Results 1-20 of 32,119 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Business Support Package: Statements (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak during this debate. First, I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, and wish her well. Business and, indeed, all of enterprise is going through a period of rapid transition. Just looking out the back window, there was the financial crisis, followed by the Covid closures, the Ukraine crisis and the impact that has had...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: First, I welcome the 52,500 new housing starts in the past 12 months, acknowledge the progress the Minister is making and welcome his openness to new ideas. In that context, I ask him to seriously consider a housing trust dedicated solely to promoting right-sizing for people who want to do so. Ireland is a country where 90% of people in my age bracket are overprovided with homes and would...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: 8. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has assessed the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the content of the jobs of those currently in the workforce, and the reskilling that may be necessary to ensure the capacity of workers to adapt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23310/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: As the Minister well knows, artificial intelligence will rapidly disrupt established ways of doing things as it integrates into our world. It will disrupt education and its delivery, but it will also disrupt many workplaces and create skill needs. To what extent is this now anticipated? What planning and strategies are being put in place?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I appreciate that there is a strategy in place but that strategy is four years old and, with the pace of this, changes occur within months. The enterprise committee, of which Deputy Stanton is also a member, heard this week that only 5% of companies are engaged in any sort of reskilling for the onset of artificial intelligence. We need an accelerated programme in areas such as Skillnet...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: To give the Minister an example, we had the major consultancy firms in before the committee. They have every staff member now going through a process of understanding and equipping themselves to deal with the disruption, and opportunity, indeed, of artificial intelligence. Will the Minister of State consider putting some of his senior staff through a programme such as that in order to build...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I will make one comment. To paraphrase the OECD, the leaving certificate is preparing young people to be second-class robots. Now that we have this new pace of change crashing upon us, we really have to take it very seriously.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I have two questions. One is on whether a review of the success of Microfinance Ireland has been undertaken and what are the highlights, the positive things like loss levels and so on. Second, while I welcome all the accountability to the public accounts committee, will there be a reporting requirement? To whom will be the reporting? Going through the different sections, I do not see the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: It is a very positive body and at the time it was certainly needed. I just wonder where, in the evolution of the financial services sector, the Minister of State foresees it in the longer term. Credit unions are getting additional capability to serve the changing needs of microenterprise. Will the body need to evolve in any way or are its products sufficiently flexible for the sector it is...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: Another feature of the landscape when I was involved was the Credit Review Office. At the time, there were high levels of bank refusals and it was vital in trying to establish a more even playing pitch for people trying to get access to finance. I do not hear so much about it of late. Is it still in place and having the same impact?

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (22 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: 105. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there are any regulations which require that a multi-unit residential building should have adaptations made to make access more convenient for a resident with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23240/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (22 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: 114. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he plans changes to the pension provision for people who because of the nature of their work have earlier retirement dates, in order that they do not have large fall in living standards when they step down from those roles. [23259/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (22 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: 137. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the plans to develop new residential places for persons with a severe disability; and if, in particular, new developments will occur in a body (details supplied). [23265/24]

Housing for All: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: It is encouraging to see 52,500 new starts up to the month of April and 30,000 mortgage approvals in the past 12 months to first-time buyers. In my own constituency we have a strong pipeline on State land of 2,500 social homes and 3,500 affordable homes. However, I want to underline a problem generally in Dublin. The Minister needs to examine carefully the situation emerging because, last...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy in the Food Sector: Discussion (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses for the presentations. I am not happy with the progress we are making. Four years ago we were talking about halving food waste and now we are still talking about measuring it and getting a baseline. That is not good enough. We passed legislation that said within six months we would have a strategy from the Department. We are still waiting for a strategy. That Bill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy in the Food Sector: Discussion (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: That was to be six months after the Bill. That is two years ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy in the Food Sector: Discussion (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: Is it therefore the case that in both cases roughly two thirds is misplaced?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy in the Food Sector: Discussion (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: Could that not be expanded into the area of packaging, as well as feeding back into the primary production side, where there could be premiums for products that are produced sustainably? Is there not more leverage to be gotten?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy in the Food Sector: Discussion (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I want to ask about the EPA's charter. Mr. Flynn referred to waste companies signing up. They are pivotal in this. The charter itself does not suggest using FoodCloud, for example, zero-packaging areas or menu formats that might reduce food waste. Why not get far more specific and go after the sources of food waste in the supply chain where we can actually see a behavioural change and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy in the Food Sector: Discussion (21 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: Perhaps the committee could inject a little bit of urgency into it.