Results 101-120 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: A key objective for Ireland is to deliver growth that is sustainable, led by strong export performance and underpinned by innovation, productivity and competitiveness.  As the Government continues to place innovation at the heart of enterprise and jobs policies, my Department has developed Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Missions (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Trade Missions bring Irish businesses into direct contact with business opportunities abroad. Such missions have proven to be valuable supports to Irish businesses in terms of establishing their credibility with and gaining access to the business community in the target market at the appropriate level. This is particularly the case in countries where government-to-government contacts are a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Promotion (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: With a small domestic market, further expansion in other markets is essential to Ireland’s continued economic growth.  Overall, export growth in Ireland in recent years has been exceptionally strong and exports continue to contribute positively to growth and employment.  The EU’s suite of Free Trade Agreements with third Countries helps to open new markets, break down...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 53 together. The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is a central pillar of the Government’s ambition to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, 135,000 of which are outside of Dublin. Progress on this initiative to date is good and employment continues to grow. In the year to Q2 2017, 48,100 jobs were created across the country; four out of five...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Jobs Data (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Enterprise Ireland has responsibility for the development of Irish enterprise, deepening Ireland’s footprint in world markets, and supporting employment creation in our economy. Enterprise Ireland supports companies in every region of Ireland to start and scale, innovate and remain competitive on international markets.  Enterprise Ireland is working with client companies...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Despite intense competition, the trajectory of Ireland’s competitiveness performance is positive. Our improved performance is reflected in strong employment growth across sectors and regions. The strong performance of clients supported by the enterprise agencies in winning exports, market share and job creation in the face of intense global competition is to be commended and reflects...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Data (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Enterprise Ireland is the state agency with responsibility for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Enterprise Ireland works in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, innovate, scale and win export sales in global markets. In this way, Enterprise Ireland supports sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. A key focus...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: This Government is committed to maintaining Ireland’s competitive edge. That is why we introduced a pro-business Budget with record levels of multi-annual funding and tax measures which will allow businesses across Ireland to develop, scale, innovate and embed.   My Department recognises the importance of Ireland remaining an active location for indigenous and foreign direct...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Knowledge Development Box (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Ireland was the first country world-wide to introduce an OECD compliant Knowledge Development Box (KDB) offering. The certainty, predictability and clear signal that this has sent to enterprise – including both Irish owned and foreign owned entities establishing and doing business from here - remains essential. This certainty has become even more important in the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together. My Department works closely with its counterpart in Northern Ireland - the Department for the Economy - in connection with the operation of InterTrade Ireland (ITI), the cross-border body that assists SMEs all across the island in growing North-South trade.  ITI also helps its client companies to become more competitive and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Improving Ireland’s international competitiveness is a key economic priority for Government. Since 2012, the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs has set out a comprehensive set of measures to improve our competitiveness performance. Ireland’s improving competitiveness performance over the period 2011-2016 has been central to the recovery in employment and economic growth....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Agencies Staff Data (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) currently has an approved staff complement of 43.  At present, 24 staff are in place, with recruitment of additional staff underway and plans to commence a further recruitment campaign.  Through these recruitment campaigns, the Authority is working towards having a full staff complement in situ at the earliest...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Programme (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The draft heads of the Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill were approved by Government last year. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation subsequently determined that pre-legislative scrutiny was not required. My Department has since been working closely with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on this legislation. The draft bill is now close...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Site Visits (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that IDA Ireland does collate feedback following site visits from potential clients. While this is analysed and commonalities are assessed for internal Agency use, it is commercially sensitive and is not made publicly available.  However, this analysis does inform IDA Ireland’s understanding of what attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Expenditure (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The study to which the Deputy refers is the only market analysis report commissioned by IDA Ireland and paid from the Agency's capital budget from 2012 to date. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, however, IDA Ireland are unable to disclose the amount spent on this report as this would adversely impact the competitiveness of any tender process for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Documents (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is undertaking research to examine the implications for the most exposed enterprise sectors - in terms of trading and economic relationships - of the United Kingdom being outside of the European Single Market and Customs Union. This research will inform an assessment of the way in which Brexit will affect individual sectors of the economy, at...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Documents (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the major study examining the Strategic Implications arising from EU-UK Trading Patterns is underway and will provide an evidence base on key trade and investment questions to inform Ireland’s position as part of the wider negotiation on the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Using a computable general equilibrium model to quantify new barriers...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The next round of talks in the EU - Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is scheduled to take place on the 29th November to 5th December in Brussels and a final round of high-level talks is expected to take place the week beginning 6th December. Negotiations are led by the EU Commission on behalf of Member States. An EU-Mercosur FTA would be the EU’s largest trade deal to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: A Rescue & Restructuring (R&R) Scheme has been notified by my Officials to the Commission for approval.  This scheme adheres to existing State Aid rules.  While I do not expect there will be a need for the State to provide rescue/restructuring aid to companies, it is prudent to have contingency measures in place, so that we can respond swiftly to changing...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Reports (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Details of the reports received by my Department in 2016, that were not made public, are set out in the table. Report Title Reason for not Publishing Health check on email archive system Internal ICT assessment – not for publication ICT Security Reviews Internal ICT security assessments – not for publication Patents Office ICT System Architecture Review...