I acknowledge the Deputies' interest in the industrial and provident societies legislation. I want to share the intention of addressing the shortcomings in the current legislation and inform the House that work is well advanced in my Department to update and modernise the existing legislative framework. We are close to finalising the general scheme of the co-operative societies Bill, which I know the Acting Chairman will welcome, since he has raised it on a number of occasions. It sets out proposals for the most fa…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Singapore on the other, signed in Brussels, Belgium on 19th October, 2018, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 10th June, 2021. I am pleased to introduce this motion on the approval of the EU-Singapore Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. Deepening our presence in the Asia Pacific region is a key strategic goal for the Governme…

I thank everyone for their careful consideration and contribution to the debate this evening. Hopefully, in the short few moments that I have I will be able to address some of the concerns raised this evening. To go back to the point I made at the beginning, it is important to differentiate between the PCA and the EU-Singapore free trade agreement, which was enforced in 2019, and indeed from the EU-Singapore investment protection agreement, which has yet to be brought before the Dáil for ratification. That will be …

The past 18 months have been extraordinarily difficult both for people personally and for businesses. Fortunately, we are now in a much better space due to the sacrifices made by many and prudent Government policies, difficult as they were. That collective effort has enabled Ireland to rebound and achieve significant progress, allowing us to look ahead to a return to near-normal economic activity. Indeed, Ireland was recently listed as the best country in the world in terms of our attainment in beginning to live wi…

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy English, who sends his apologies. I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which is pertinent and timely. Policy responsibility for the granting of visa permissions is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice. The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour shortages, or both, in the short to medium term, in circumstances where there a…

I, too, share the Senator's frustrations. My constituency office is just as much contacted, maybe more so given that I am a Minister of State in the Department, by industries that seek to have permits processed as a matter of urgency. As I have said, measures have been undertaken by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy English, to improve efficiency in the processing time of permits through the Department. It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge that there has been a delay and I encourage people to take a…

I thank all Members of Dáil Éireann who contributed to this important debate. We are in unison on the need to enact this legislation to establish the new corporate enforcement authority without further delay. As many Deputies stated, white-collar crime is a menace to society. It has huge consequences, not only economically for citizens but also in terms of the reputational damage it can do internationally. I do not differentiate between people who break the law. Whether someone wears a suit or a tracksuit, the law …

I move: "That the Bill be read a Second Time." As Minister for State with responsibility for trade promotion, digital and company regulation, I am pleased to present the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2021 for the consideration of the House. Since taking office the enactment of this Bill has been a priority for myself and for the Tánaiste. Before proceeding, I want to acknowledge the significant work that has been done by those involved, most notably in the past 12 months, to develop the General S…

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With new technology and more sophisticated economic crime, it is more important than ever that we have a well-resourced, stand-alone agency to identify those who are non-compliant with company law. We have seen how intricate and complex some of these breaches can be and how hard it is to secure prosecutions. As a statutorily independent agency, the corporate enforcement authority will have more autonomy to recruit the specialist staff it needs. This legislation has been a priority of this and previous Governments. …

The Government approved publication of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2021 in July and it will be presented to the House tomorrow for its Second Stage reading. When enacted, the Bill will give effect to the programme for Government commitment to transform the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement into the corporate enforcement authority, CEA, which will be an independent statutory agency. The new authority will have a commission structure. This structure will allow the authority to b…

I point out that the director of corporate enforcement and the Garda Commissioner are statutorily independent in their functions. Matters relating to Garda resources are an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. As it moves to establish the authority, the Government fully supports additional Garda Síochána resources being made available based on its statutory functions, its assessment of its resourcing needs and the vision of the Government for the new authority. As part of the Government's decision to publ…

The Deputy is right that white-collar crime is a menace. It is not a victimless crime and it is important that we take tough action against it. That is why there is a commitment in the programme for Government to establish this statutory body. It will be autonomous and independent in nature and it will have the powers to recruit the relevant expertise that is needed. That has already been commenced. As regards the staffing arrangements between the authority and the Garda Síochána, the director and the Commissioner …

I thank the Deputy for his question. The locations in which IDA Ireland will provide property solutions over the lifetime of its new strategy, Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024, were chosen based on extensive analysis, engagement, review and consultation, as well as macroeconomic considerations, existing clusters and available resources. IDA Ireland will deliver 19 advanced building solutions to regional locations. As the Deputy is aware, IDA Ireland is committed to building an advanced building sol…

I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy regarding regional development and the importance of investment in the regions to ensure we attract foreign direct investment, FDI. That is why IDA Ireland's new strategy, Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024, aims to ensure that FDI can make a significant contribution to the recovery and future growth of the economy. Regional development is at the very heart of the agency's strategy. There is a commitment to more balanced compact regional development, which can h…

I agree wholeheartedly. In 2021, IDA Ireland allocated an additional €10 million for its regional property programme. That is an acknowledgment of the importance of investment in the regions to ensure they can attract foreign direct investment. Recently I met Denis Curran, the director of regional development with IDA Ireland specifically to discuss Mayo. He is committed to working with the chief executive of Mayo County Council to ensure that Mayo gets its fair share. I know the Deputy has been to the fore in high…

The Bill is consistent with the provisions in examinership relating to redundancy and collective agreements. Any redundancies that may arise as a result of a company facing trading difficulties must be dealt with within the existing employment rights legislative framework. Regardless of the contents of a rescue plan, employees may be made redundant under the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 if the circumstances of the redundancy fall into one of the five definitions set out in that Act, that is, the closure of the empl…

On the final point made by Senators Gavan and Higgins, they know my position on the TRIPS waiver. I made it clear on the floor of the Seanad some weeks ago in response to a Commencement matter from Senator Higgins. Earlier this week, I replied in writing to Senator Gavan, who also wanted to raise this issue. I have made my views known internally to Government colleagues. I am at one with the Senators on that. Collective bargaining is not under the remit of company law but employment law. Working with the trade unio…

No. I think we have debated it. Unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment today, but I give a commitment that in the autumn we will bring forward further legislation relating to employees' rights. I have no doubt but that it will go through the various channels such as the Oireachtas committee etc., where all Members of the Oireachtas will have an opportunity for an input. We look forward to further engagement at that stage.

I thank sincerely all Members of the Seanad and the Dáil who have helped to progress this legislation and bring it to a conclusion today. I thank the Company Law Review Group, which did the initial preparatory work, the officials in my Department and the officials in the Office of the Attorney General. They have worked really hard to ensure we could get this legislation passed before the summer recess. It is important it has been passed before the recess because it is about protecting our small and micro enterprise…