Results 1,101-1,120 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My speech is being circulated along with an information pack of supplementary documentation, which I hope will be of interest to Senators. I am pleased to bring the Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016 before the House. It marks a significant milestone in the development of Irish law on financial reporting for companies. It is a milestone because it is a wide-ranging overhaul of this important...

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will try to pick up on most of the points that have been made. Senator Morris or Senator Norris - I beg his pardon-----

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am not laughing.

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Senator mentioned the concerns of some companies with respect to the exemptions that were granted under section 1237(5) of the Companies Act. First, I would like to confirm that any of those exemptions that were granted remain in operation and they will continue to be in place until late 2021. Senators may remember that the purpose of section 1237(5) is to allow companies some...

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will come back to the other question Senator Norris asked. On the issue Senator Mac Lochlainn raised in respect of fewer note disclosures, we have gone as far as the directive allows regarding what we require from small companies. I agree that balance is needed and I believe the Bill achieves that. I thank the Senator for his comments on the annual reports on forestry and mining....

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Bill does not change that rule. A company has nine months from the end of the financial year to prepare and file annual returns. That should be sufficient time. One must bear in mind that the Bill makes strides in reducing the financial reporting obligations of small and very small companies.

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Furthermore, the introduction of the withdrawal of the audit exemption has resulted in a dramatic increase in the rate of compliance with filing deadlines. Since the establishment of the rule, compliance has increased from 13% to 90%. For those reasons, I am in favour of keeping the audit exemption as it stands.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Since before the UK decision to leave the EU my Department has been analysing the potential implications and impacts of the UK decision across all policy and operational areas. Given the importance of trade to our economic well being, it has been a particular area of focus. Analysis has concentrated on the possible impacts of various scenarios in term of the future UK...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: In September last, my colleague, Pat Breen TD, Minister for Employment and Small Business, asked the Low Pay Commission to review the board and lodgings rates* that are provided for under the national minimum wage legislation. Minister Breen had indicated during the Dáil debate on the Au Pair Placement Bill 2016 in July 2016 July that he was very conscious of the passage of time since...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Regional Action Plan for the North East/North West region aims to support the creation of 28,000 jobs across Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, and Louth by 2020.  There has been strong progress to date, with 5,600 more people at work across the region since the Regional Action Plan initiative was launched at the start of 2015. The Local Authorities, LEOs, and other key public...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Since my appointment as Minister, my Department has paid €21,263.83 to the company in question. The was in respect of a contract the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, an Office of my Department, had with the company for the provision of temporary legal secretary services. This contract concluded in August 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I have interpreted the Deputy’s question to relate to work undertaken by consultant firms since I took up office on 6th May 2016.  The following is the monetary value of all work undertaken, and the nature of that work, by consultant firms for my Department.  6 May 2016 – 31 December 2016 Name of Consultant Firm(s) Nature of Work Value of Work €...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Data Protection (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My Department is fully aware of its responsibilities in respect of the processing of personal data as provided for in the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. My Department’s Data Protection Policy outlines the procedures that must be followed by all staff in the Department and its Offices whose duties entail processing personal data. This Policy outlines best practice in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Jobs Initiative (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2017, my Department, through Enterprise Ireland, has committed to support the Regional Action Plans for Jobs and provide investment of up to €60m over the period to 2020. A Regional Competitive Funding Initiative administered by Enterprise Ireland will be launched shortly.  The overarching aim is to drive balanced regional enterprise development...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Information (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: No requests were received by my Department and its Offices for material to be made available in braille format in each of the years 2014 to 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: On the 15th February 2017, the European Parliament voted in favour of the provisional application of EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).  Provisional application is a standard part of trade agreements and allows those parts of the agreement for which the EU has competence to come into force.  The provisions relating to investment protection and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Intellectual Property Protocol (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI), established by Enterprise Ireland in partnership with the Irish Universities Association, is the custodian of the national IP Protocol on behalf of my Department. The Protocol is implemented in partnership with research funding Departments and agencies and other stakeholders. The Protocol describes the ways in which enterprise can expect to work...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Defence Forces Contracts (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 6 (2) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (2005 Act) allows for an exemption from relevant statutory provisions for members of the Defence Forces in the context of certain specific criteria. The criteria cover when a member of the Defence Forces is on active service within the meaning of section 5 of the Defence Act 1954 or deemed to be on active service within the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Arising from its obligations under the Protection of Employment Act 1977, the company making the redundancies wrote to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 7th February 2017 to give notice of proposed collective redundancies and the opening of the consultation process required under that Act. I am informed that consultations with employees are ongoing. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Contracts Data (4 Apr 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Payments made to the private investigation firms listed in my response were in relation to the contracting of these firms by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to serve summonses, in instances where there were difficulties in locating the individuals to whom summonses were to be served. Public spending rules were adhered to when engaging these firms. Resolve Ireland,...