Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 March 2014
90. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form the number, venue, list of speakers and chairs for the recent series of seminars entitled Action Plan for Jobs Regional Forum; the reason the particular chairs were chosen for each seminar; the Department and agency expenditure on each seminar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11202/14]
View answerAs part of the Action Plan for Jobs consultation process, I have initiated a series of regional meetings across the country.
The purpose of each meeting is to outline the Government’s approach to the creation of employment and to promote increased take up of the new and existing supports which are available, such as the Micro Finance fund and the Credit Guarantee Scheme, to small and medium sized business to help them start-up, grow and expand their businesses and ultimately create jobs.
These meetings have been a good opportunity for me to meet with hundreds of business people across the country, to hear their views and ideas on what additional supports they need, to protect existing jobs and create new ones. The discussion and the ideas generated at each meeting feed into the Action Plan for Jobs consultation process. They also provide an important forum for businesses to connect with other local business leaders and also to engage with officials from Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, and the local County Enterprise Board.
Each meeting is usually chaired by a Minister or Minister of State at my invitation. On occasion an official from Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, or a member of the Oireachtas, have stood in to chair.
Details as requested by the Deputy for the meetings held in 2013 and to date in 2014 are set out as follows.
|
Date |
Location |
Panel |
Chairs |
Cost |
|
1 March 2013 |
Limerick |
Minister Richard Bruton Jerry Moloney, Enterprise Ireland Eamon Ryan, Limerick CEB Michael Foley, Shannon Development Authority |
Tom Hayes, Enterprise Ireland |
€570 |
|
25 March 2013 |
Galway |
Minister Richard Bruton Barry Egan, Enterprise Ireland Catherina Blewitt, IDA Ireland Breda Fox, CEO Galway CEB Jim Keogh, Údarás na Gaeltachta |
Minister Ciaran Cannon |
€535 |
|
13 June 2013 |
Cork |
Minister Richard Bruton Ray O’Connor, IDA Ireland Enda McDonnell, Enterprise Ireland Michael Hanley, West Cork County Enterprise Board Dónal Ó Liatháin, Údarás na Gaeltachta |
Minister Sean Sherlock |
€378.72 |
|
8 July 2013 |
Waterford |
Minister Richard Bruton Ray O’Connor, IDA Ireland Enda McDonnell, Enterprise Ireland Ciaran Cullen, Waterford County Enterprise Board |
Minister Joan Burton |
€310 |
|
5 November 2013 |
Longford |
Minister Richard Bruton Breda O’Toole, IDA Ireland Dr Michael Brougham, Enterprise Ireland Michael Nevin, Longford County Enterprise Board |
Mary Buckley, IDA |
€400 |
|
28 November 2013 |
Dublin North |
Minister Richard Bruton Conor Agnew, IDA Ireland David Byrne, Enterprise Ireland Oisin Geoghegan, Fingal County Enterprise Board |
Tom Hayes, Enterprise Ireland |
€775 |
|
16 January 2014 |
Dublin West |
Minister Richard Bruton Breda O’Toole, IDA Ireland David Byrne, Enterprise Ireland Oisin Geoghegan, Fingal County Enterprise Board |
Minister Leo Varadkar |
€575 |
|
25 January 2014 |
Portlaoise |
Minister Richard Bruton Breda O’Toole, IDA Ireland Dr Michael Brougham, Enterprise Ireland Orla Martin, Offaly Local Enterprise Board Joan Gordon, Dept. of Social Protection |
Charlie Flanagan T.D. |
€490 |
