Results 221-240 of 12,895 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Competitiveness is integral to exports, jobs growth and as a means of achieving sustainable improvements in living standards. Improving competitiveness performance is a core focus of the work of my Department and wider Government policy and is particularly vital in light of the challenges posed by Brexit. The 2017/2018 Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Rural Development (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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 of these jobs were outside Dublin. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Brexit presents the most significant economic challenge of the past 50 years and long-term, structural and disruptive change will emerge.  Following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, the need to accelerate and implement competitiveness, innovation and market diversification strategies at a national and company level cannot be underestimated. This is at the crux of Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 9(5) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 provides that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is independent in the performance of its functions. While, I, as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation have no direct function in the day to day operations of the Agency including in relation to its research activities, I understand that to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for the enforcement of competition and consumer law in the State. Section 9(5) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 provides that the CCPC is independent in the performance of its functions, including carrying out investigations of suspected breaches of competition law. As investigations...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Legal Cases (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I received a report under Section 955(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2014 from the Director of Corporate Enforcement on 23rd June.  This Report addresses the issues highlighted by Judge Aylmer in his ruling in the case of DPP v Sean Fitzpatrick. The report sets out the facts relating to the case and does not purport to be an investigation or an enquiry. It covers the main issues...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Standards Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the National Type Approval Authority for motor vehicles appointed under regulations made by my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. The relevant regulation is EU Regulation 678/2011, which establishes a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Brexit Issues (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the Brexit vote outcome, my Department has had extensive engagement with businesses to understand what they need to help them adapt to the challenges posed by Brexit, not least of which the pronounced currency fluctuations that have been felt in recent months.   Given that the border counties are particularly exposed to these challenges, InterTrade Ireland, the cross-border...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together. Earlier this year, IDA Ireland sought submissions from suitable consultants to undertake a study to identify potential strategic land banks in Ireland that would be particularly suitable to accommodate the sustainable development of large scale Data Centre projects. Following this process Jacobs Engineering, supporting by AOS Planning,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Investigations (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) was established under the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001 and continued under the Companies Act 2014. Under the provisions of the 2014 Act, the Director is responsible for enforcing and encouraging compliance with company law, investigating suspected offences under the Companies Act, prosecuting detected breaches of the Companies Act,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Data (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 14, inclusive, together. In 2016, the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Meath approved 25 grants – feasibility, priming and business expansion – in total for the year, to a value of €293,998. The allocation included three business expansion grants totalling €47,500 for its clients. This equates to an average grant amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Functions (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: On the 20th June, the Taoiseach re-appointed Mr. John Halligan T.D. and Mr. Pat Breen T.D. as Ministers of State with responsibility for policy areas under the remit of my Department. On 26th July, the Government made orders for the delegation of Ministerial functions to Ministers Halligan and Breen at my request. Minister Halligan has been delegated...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Jobs Data (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am determined to support the growth of high-quality and sustainable employment across Ireland, including in County Donegal.  Last year the number of IDA supported jobs in County Donegal grew by 4%, reaching a total of 3,039.  The Agency continues to work hard to create further employment opportunities in the County and to increase the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Action Plan for Jobs is one of the Government’s key instruments to support job creation. The Action Plan for Jobs process is working. Since the first Plan was launched in early 2012, there are over 225,000 more people at work bringing total employment in the State to almost 2,063,000 by end of Quarter 2, 2017. The goal of this Government is to support the creation of an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The IDA is focused on attracting job-rich foreign direct investment (FDI) by multinationals to Ireland. One of the Agency's key priorities is ensuring that such investment is spread as evenly as possible around the country and that every region of Ireland benefits from overseas FDI. While the general global trend is for FDI to be located in or around major urban areas, the IDA...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Lobbying Data (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since my appointment as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation in June, I have not attended any meetings regarding the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (10 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Dynamic pricing algorithms have been implemented, for instance, by airlines, hotel booking services and transportation network companies to efficiently adjust supply to periods of lower or higher demand, resulting in procompetitive effects. However, competition concerns might arise if companies start sharing the same dynamic pricing algorithm, which may be programmed not to compete against...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Shortages (4 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs is an independent, non-statutory body, whose role is to carry out research, analysis and horizon scanning in relation to emerging skills requirements at thematic and sectoral levels. Its follow up work involves engagement with the Department of Education and Skills, Higher Education Authority, SOLAS and other relevant bodies to produce an agreed action...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (3 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, the Government Decision of April 2012 provided for the dissolution of the 35 County Enterprise Boards and the establishment of 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) in each Local Authority area. On this basis the LEO Louth was established in the County Council Offices in Dundalk. My Department has no current plans to deviate from this model. The role of the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (3 Oct 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The issue of empowering the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to issue civil fines has been examined by my Department.  The current legal position is that civil fines are not provided for in Irish law for anti-competitive practices. The Attorney General has previously advised my Department that providing for them would pose legal difficulties having regard to Article...