240. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the Company Registration Office's plans with regard to the strong and additional wide ranging powers contained in the Companies Act 2014, in particular with regard to the 714-day warning notice under section 79 that can be sent to the CRO before the Registrar of Companies is entitled to bring a section 797 application before the company and the respondent company directors in the High Court as an alternative to the loss of audit exemption. [20197/18]
239. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Companies Registration Office has strong and wide-ranging additional powers to prosecute both companies and individual company directors in the District Court for non-compliance with their statutory obligations; and the plans of the CRO in this regard. [20196/18]
238. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Companies Registration Office, in addition to having wide and strong powers to impose substantial late filing fees and to strike companies off the register for non-compliance, can also impose additional on-the-spot fines; and if the CRO has utilised this enforcement mechanism to assist in CRO compliance as an alternative to the removal of the statutory audit for very small micro companies and small companies. [20195/18]
237. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Companies Registration Office has a strict zero tolerance policy with regard to companies that are late by more than nine months with their statutory returns and that they immediately enter the integrated enforcement environment and will be listed for strike off. [20194/18]
236. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the current compliance rate with the CRO filings is in excess of 90%; and her views on whether the true figure for compliance is probably nearer 97% if the CRO takes into account the average of 6,000 companies that are involuntarily struck off the register each year for non-filing of their returns. [20193/18]
235. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Companies Registration Office has properly assessed the relevance and usefulness of the current statutory filing requirements for the micro company since the commencement into law of the provisions of the Companies Accounting Act 2017. [20192/18]
234. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if companies are consistently late each year with their statutory filings; if the Companies Registration Office currently takes in on average €10 million per annum on late filing fees representing in or around 10% of companies that are late; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20191/18]
233. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Companies Registration Office has collected more than €215 million in late filing fees alone since the fees were substantially increased to the current levels in October 2001. [20190/18]
232. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the intention of the proposed amendment in section 10 of the Companies Statutory Audits Bill 2017 is to allow a company that is late seek a waiver on its late filing fees only and that the District Court is not empowered to extend the annual return date or allow the company available audit exemption section 10. [20189/18]
231. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans with regard to the result that is being sought in the proposed amendment pursuant to section 9 of the Companies Statutory Audits Bill 2017 whereby companies will be still permitted to seek a waiver of late filing fees and extend their annual return date and not lose audit exemption on the same basis as is contained in section 343 provided they satisfy a High Court judge that it is just to do so and that the application be made in the High Court rather than the District Court. [20188/18]
230. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason section 60 of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001 was introduced into legislation; if it was introduced to facilitate companies as a result of the introduction of the annual return date regime in March 2001 to facilitate the Companies Registration Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20187/18]
229. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Minister for Justice and Equality and-or the President of the High Court and the Courts Service of Ireland have been consulted with regard to the implications on the resources of the Judiciary and the Courts Service of Ireland in respect of the Companies (Statutory Audits) Bill 2017 as the transfer of these District Court cases to the High Court will cause a huge backlog in the High Court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20186/18]
228. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the Company Law Review group recommended that the Registrar of Companies cease the Companies Registration Office, CRO, waiver scheme whereby the CRO adjudicated on late filing issues and that the correct forum is in the District Court or the High Court. [20185/18]
227. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if no applications were made under the old regime pursuant to section 60 of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001 from 2001 to 1 June 2015. [20184/18]
226. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if a recommendation (details supplied) will be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20183/18]
225. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason she has not referred the loss of the audit exemption to the statutory Company Law Review Group in view of the fact it last reviewed the matter in 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20182/18]
224. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason sections 9 and 10 have not been referred to the statutory Company Law Review Group on innovation in respect of the Companies (Statutory Audits) Bill 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20181/18]
223. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on whether accountants are being unfairly penalised by the audit exemption removal provisions in the Companies Act 2014 in respect of the Companies (Statutory Audits) Bill 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20180/18]
222. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of staff recruited in Enterprise Ireland, local enterprise offices, LEOs, InterTradeIreland and IDA Ireland since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, by new staff hires and replacement staff in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20100/18]
221. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the progress to date regarding filling positions for the allocation made in budget 2018 to recruit a further 40 to 50 staff to supplement existing staffing numbers in her Department and agencies under her remit, as a Brexit measure. [20099/18]
220. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of funding allocated to Enterprise Ireland, local enterprise offices, LEOs, InterTradeIreland and IDA Ireland, by capital and current allocations in each of the years from 2014 to 2018, in tabular form. [20098/18]
219. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on introducing a new five-year cycle with respect to the programme for research in third level institutions; the duration to the cycle in operation; when it expires; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20097/18]
214. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of visits since 2011 sponsored by IDA Ireland to Dublin that also visited Cork and to Cork that also visited Dublin, in the context of the agency’s Horizon 2020 strategy; and if the target of 50% of investments to be located outside Dublin and Cork will be reached. [19705/18]
213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if there is still a commitment to attain the Innovation 2020 research and development intensity target of 2.5% of GNP in view of recently published reports (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19631/18]
212. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if a representative for small policy holders will be included on the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and in the future appointment of directors to the board. [19629/18]
211. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of plans to appoint two further directors to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board; and the criteria under consideration for their selection. [19628/18]
208. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the way in which research and development expenditure has been afforded a sufficiently high priority in Departments since the launch of Innovation 2020 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19632/18]
207. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the annual targets for attaining 70,000 returned emigrants as per the A Programme for A Partnership Government commitment in tabular form; and the progress to date. [19617/18]
175. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated average and full year cost per apprentice over a calendar year in State-funded craft and consortia led apprenticeships based on the latest data and participation levels. [20096/18]
128. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of increasing the earned income tax credit for the self-employed by amounts (details supplied) over a full calendar year. [20095/18]
127. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of a proposal (details supplied) over a full calendar year. [20094/18]
126. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of a proposal (details supplied) over a full calendar year. [20093/18]
138. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA Ireland supported jobs at the end of 2017 in each Dublin local authority and by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19553/18]
137. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA Ireland site visits in each county in quarter 1 of 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19552/18]
136. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the work being carried by the expert group on future skills needs, including published reports on skills and labour shortages in the economy. [19551/18]
135. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of her Department’s review of economic migration policy and the interdepartmental group established. [19550/18]
134. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason the employment permit process for highly skilled eligible occupations and the ineligible categories of employment are reviewed only twice yearly. [19549/18]
133. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the details of all occupations and sectors on the highly skilled eligible occupations list and the ineligible categories of employment list in tabular form. [19548/18]
132. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when the research study commissioned by her Department regarding sectorial implications arising from Brexit most exposed sectors is due to be completed and published. [19547/18]
131. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the policies in place to attract emigrants to return here and retain skilled talent in the State after qualifying. [19546/18]
130. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department carried out a labour shortage analysis in the economy; and the policies in place to address such shortages including published strategies. [19545/18]
129. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department carried out a sectorial analysis of skills shortages in the economy for the next five, ten, 15 and 20 year period; and the enterprise strategies in place to adapt policy to address these skills shortages. [19544/18]
128. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of employment permits granted for non-EEA workers by her Department in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by occupation and sector in tabular form. [19543/18]
127. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of Horizon 2020 funding to small and medium-sized enterprises on an annual basis since it was established by county in tabular form. [19542/18]
71. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance the number of firms by size with less than ten employees, 11 to 49, 50 to 249 and more than 250 employees respectively, that have applied for the research and development tax credit in each of the years 2010 to 2017 since being established. [19555/18]
70. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Finance the number of firms that have applied for the knowledge development box scheme for small and medium enterprises since being established by size with less than ten, 11 to 49 and 50 to 249 employees respectively, in tabular form. [19554/18]
122. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the timeline for completion of the OECD and her Department's review of SME and entrepreneurship issues and policies here. [18535/18]
121. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of hectares of IDA land being used by county; and the number of hectares of IDA land available for IDA supported investment by county in tabular form. [18534/18]
120. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if is it technically possible to get approval at EU level to support companies through an adjustment period caused by Brexit by adapting the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to ensure exposed companies can avail of grant aid to deal with the economic fallout of Brexit. [18533/18]
119. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the trade agreement agreed in principle between the EU and Mexico; the offensive and defensive interests of Irish businesses and SMEs in this deal; the market access and import tariffs or duties removed by sector; the timeline for same; and the opportunities in public procurement in this regard. [18532/18]