Results 9,141-9,160 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Losses (5 Jun 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The question as tabled relates to the wholesale and retail sector. The latest quarterly national household survey published by the CSO on 26 May showed that the number of people employed in the wholesale and retail sector fell by 2,200 in the first quarter of this year. We acknowledge that fall. It is a very diverse sector and it appears the experience is different in different parts. In...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Losses (5 Jun 2014)

Seán Sherlock: We must acknowledge that Irish shoppers spent €3.8 billion in online trading in 2012. Some 75% of the revenue goes outside the State. While I acknowledge the points made by the Deputy, we must tackle this through Deputy Tóibín's committee, which will do some work on town centre planning. If we are talking about retailers, which he mentioned, it is a question of how town...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Losses (5 Jun 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The question tabled by the Deputy concerned the wholesale and retail sectors and I am confident that, through a process of consultation involving all the stakeholders, thorough engagement and giving effect to many initiatives that arise from the retail consultation forum, we can work towards increasing the number of people employed in the retail sector. We wholeheartedly acknowledge that,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Social Enterprise Sector (5 Jun 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a vibrant and effective social enterprise sector. A report on the potential of social enterprises to create jobs and to identify the actions required by Government and other relevant bodies and agencies, was commissioned and produced by Forfás in July 2013. The Forfás report recommended the establishment of an...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services Provision (5 Jun 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The importance of investment in science, technology and innovation to Ireland’s ongoing and future economic and social development has been well recognised by the Government. Our focus has and continues to be very much on prioritising public investment in research while better exploiting results in order to lead to an acceleration of growth and job creation. This investment in...

Topical Issue Debate: Broadcast Advertising Standards Regulation (8 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I accept the statement made by the Deputy. If one were to trawl through recordings of RTE radio programmes, one might come across instances where advertisements for shows on sister stations were broadcast. I listen to RTE radio and this practice can sometimes seem contradictory. I also noted the comments made by the Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte. However, the reply I have just read...

Topical Issue Debate: Broadcast Advertising Standards Regulation (8 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte. RTE is an independent national public service broadcaster, the remit and obligations of which are set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 114(1) of the Act states the principal objects and associated powers of RTE, while section 98 provides that it shall be...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (8 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: Rather than delivering the speech that has been circulated, I will cut straight to the point with regard to St. Paul's secondary school. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an gcuireadh. I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I can advise him that the school's application for accommodation to replace its prefabs has been examined by the Department. Enrolments in...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (8 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I assure the Senator that a pragmatic approach is being taken to schools like St. Paul's secondary school which are not in the so-called five-year plan. If the case they make is strong enough and stands on its own merit, officials in the Department can exercise a degree of common sense. That is obviously the case in this scenario and, as a result, I am confident that these facilities will...

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: Section 11 provides for the removal of the requirement for societies to submit at least once in every three years a return to the members and their holdings to the registrar. It is known as the triennial return. The co-operative sector has sought the abolition of the requirement and argue that the information is out of date too quickly to be useful, and imposes an unnecessary administrative...

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: As the Acting Chairman said, the amendment is a consequential amendment to the proposed insertion of a new section 16 which will require a renumbering of sections. It is a technical amendment. The revised text will eventually read “Sections 16 to 24” when the new section is added but under the new legislative workbench system used by the Bills Office the renumbering takes place...

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: Again, it is a technical amendment advised by the Attorney General’s office to align the text with the similar phrase used in section 14.

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The amendment does not change the substantive meaning of the section as currently drafted but is made on the advice of the Attorney General to improve the clarity of the section. The new section 24 replaces the existing section 24.

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Senator for his comments. The Senator is effectively opposing the proposal to prohibit the establishment of new loan funds where a society does not currently operate a loan fund, and the Government does not agree that this section should be omitted. Section 6 places a restriction on existing societies establishing a loan fund as provided for in section 46 of the principal...

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The Senator mentioned the supervisory regime or lack thereof. Nobody in these Houses of the Oireachtas would disagree with the Senator's critique of the lack of supervision. There is no question or ambiguity about that but for the purposes of the Bill it is important to note that we are seeking to move to a situation whereby one recognises the 47 that are in existence and those that have...

Seanad: Friendly Societies and Industrial and Provident Societies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (7 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Senator for proposing this amendment. To be fair to the Government side, we addressed many of those questions on Second Stage and given that this is Committee Stage, I will begin by giving the rationale for section 5 and then give a brief overview of some of the issues raised by the Senator. Section 5 provides for a very significant change to the Friendly Societies Act 1896, that...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Patent Legislation (6 May 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The international Agreement on the Unified Patent Court, signed in February 2013, entails the establishment of an international court that will, when operational, have exclusive competence for actions for infringement and validity in respect of European patents. As the international Agreement entails the transfer of jurisdictional powers in this area of jurisdiction away from the Irish...

Other Questions: Guidance Counsellors (9 Apr 2014)

Seán Sherlock: That is a paternalistic attitude to education.

Other Questions: Guidance Counsellors (9 Apr 2014)

Seán Sherlock: What about parental responsibility?

Other Questions: OECD Programmes (9 Apr 2014)

Seán Sherlock: The latest PISA report from the OECD's programme for international student assessment, PISA, shows that 15-year-old students in Ireland performed at the average level of participating countries on computer-based assessment of problem solving. Ireland ranked 17th of the 28 OECD countries that took part in the study, and 22nd out of all 44 participating countries. Countries like the United...