Speaker programme for National Womens Enterprise Day 2011
Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D.
Joan Burton is the Minister for Social Protection and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. Joan was first elected to the Dáil in 1992 and again in 2002 and 2007. In the 2011 election Joan became the first TD to be reelected nationally, along with topping the poll in Dublin West. 
She was appointed the Minister for Social Protection on 9th March 2011 and is the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. She was the first woman to become finance spokesperson for a major party in Ireland. In the 1992-97 Government she was Minister of State for Development Cooperation and Overseas Aid (‘94 to ’97). As Minister of State in Foreign Affairs, she initiated a dramatic expansion of Ireland’s Aid Programme in Africa. As Minister of State in Social Welfare (’92 to ’95) she initiated a series of Welfare to Work and Education initiatives for lone parents and families on Social Welfare.
Joan is a Chartered Accountant who trained and worked with Price Waterhouse in Dublin prior to becoming a Senior Lecturer in the Dublin Institute of Technology. Joan is married to Pat Carroll, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the DIT Bolton St. They have one daughter Aoife, law graduate of TCD, who now works as a barrister in Dublin.
Debra Searle MBA ME
Debra Searle MBE MA is a truly inspiration woman. Debra first hit the headlines when she set out to row across the Atlantic with her husband. Unfortunately he had to be rescued so Debra, a novice rower, continued alone and rowed 3000 miles from Tenerife to Barbados. It should have taken them six weeks but, to achieve her goal, Debra ended up spending 3 ½ months at sea alone, often battling against 30' waves, sharks, and force 8 squalls in a 23 feet plywood boat.
| Debra’s recent expeditions have included sailing around Antarctica and becoming the first Briton to complete the gruelling Yukon River Quest with good friend Bruce Parry. She went on to led a group of women known as The Sisterhood to a new World Record for Dragon Boating across the English Channel. This particular adventure created huge media interest in the UK due to a soon-to-be very famous teammate – Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge. The event raised over £110,000 for two children’s charities. |  |
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Despite poor performance at school Debra found a way to tap into her potential and graduated from university with 1st Class Honours, founded her first company at the age of 23 and second at 27. She is a published author, newspaper feature writer and has represented Great Britain at European Championship level. Debra is a regular presenter for the BBC, with credits including Grandstand, Extreme Lives, and Builders, Sweat and Tears. Her spirit of adventure gained Debra an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen and she was delighted to be appointed a trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme in 2003, the youngest and only female trustee working alongside His Royal Highness Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness Earl of Wessex. |
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Domini Kemp
DOMINI and her sister Peaches Kemp began what was to become a chain of food outlets in 1999, when they opened the hugely popular itsa bagel store on Dublin’s Liffey Street. What grew out of a love for New York bagels and a desire to sell gourmet food is now a food company with over five branches of itsa bagel, plus a whole lot more.
November 2005 saw the opening of their itsa4 restaurant in Sandymount, which received widespread critical acclaim and is one of Bridgestone’s 100 best restaurants in Ireland in its 2011 guide. Organic and local Irish produce, good service and delicious, casual food remain its focus.
In November 2006, the company opened Table restaurant in Brown Thomas, Cork, and took over The Restaurant, in Brown Thomas, Dublin, in April 2009. September 2008 saw the company open itsa@Imma, a modern canteen-style cafe in the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Feast Catering is the event catering section of the company and has expanded over the years to provide on-site catering services for a broad range of events and venues from canape and drinks receptions, to gala dinners, weddings and conferences. Itsa currently employs 83 staff and had revenue of €5.8 million last year.
When the recession hit in 2008, the company moved quickly to reduce retail prices and focused on three areas: constant critical self-analysis of products and services; a proactive approach to driving down costs; and honest dealings with staff about what needed to be done in order to achieve this. Increased profitability and low gearing led to a stronger balance sheet, which, in turn, has allowed the company to grow organically..
Originally the bagels were imported from New York. After five years of R&D, the company has recently begun manufacturing, using and exporting the only genuine artisan bagels in Ireland, thereby supporting indigenous job creation.
What advice would you give an entrepreneurs starting out today?
Get out there and dazzle!
Has anyone acted as a mentor to you?
No, but over the years we’ve met some wise business people and have picked a few brains in our time.
Has your Irish-ness contributed to your success?
Forget New York – if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!
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