Results 7,181-7,200 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Job creation is central to our economic recovery and the Programme for Government has job creation at its core. The role of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place that will support and grow our enterprise base in order to facilitate both job creation and job retention. On a national basis, the Jobs Initiative announced on 10 May focuses our limited resources on...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: My constituency office is located in the Department's Head Office in Kildare Street which is owned by the State. The Department meets the cost of my home telephone line and to date one such bill has been paid amounting to €50.84. The staff of the constituency office use equipment taken from a pool of equipment available to be used as and when required by staff of the Department and no...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland has the remit for visiting itineraries only in relation to Food and Natural Resources. In the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 there were no site visits to Co. Kerry. I have been informed by IDA Ireland that the number of itineraries that have been hosted by them in County Kerry in each of the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 is as set out in the tabular statement below: Site visits...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department participates in the scheme known as the Travel Pass Scheme or Tax Saver Commuter Ticket Scheme, which encourages staff to use public transport. This scheme allows staff to purchase an annual travel pass for their preferred mode of public transport and to pay for the ticket over twelve months by salary sacrifice. Savings to staff arise because tickets are not subject to tax or...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Many of the recent jobs losses which have occurred are as a result of the restructuring process which is going on in industry in Ireland and around the world. While some jobs in Ireland have been phased out as these activities become uneconomic in an Irish context, operations remain in Ireland and we hope that other higher-value jobs can be added as time goes on. Manufacturing is the bedrock...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Minister at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (Mr. Bruton) The statutory minimum wage due to employees for certain employment sectors, including retail grocery, is set out in statutory instruments known as Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) The Industrial Relations Acts 1946-1990 impose a statutory obligation on NERA inspectors to enforce the rates of pay and conditions of...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (16 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Manufacturing and internationally traded service companies in all parts of the country are eligible on an equal basis for grant aid under the headings of R&D aid, Training aid, SME aid and Environment aid. These grants are available from IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development or Údarás na Gaeltachta, depending on the region concerned and the size of the client company. Nowadays, most...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "noting: - that this Government reversed the recent cut in the national minimum wage within its first three months in office; - that the restoration of the national minimum wage is the result of negotiations by the new Government with the EU-IMF, because it is committed to a fairer approach to...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Opposition for raising this matter and it is important to have a debate on it in the House. We must consider the context in which this debate is occurring. We have had the most catastrophic collapse in employment in this economy. We have lost 340,000 jobs and 450,000 people are on the live register. We must strike a balance between regulating detailed arrangements governing the...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: As we look to recovery, it is crucial that we examine, for example, the tourism sector. The Government believes that this sector offers real opportunity for job creation. We have cut the VAT rate, eliminated the travel tax, reduced employers' PRSI and opened up opportunities for the sector. It is the Government's ambition to see 1 million extra tourists visit Ireland. To take advantage,...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Let us not ignore the fact that many businesses in the retail, catering, restaurant and other sectors are hanging on by their fingernails.

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: We look to those businesses to create employment opportunities for the future. They are vital and we cannot pretend that the competitiveness of those sectors, be it in terms of rents or wages, is not important. We need to confront these issues and try to create more opportunities in those sectors. The review was clear that these sectors have been particularly affected by the recession....

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: In the catering sector, some 23% of jobs have gone. As the review pointed out, these sectors need reform. The rules apply to some hotels but not to others. They are applied to hotels in rural areas, where there is lower footfall and fewer opportunities to do business, yet they do not apply to hotels in the cities of Dublin and Cork. How is this a fair or level playing pitch for people who...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: It is important that we recognise the value in protecting these rules. We are not going down the road of abandoning them, as has been called for by employer organisations and others. These rules provide orderly regulation of conditions for people who would otherwise be poorly organised and would not receive their rights. Where legislation governs sectors, though, it is a different matter....

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: We have increased the wages of the lowest paid.

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Even Deputy Higgins knows that, as a provision passed through the Dáil only last week to increase the national minimum wage. I am undertaking a process of consultation and have had discussions with IBEC, ICTU and others directly affected. I have also had discussions with the EU and the IMF. I hope to be able to revert to the Government with proposals. It is important to remember that,...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: People fear that this is a race to the bottom. People currently in employment will be protected by their existing terms, conditions and contracts.

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: As part of the Jobs Initiative announced in this House on, 10th May, both the Minister for Finance and I confirmed the Government commitment to initiating a tendering process for the development of a temporary partial credit guarantee scheme. A call for competition for the design of a scheme was published on e-tenders on 15 June. The design of the scheme will draw from international...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department processes applications in respect of the different types of employment permits - Green Cards Permits, Work Permits, Spousal/Dependant Permits and Intra-company Transfer Permits. All applications are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006. I wish to advise the Deputy that this specific Work Permit application was received in the Employment Permits Section on the...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (21 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Sales Law Review Group was established in November 2008 to review the legislation governing the sale of goods and supply of services. It was asked also to assess the implications for Irish consumer rights and Irish consumer law of the EU Commission proposal for a Directive on Consumer Rights published in October 2008. An interim report on the proposed Directive prepared by the Review...