to the Minister on a number of occasions and, unfortunately, I hate to have to report that we have not seen any progress on the closing of the competitiveness gap which exists. The Minister quoted the world rankings to me, but she will know we dropped to 18th place out of 189 economies in the Ease of Doing Business report. We have now fallen behind Georgia, Latvia,...

Other Questions: IDA Site Visits (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: I am well aware of that. As spokesperson, my role extends to the whole of Ireland, as does the role of the Minister.

Other Questions: IDA Site Visits (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: 6. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the detail of regional IDA Ireland site visits and vacant properties in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14452/17]

Other Questions: IDA Site Visits (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: As the Minister will be aware, I have submitted this question on every relevant occasion because we are concerned about the lack of IDA Ireland site visits to many parts of Ireland, in particular, Roscommon - Deputy Eugene Murphy is here beside me. Other such places include Kerry and, as Deputy Mattie McGrath mentioned, Tipperary. Can the Minister address in her answer the uneven spread and...

Other Questions: IDA Site Visits (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: One.

Other Questions: IDA Site Visits (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: Everybody understands how the corporate world works in terms of decision-making. Companies make the decisions that are best suited to them but it is a fact, and despite everything the Minister says there is no disputing it, that IDA Ireland is failing the regions of the country outside of the greater Dublin area in terms of site visits. In 2016, there was one site visit to Roscommon in 2016...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: All that is against a backdrop of a dedicated Department in the UK to deal with Brexit while we have a three-person unit within the Department.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: That speaks volumes. State aid rules are also relevant to this question. I am concerned that the 2017 Action Plan for Jobs, a 105 page document which the Minister published recently, made no mention whatsoever of a requirement for a review of the state aid rules. On this side of the House we consider a review of the EU state aid rules is required. The current cap on state aid at...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: None of them is as exposed as we are to Brexit. That is the important point.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: We are the most exposed European member state to Brexit.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: No. It is not a new point.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: No one disputes the fact that there will be a review. In fact, ConnectIreland welcomes the review because it has a good story to tell and all of its outcomes have been positive. Some 80,000 members of the diaspora in more than 147 countries are connected and almost 80 new businesses have grown in Ireland, creating in excess of 2,000 jobs. It has been a positive story, but the problem is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: It is simply not the case that the figures cited by the IDA are the programme's outcome. As the Minister knows, the Oireachtas committee held a full session on this matter on Tuesday, and it was disrespectful to the Houses of the Oireachtas that the IDA failed to appear. It did not give an adequate reason for that. There is a dispute, but there is no litigation and the matter is not sub...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: We know that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: What about the red lighting?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: 3. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the contingencies and supports in place to safeguard Irish jobs and exports from a hard Brexit scenario; the number of EU Competitiveness Council ministerial meetings that she made the case for the need of a revision of state aid rules to protect Irish enterprises and related jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: I thank the Minister. I wish to raise two points on this matter. We are nearing the invocation of Article 50, as the Minister is well aware, but something that she confirmed to me via parliamentary question will come as a surprise to many. Her Department has a Brexit unit, headed up by a principal officer, with only three staff. For such a large Department that plays a major role in...

Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: The Tánaiste might like to comment on it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (23 Mar 2017)

Niall Collins: 1. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will ensure the continuation of the Succeed in Ireland programme before the result of the current review has been published and examined; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14746/17]