Results 1,741-1,760 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Dublin is doing very well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I attended the implementation of the working plan in Waterford and I pay tribute to the group down there. It is superb. It has very much got behind the regional action plan for the south east. Overnight something like 10,000 construction jobs were lost in the south-east area. Its unemployment rate is still higher than the national average but it has bucked the trend and grown employment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As the Deputy knows, these bodies received €3 million extra in current funding. Some €1.7 million will be distributed to Enterprise Ireland; €750,000 to IDA Ireland; €150,000 to Science Foundation Ireland; €150,000 to the Health and Safety Authority, which falls under the REACH programme, to which we are responding; and €250,000 to the Department for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We do not have quantitative analysis on that but we have spoken to the SFA, ISME and IBEC and have set up groups to make sure we find out that information, rather than not knowing exactly what is going on. We do know that there is pressure on agrifood, construction and timber exports into the UK, but the answer to the Deputy's question is that we do not know qualitatively exactly how people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I would not give names. Enterprise Ireland has spoken to 1,500 companies and they have identified the 400 companies it may need to have discussions with. We will make sure that no stone remains unturned to ensure the companies stay in Ireland. Some companies may choose to locate part of their base outside Ireland. We do not know how many but I can assure the Deputy that Enterprise Ireland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My Department is concentrating on trade, enterprise and entrepreneurship and ensuring that our export companies are so minded. We are also working on foreign direct investment. I am not sure if I understand the thrust of the question. Is the Deputy referring to migration from the UK?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The meetings between the Irish and UK officials on the common travel area is led by the Department of Justice and Equality. It will be negotiated. My understanding is that when one is talking about migration, the issue is the first country they arrive in, that is the country that has to deal with it. We need skills and we need to have people available to come to Ireland that have the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The funding cap on InterTradeIreland has been lifted very recently. It did take a while.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: On an early warning system, we have an internal one in the Department, but I am open to suggestions. The Senator asked about Enterprise Ireland's staffing numbers. In 2010, there were more employees than the current 659 employees. Enterprise Ireland has brought about a strong downsizing and reorganisation in recent years to support clients in meeting the challenges of new sectors, markets,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We work closely with the Department of Education and Skills. As the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, was Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation previously, he fully understands what is needed from trade, as well as what we need to get from his Department. The Senator mentioned India. The Minister of State, Deputy Breen, was on a trade mission to India where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will finish by saying that appointments will be made shortly to the National Skills Council by the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure that we have that skills base.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Impact of Brexit: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Let me say that I find this committee and its members very helpful. We all want to do the right thing for Ireland, which is evident in the committee.

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 11 to 13, inclusive, together. These five amendments are related and affect sections 1 and 26, as well as the Long Title of the Bill. They all reflect the fact that the Bill will not be enacted on 1 January 2017, as originally intended at the time of its publication.Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 are to section 1. Amendment No. 2 deletes subsection 4...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Senator Mac Lochlainn for his amendment but I do not propose to accept it. Under the KDB process before the Patents Office the place of production is not relevant. The process before the office requires that the controller examines applications against the criteria of novelty, non-obviousness and usefulness. Indeed, under the wider KDB scheme introduced in the Finance Act 2015 what...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: No. This is simply about the content of the certificate which the controller will issue. This scheme is for SMEs, wherever they are located in Ireland. The annual report of the Irish Patents Office will show what happened in the past. I have full confidence in the controller but we will not be saying where it is produced.

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: No. We have to protect the privacy of the company and of the patent. It is something innovative, novel and non-obvious and if somebody can read it in a report somebody else can steal it. It does not make sense and we will not be doing it.

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The process before the Patents Office is just one aspect of the applicant's claim to the Revenue Commissioners for a 6.25% corporate tax rate. Under the KDB, it is the location of the research and development that matters. The research and development leads to the relevant invention and this is the activity that the scheme intends to entice to Ireland. The place of production really is not...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: There are two parts to the process. One is through the Patents Office and the other is through the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue Commissioners never publish details like this. The controller is capturing the information around research and development.The amendment I am speaking to, in the name of Senator Mac Lochlainn, is about the place of production. I do not know whether the...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It does not-----

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2016)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I cannot accept the amendment. Enterprise Ireland was mentioned. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the granting of the certificate. It could, however, keep accounts for its clients who use the knowledge development box, but it is not involved in this legislation.