Results 181-200 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Reports (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Section 955(1)(a) Report from the Director of Corporate Enforcement has been the subject of detailed consultation with the Office of the Attorney General. On the advice received recently from the Attorney General, I do not have a legal power to publish statutory reports prepared pursuant to section 955 of the Companies Act, 2014. I am conscious, however, that the shortcomings...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Expenditure (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Expenditure by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) in 2016 was €2.727m, against a budget allocation of €5.015m. This allocation was comprised of a pay spend of €2.006m against an allocation of €2.808m and a non pay spend of €0.721m against an allocation of €2.207m. A significant element of the non-pay allocation provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (21 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have met the Director on one occasion since becoming Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. Since his appointment in 2012, the Director of Corporate Enforcement has demonstrated his commitment to reforming the Office, to enhancing the capability of the Office to investigate increasingly complex breaches of company law and to amending the investigative procedures used by the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Data (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The total value of goods exported from this jurisdiction to Northern Ireland in 2015 was €1.73bn.   Details on the number of businesses involved in this cross-border trade can be estimated by reference to the EU's system for collecting statistics on the movement of goods between its Member States. This system sets a threshold of €635,000 before exporters are...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Research and Development Funding (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The principal funding agencies for research and development operating under the aegis of my Department are Science Foundation Ireland (€162m grants budget in 2017) and Enterprise Ireland (€122m grants budget for RD&I activities in 2017). IDA Ireland also supports R&D activities as part of the grant support provided to its client base (approx. €60m...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Research and Development Funding (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am addressing this question in the context of which monies have been provided by my Department to the agencies and bodies under its aegis to support research and development activities. In this context, the information being provided relates to Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and PRTLI through the Higher Education Authority (HEA).  Due...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Gender Balance (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The State Boards under the aegis of my Department are listed in the following table together with the make up of each Board broken down by gender. The composition of the State Boards under the aegis of my Department, including gender balance is listed on the State Boards website: www.stateboards.ie. Agency Number on Board Male Female Enterprise Ireland 11 (plus 1 vacancy) 6 5...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Functions (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 26th July, the Government made orders for the delegation of Ministerial functions to Minister Halligan at my request. Minister Halligan has been delegated responsibility for Innovation, Research and Development (IRD), and will oversee implementation of the Government's national strategy in this area, Innovation 2020. He has been given responsibility for the delivery of IRD...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Enterprise Ireland is committed to assisting Irish enterprises to achieve strong export sales in global markets. In this way, they support sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. Enterprise Ireland works to balance the needs of companies wishing to avail of their services and their commitment to ensuring a high standard of corporate governance and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Travel (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: My office, and the offices of the Ministers of State in my Department, are currently compiling lists of all travel and accommodation costs incurred on overseas ministerial trips during the period in question. I anticipate that this information will be available by the end of November, and I will ensure that it is published on my Department's website.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: A Rescue and Restructure scheme was recently notified to the Directorate General for Competition (DG Comp) as a contingency measure in response to Brexit. This scheme is working its way through the normal approval channels within DG Comp and we have not been advised that any issue has arisen in regards to this standard approval process. My Officials expect that this scheme will...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 9 of the Companies (Statutory Audits) Bill 2017 repeals section 343(7) of the Companies Act 2014.  Section 343(7) provided for a company to apply to the District Court for an extension of time to file its annual return. A consequence of getting such an Order from the Court was that the company concerned retained an exemption from audit. Section 343(7) replaced a previous...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Bodies Membership (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The increased capital allocation I secured for innovation in Budget 2018 will enable Ireland to join the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in 2018. The once-off joining fee for ESO will be approximately €14m. However, the payment of this fee can be ameliorated over 10 years. The recurrent, annual cost of membership will be approximately €3m. The exact costs...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Documents (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Brexit will clearly present a number of different challenges for Irish businesses.  An added complexity is that the uncertainty surrounding the precise nature of the UK's future relationship with the EU makes planning and preparing for Brexit all the more difficult for companies here. This is partly why many businesses do not yet have detailed Brexit contingency plans in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Horizon 2020 Strategy Funding (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The following tables provide the total Horizon 2020 (EU) funding awarded to SMEs, by county, for each of the years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The tables are based on the European Commission's most recent data release on Horizon 2020, which cover the period up to the 30th September 2017. Information on SMEs that have secured funding in the SME Instrument of Horizon 2020 can be...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (16 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Company Law Review Group (CLRG) operates on a two-year work programme which is determined by the Minister, in consultation with the CLRG under Section 961 of the Companies Act 2014.  The current CLRG Work Programme is for the period 1 June 2016 – 31 May 2018 and is available on .   Item 1 on the CLRG Work Programme requests that the CLRG examine and make recommendations...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Returns (15 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: One of the conditions for qualification for the audit exemption is that the annual returns and financial statements of the company are filed on time.  Companies have up to ten months from the end of their financial year to file their financial statements. The requirement for a company to file its annual return on time is an important transparency measure.  The financial statements...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (15 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The North East/North West Regional Action Plan for Jobs, which includes counties Cavan and Monaghan, is a key policy response for supporting employment in the Border region. The Plan is stimulating job creation and job retention across the region by facilitating collaborative initiatives between the public and private sector, in conjunction with the provision of new competitive funds, awarded...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (15 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The loss of audit exemption is a long-standing rule that dates back to the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003 and is central to creating a culture of compliance and supporting good corporate governance practices.  Before that time compliance with filing deadlines was only 13% while today the compliance level is at 90%, a dramatic increase that is associated with the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Tribunals of Inquiry (15 Nov 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Oireachtas established the Tribunal of Inquiry earlier this year. I do not comment on the work of the Disclosures Tribunal, which is wholly independent in its work. I fully respect and support the work of the Tribunal and it is a matter for the Tribunal how it operates.