Results 21-40 of 1,125,741 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Thomas Byrne1) in 'Committee meetings'

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 thank the Minister of State for that response. It is not just me but others, namely, business representative groups, have classed the ICOB grant as falling far short. They use the word "failure". They say this grant scheme will be another failure if it mirrors exactly the other model. In the discussions regarding this measure, was consideration given to making a significant contribution...

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: 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...

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

Emer Higgins: Call number seven on this was announced as a rolling call. That means applications can come in at any stage up until the closing date of April of next year. We did that for the reason of developing a pipeline of applications that would allow companies more time to meet with possible partners to explore the potential for submitting projects. There is a lot of work involved in this from...

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 all my questions. I thank the Minister of State.

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

David Stanton: I welcome the Minister of State and her officials. I, too, associate myself with the condolences to the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, on the recent passing of his mum, which is not easy. Looking through what we have been presented with, I am struck by the huge amount of work by officials going on in the Department. A huge amount of positive stuff is going on and businesses are being...

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 thank the Deputy, especially for his positive remarks on the assistance that the Government and the Department provided to his constituents in Midleton, and to SMEs throughout the country, this year. I thank him for his leadership and vision on the shared island enterprise scheme. It is working very well. I am very glad we are seeking additional funding for it. It is very interesting...

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

David Stanton: When does the Minister of State expect it to start?

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

Emer Higgins: We are keen for it to start quickly. We are still waiting to hear back from the Department of Justice about how quickly we will be able to collaborate with it on that.

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

Maurice Quinlivan: I have a question for the Minister of State on the savings on the programmes she referenced earlier, including the Workplace Relations Commission, Corporate Enforcement Authority, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, and local enterprise offices. She suggested the savings were because they could not recruit the staff. Does she have the numbers of outstanding staff for each...

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 can go through that. The Health and Safety Authority, HSA, now has 317 sanctioned posts. That is an increase from 190 in December 2020. There are currently 280 staff in situ. The overall vacancy rate is impacted by retirements and resignations, in addition to those recruitment challenges the Chair mentioned. The HSA anticipates an additional 27 new starters next year, which will bring...

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

Maurice Quinlivan: What about the Corporate Enforcement Authority?

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 savings there arise due to the timing of the backfilling positions that follow transfers out, internal promotions from people who are acting up, and through filing recently sanctioned posts. The authority currently has 14 civilian vacancies. We are recruiting for the 14 vacancies. As I said, those vacancies arise out of internal promotions and transfers. They are positives.

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

Maurice Quinlivan: My other question is about InterTradeIreland. Obviously North-South trade is increasing exponentially. The Minister of State referred to it in her opening statement. What interaction has she had with it and how does she see the organisation progressing?

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 apologise, I need to check my notes.