Results 21-40 of 1,200,030 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh17 OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh18 OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh04 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh07 OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh20 OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh08 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh00 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh12 OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív1 OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh02 OR speaker:James Lawless)

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Can I ask about the funding decreases for the jobs and enterprise development programme and the enterprise, innovation and commercialisation programme? My notes show decreases of 26% and 4%, respectively. Will the Minister of State account for these decreases? I know some of them will be because there is no ICOB scheme in the budget. Beyond that, is there a different or another reason for...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: They are savings for Enterprise Ireland and IDA. The Enterprise Ireland savings relate to two programmes, namely, the capital investment scheme for agriculture, which is something on which we work in collaboration with the Department of agriculture and the other one is the smart regions funding. I assure everybody we fully intend to fully draw down the EU ERDF funding for that scheme. We...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That will be rolled over to next year.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: Correct.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: What was the reason for the delay?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: It was due to the evaluation of the projects. We had so many applications that the evaluations took a little bit longer than expected.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That is good. I had thought that but I wanted to be sure.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: There is an estimated 39% increase in spending on policy reviews, consultancy services and research. That seems like a fairly hefty increase. Will the Minister of State give us a flavour of what kind of work will be funded and why that work cannot be done in-house? She is here with her officials, all very capable, competent people, as we know. Why can that work not be done in-house? What...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: The reason for that is it is in areas in which we do not have expertise; for example, in AI and where we want to make sure we are getting the best advice and the best expertise in the development of our offshore wind strategy.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: On that, we have had hearings on AI and you would nearly terrify yourself. I understand AI moves very fast, etc. Is there work under way in the Department to skill people up? This is not an area I suspect will be a flash in the pan. I do not think this is a passing fad. I suspect this is something for the future.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: I agree with the Deputy. It is certainly not going to be a flash in the pan. This is something we have to prepare for, both as a Department and a Government and also as an economy and a society. We have a dedicated unit within Enterprise Ireland that is doing exactly that. It is providing upskilling and investing in it for that exact reason.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: How does that work then in terms of that 39% increase in spending? Is that going to EI or is that expertise coming from somewhere else?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: It is also coming from within our Department as well. We are also doing it within the Department. We have worked with the Department of Finance to produce a report on AI and that was also part of what the consultancy fees are for.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I do not want to be peppering the Minister of State with questions here. Could we get a breakdown of where that spend is? It would probably be helpful in written form, if that was okay.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: That is no problem at all. We will provide that.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: There is a €258,000 PIRB increased pension liability. It used to be PIAB. I always forget what the R is for. Does that relate to a number of pensions or just one pension? What is the situation there?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: That is purely pensions. The Department does not pay the staff itself but we pay the pensions and obviously with the public service pay agreement there has been adjustments.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That is just what it is. It is just that adjustment.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Emer Higgins: Yes.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: My final question relates to the disruptive technologies and innovation fund. I understand from the Minister of State's contribution that there are a number of reasons why almost a quarter of that money was not used. Is there a concern there? I can see the reasons why but given that it is a fund that should be oversubscribed, is there any concern? Has the Department undertaken any...