Results 541-560 of 1,321 for speaker:Áine Collins

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: In the country regions. Currently they are more in the urban areas and I am trying to get them out to areas where there are more activities in, perhaps, smaller towns. If there was a sub-office which was manned during a particular time per month where local businesses could come to get information and create activity perhaps that would feed back into the system. My colleague has mentioned...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: What is the budget for venture capital for 2014?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I commend and welcome these initiatives by the Leader programmes and by Enterprise Ireland in the small business sector. However, there seems to be an issue in getting people to draw down funding from Microfinance Ireland, although I acknowledge it takes time to become familiar with such initiatives. This is the case with the temporary partial credit guarantee scheme. The message does seem...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I agree with the Minister. However, by the time people are refused by the bank they baulk at the thought of going to the Credit Review Office. They seem to give up. I ask if the system can be activated at an earlier stage. We had a conversation in Brussels about this problem. On the one hand, we are telling the banks to lend money and, on the other, telling them they must submit to...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: Is that type of arrangement possible or is there an issue with implementing it?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: May I comment on subhead B5?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: This subhead is critical. As I understand it, only research moneys can be put through the third level institutions. There are issues arising in regard to intellectual property rights and so on. In the United States, it is much more a case of get the research done, turn it over to the market and create the jobs. In this country, there are different concerns on the part of different colleges.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I absolutely agree with the Minister of State with regard to trying to encourage smaller businesses and, perhaps, start-ups to move into the area of innovation. He is aware that I live in an area which is similar to that in which he resides. In that context, he will also be aware that the value of innovation vouchers for universities, in terms of processing them and so on, is quite limited,...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: The research is coming from the universities as opposed to-----

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I do not believe that is the point that was being made.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: Is it possible for companies in Ireland to come together and set up their own institute or does it have to go through a university or institute of technology to draw down funding for research? My understanding is that it is not possible and that we are one of the only countries in Europe that has that scheme. In other countries, companies can collaborate and set up a research institute.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: My understanding is that we are the only country in Europe that has an exclusive model where only a university can draw down the research funding.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: We are a small country but it is an important part of our growth strategy. There are companies that have come together that have-----

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I have documents that I can send to the Minister of State. We are the only country in Europe that has this model. Perhaps we could explore it and look at where people want to come together and set up their own research hub or institute - they are not even in the same sectors. They are existing but the problem is that they must be aligned to universities to draw down the money.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (21 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I have one question relating to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. Why is such an increase estimated in 2014?

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Banking Services (22 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I ask the Minister for Finance to clarify his plans to move towards processing most of the State's business electronically. This issue arose previously in the context of social welfare payments. It will not be possible to achieve this aim unless all citizens have what is known as a standard bank account. This will only be feasible if An Post establishes a banking system. I have asked An...

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Banking Services (22 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. It is welcome that the standard bank account will be available in 2014. If we are to be more IT friendly and include rural areas in the process, that is an important step forward. An Post has an important role to play for many reasons. As the Minister of State said, we want to have the standard bank account, the service available...

Charities (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (22 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Charities (Amendment) Bill. With all the recent disclosures regarding certain charities, we are in general agreement in the House that drastic and urgent action is needed. I do not want to get into any detail on particular cases right now. I am a member of the Committee of Public Accounts and assure Members that the committee will continue with its...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Offices (22 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: 83. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a new office for Government procurement will be set up in County Cork; and to set out how staff will be appointed to such an office. [3076/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs: Discussion (28 Jan 2014)

Áine Collins: I welcome the witnesses to the meeting today. I thank Forfás for the great work it has done, in particular in the area of mentoring, on which I worked directly with it last year. It was very effective. I am really glad to see that entrepreneurship has finally made it onto the Action Plan for Jobs plan in a big way. That is a huge part of driving investment into regional development....