Results 10,461-10,480 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Government's jobs initiative of May 2011 was aimed at restoring confidence in the economy, providing opportunities for re-skilling those who had lost jobs and assisting people in getting back to work. Key measures in the jobs initiative included halving the rate of employer's PRSI on earnings up to €356 per week, a reduction in the lower rate of VAT on certain goods and services,...

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: On Deputy Brendan Smith's question, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, has informed me there is no difficulty with an engagement between the Department and the company to which the Deputy referred.

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Yes. A dialogue can be entered into in that respect. On the question of whether the jobs initiatives introduced by the Government are proving a success, the central point is that this is a ship which will take a long time to turn around. We acknowledge the figures and are bold and honest enough not to bury our heads in the sand in that regard. We are seeking to implement a set of policy...

Proposed Legislation (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: In July 2011 my proposals for reform of consumer and competition legislation were approved by Government. These embodied two commitments given in the Programme for Government, namely, the merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority and the introduction of a legislative base for a code of practice in the grocery sector. In addition, the proposals gave effect to the...

Written Answers — Market Access: Market Access (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Driving export growth is central to our economic recovery and it is a key focus of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. Enterprise Ireland (EI) has established a new Potential Exporters Division, a key measure in the Action Plan for Jobs. Its role is to stimulate greater activity within companies across all regions and to reorient those demonstrating real growth potential from the domestic...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: "SWiFT 10 Adopting the Cloud – decision support for Cloud computing" is designed to provide guidance to all organisations, both large and small, on the various issues that need to be considered when moving to the Cloud. Cloud computing is a key sector identified in the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 and the development of this SWiFT by National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) marks the...

Written Answers — Patent Applications: Patent Applications (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 29 together. My Department, through the Patents Office, Enterprise Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards offer a range of supports to assist and enable entrepreneurs and enterprises to exploit the value of Intellectual Property (IP) and to engage in the optimal exploitation of research and development, and specifically in applying for patents....

Written Answers — Research and Development Supports: Research and Development Supports (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: A number of agencies under the remit of my Department provide supports for research and development including Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. Science Foundation Ireland operates a range of programmes designed to deliver a world class standard of research activity in third level institutions and linked to Irish enterprises. Their Centres for Science,...

Written Answers — Research and Development Funding: Research and Development Funding (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 37 together. Under the Europe 2020 Strategy, the European Council adopted a number of headline targets, including improving the conditions for research and development, in particular with the aim of raising combined public and private investment levels to 3% of GDP. In accordance with the Strategy, Member States have adopted national targets on the...

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) was established in 2000 with a mission to build and strengthen Ireland's scientific and engineering research capacity and human capital in the areas of greatest strategic value to Ireland's long-term competitiveness and enterprise development. This was one of a range of key industrial policy initiatives taken to grow our employment value chain as decades of...

Written Answers — Research Centres Programme: Research Centres Programme (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: On March 1st 2012 the Government published the Report of the Research Prioritisation Steering Group, which is now Government policy and a key pillar of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. As a consequence of the prioritisation process the changes to Science Foundation Ireland's (SFI) pre-selection procedure have only been recently introduced and therefore we should be cautious in making...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Minister Bruton announced the establishment of Enterprise Ireland's Pilot Competitive Feasibility Fund in January 2012. The Fund was outlined in the South-East Employment Action Plan which was published in late 2011. Companies in the ICT, industrial and food sectors based in the South East were eligible to apply. The purpose of the Pilot Competitive Feasibility Fund for the South East...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The recently announced New Frontiers Programme replaces the Enterprise Platform Programme and aims to raise the number of business start-ups and to increase the pipeline of HPSUs and other sustainable businesses. This new programme forms part of one of the action points set out in the Government's recently announced Action Plan for Jobs. The programme is currently being phased in across the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The use of technology and innovation has a crucial role to play in supporting economic recovery and in driving sustainable employment in the current environment. Enterprise Ireland in particular, employs a range of supports to encourage and facilitate Irish companies to adapt to, purchase and use new technologies. Amongst these supports are: · E-Business Initiative – under which...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Seventh EU Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7), with a budget of €55 billion for the period 2007 to 2013, is the EU's main instrument for funding research and development in Europe. FP7 offers Ireland's SMEs, multinationals, and research institutions valuable opportunities to participate in high-calibre research collaborations with our European counterparts. The...

Public Procurement (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The procurement innovation group's report and the accompanying 10 Step Guide to Smart Procurement and SME Access to Public Contracts were both published in July 2009. Some of the recommendations were incorporated subsequently into the Department of Finance's current guidelines to public contracting authorities which are designed to ensure tendering processes operate in a manner that...

Public Procurement (7 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Specifically on the issue of public procurement, I refer the Deputy to the action plan for jobs. Actions 3.49 to 3.54, inclusive, relate to pre-qualification criteria, the establishment of a mechanism to allow SMEs to engage with contracting authorities on issues of concern, the establishment by Enterprise Ireland of advisers and mentors to help client companies to prepare better public...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (6 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The salary sanctioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform for the Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Mark Ferguson, is €189,115 gross per annum. This includes a personal pension contribution rate. Professor Ferguson commenced in the post on 16th January 2012.

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 May 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I am happy to conclude the discussion on Second Stage of the Credit Guarantee Bill 2012. This legislation will address some of the difficulties being faced every day by small and medium enterprises, SMEs, throughout the country, which I have been made aware of daily since being appointed Minister of State last year. The ability of our SMEs to succeed and grow underpins our future potential...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 May 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I wish to respond to some of the comments made by Members. In the context of the finer details of how the scheme will operate, the Minister will lay the scheme before the House as soon as this legislation is enacted. This provision is provided for in section 6 of the Bill. As for the use of personal guarantees, the banks still will be able to consider the normal and usual ways that...