Results 7,721-7,740 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: While individual contracts fall within the area of private law, in general a contract of employment may not be set aside without the agreement of the parties involved. In most circumstances, parties to a contract of employment irrespective of the length of employment, are required to negotiate and agree changes to that contract before it can be binding on both parties. (Exceptions can...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The primary responsibility for preventing the sale of event tickets at prices above their face value rests with the ticket agents and promoters. The terms and conditions governing the sale of such tickets commonly provide that, if the ticket is resold for profit, it is voidable and the holder may be refused entry to the venue. Ticket agents also typically reserve the right to cancel tickets...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I am informed by IDA that to date in 2011, there have been two site visits by potential investors to County Kerry. Figures for the number of IDA related jobs created by IDA supported companies in 2011 will be available in early 2012.

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland monitors the employment trends in the companies it supports through the Annual Employment Survey, conducted in conjunction with Forfás. The results of this survey are released each January. The 2011 figures will therefore not be available until early 2012. In 2010, Enterprise Ireland had 133 client companies in the county, employing 3,145 full time and 445 part-time...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The table below identifies the number of staff (whole time equivalents) employed within my Department for the end of 2008, 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011. December 2008 December 2009 December 2010 November 2011 1074.93 993.98 905.74 834.45

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The importance of helping entrepreneurs to establish a base in Silicon Valley is fully appreciated and to this end, Enterprise Ireland has nine incubator spaces in its Mountain View office in Silicon Valley seven of which are currently let. The availability of these incubator spaces is of particular relevance to those Irish companies establishing a sales presence on the West Coast of the US....

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The National Committee on Internal Window Blind Safety was established by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and is comprised of representatives of the manufacturing and installation sectors as well as the National Consumer Agency. The Committee has met to consider comments and suggestions which were received as a result of the public consultation on the proposed new Irish Standard....

Written Answers — Departmental Legal Costs: Departmental Legal Costs (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: In seeking to provide the Deputy with the information requested, the assumption has been made that the question relates to civil proceedings taken by or against the Department or one of its offices. The Deputy should be aware that a number of Offices within my Department's remit institute proceedings against companies and individuals in the exercise of their statutory functions and these...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland is an autonomous Agency set up by statute with a mandate to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing and internationally-traded service industries into Ireland, and to support new and existing FDI operations so as to maximise the related industrial employment, output, exports, economy expenditures including wages, and corporation tax contributions. The management...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the private contractors, consultants and agencies that provide outsourced services for the Department and its Offices is set out in the table below. The table details the service provider, the nature of the service and the cost of the outsourced services provided to my Department and its Offices in 2010. The provision of such information...

EU Directives (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Heydon for raising this issue. As he will be aware, the EU directive on temporary agency work is due to be transposed into Irish law by 5 December 2011. A central aim of the directive is to ensure protection of temporary agency workers by applying the principle of equal treatment in their basic working and employment conditions. My Department initiated a public consultation...

EU Directives (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: What is unique about this directive is that responsibility for concluding an agreement rests with the social partners, rather than with the Government. The two sides need to come together and reach an agreement. It would be better for us to have a waiting period like that in the UK and Northern Ireland. It would allow us to protect employment at a difficult time. I urge the social...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: These allegations were brought to the attention of my Department some time ago. Enterprise Ireland examined the issues at the time and was satisfied that there was no impropriety involved. Nonetheless in the light of the continuing concerns of the Deputy's correspondent my Department asked Enterprise Ireland to investigate the matter further in October 2010. The matter in question was also...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I have set out in tabular form below the websites which come directly under the remit of my Department, based on the most up to date data which is readily to hand. The rationale for, and the means of delivery of such websites is regularly reviewed. Part of the reform of the employment rights bodies, which I announced last July, will involve the development and publication of a single...

Written Answers — Licensed Trade: Licensed Trade (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: Matters relating to licensed premises and the sale of alcohol, whether in pubs or off-licences, including supermarkets, are essentially the policy responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality and I have no direct function in this matter. The pricing strategy of any business is a legitimate marketing tool and is the normal outcome of the competitive process. I have no direct...

Written Answers — Registry of Friendly Societies: Registry of Friendly Societies (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of the issues raised by the Deputy as mentioned in previous replies on the matter, particularly the response dated 25 October. In addition, I made a statement on the issue in response to the Deputy yesterday. A total of 285 societies have been cancelled in the past ten years for failure to file annual returns. Details of each were published in Iris Oifigiúil at the time. The...

Written Answers — Wage Setting Mechanisms: Wage Setting Mechanisms (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: On 26 July 2011 the Government agreed a package of radical reforms to the Joint Labour Committee and Registered Employment Agreement wage setting mechanisms. The reform proposals deal with recommendations made and issues raised in the Independent Report on the JLC/REA systems (Duffy/Walsh report) as well as the outcome of the July 2011 High Court ruling in the Grace Fried Chicken...

Written Answers — Anti-Competitive Practices: Anti-Competitive Practices (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I am aware of a number of representations and submissions made by the Irish Small Business Alliance concerning allegations of anti-competitive practices. I am also aware that the Competition Authority, as the statutory body responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State, has received information concerning these allegations. Section 29 (3) of the Competition Act 2002...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (30 Nov 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 the Employment Permits Section of my Department has issued correspondence to the above named...

Written Answers — State Properties: State Properties (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department has not to date been contacted by the Department of Justice, Equality and Defence regarding the development of State lands at the former Magee Barracks in Kildare Town. I have been informed by IDA and Enterprise Ireland that neither Agency has been contacted by that Department in this matter.