Results 8,141-8,160 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Government's commitment to supporting business is evident from the range of initiatives outlined in the Action Plan for Jobs launched two weeks ago. The Plan tackles the issue of access to finance through a range of measures, such as the introduction of a microfinance fund to provide loans of up to €25,000 to micro-enterprises and the roll-out of the temporary partial credit guarantee...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the financial savings and competitive advantage that arise from adopting an environmentally sustainable and resource-efficient approach to their business through green technologies and practices. There are a number of supports available to assist Irish enterprise in the development and implementation of green enterprise initiatives from a range of...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The measures in the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 will be met from existing resources, as provided for in the annual Estimates process. The funding for my Department for 2012 was agreed in tandem with the preparation of the Action Plan. As part of the Estimates negotiations, I secured an increase in capital funding for enterprise development and support this year, resulting in the highest ever...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: As recognised in the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, internet communications is set to be one of the fastest growing sub–markets within ICT, with potential growth rate as high as 20 percent per annum over the next decade. Therefore, small and medium enterprises need to concentrate on developing this resource as a major tool for their day to day business. Already Enterprise Ireland provides a...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Government's Action Plan for Jobs, which was launched last week, outlines the opportunities that can be exploited arising from the growth of cloud computing. These include stimulating the take up and use of cloud computing by small business, the development of the ICT enterprise sector, stimulating the emergence of start up companies providing technology services using cloud computing...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs, which was published by the Government on 13th February last, is intended to maximise opportunities for job creation across the economy and will support the creation of 100,000 net new jobs to 2016. Of the net 100,000 jobs to be created, 20,000 are projected to be generated directly in manufacturing, while 30,000 will be created in international traded services. An...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: I have committed to introduce a carefully targeted Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme on the basis that it will deliver positive returns to the economy and will address the competitive disadvantage being experienced by specific categories of Irish SMEs. The Scheme will be exclusively targeted at commercially viable micro, small and medium enterprises, i.e. well performing companies...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs has set a target of supporting the creation of 100,000 net new jobs over the period 2012 to 2016, with the longer term objective of having 2 million people at work by 2020. Of the net 100,000 jobs to be created over the next five years, 20,000 are projected to be generated directly in manufacturing, while 30,000 will be created in international traded services. An...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: Job creation is at the top of the Government's agenda. Since we came into office, we have been working hard to create the improved economic conditions which will support the maintenance of existing jobs and the creation of new ones. Our objective is to put the country back on the road to economic recovery and full employment. The Action Plan for Jobs, which I launched on 13 February,...

Written Answers — Regional Aid: Regional Aid (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Regional Aid Guidelines govern the areas in which the enterprise and industrial development agencies in Member States may grant regional aid, more commonly known as investment aid. Investment aid is intended to discriminate in favour of certain disadvantaged areas within the European Union in order to redress regional disparities by promoting the economic development of such areas. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department is currently undertaking a review of the resources of the Competition Authority. I expect this review to be completed by the end of March 2012. This review will have to take account of Government policy to reduce the size and cost of the public sector through the Employment Control Framework. Until that review has been finalised, I am not in a position to comment further in the...

Written Answers — Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: Multinational enterprises are a very significant component of the Irish enterprise sector and will continue to play an important role in our economy. IDA multinational client companies support over 146,000 direct jobs and spend €19 billion in the Irish economy each year. The environment for foreign direct investment remains robust and has created core strengths in key sectors. The...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: A fundamental principle of company law is that a company is a separate legal entity from the Members or Shareholders of the company. The order of preferential payments in the liquidation of a company is set out at section 285 of the Companies Act 1963 as amended. Section 98 of that Act contains relevant provisions as to the position where a receiver is appointed under a floating charge. The...

Written Answers — Debt Collection: Debt Collection (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes such as arbitration or mediation provide an alternative to court proceedings for the resolution of disputes. Because of the voluntary nature of these processes, they provide a non-adversarial forum in which, through dialogue between the parties, the resolution to the dispute may be found by the parties themselves. This form of voluntary dispute...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The total number of IDA supported jobs as at the end of each year in the period 1985 to 2011 is set out in the tabular statement. Statistics in relation to job numbers in the economy as a whole are maintained by the Central Statistics Office. One of the targets set out in IDA Ireland's Strategy document "Horizon 2020" is the creation of 62,000 direct jobs in 640 investment projects in the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The recently published Action Plan for Jobs 2012 is the first in a series of annual Action Plans which will be rolled out, with the objective of supporting the creation of 100,000 net new jobs over the period 2012 to 2016, and the longer-term target of having 2 million people at work by 2020. In preparing the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs, I consulted with my Ministerial colleagues and with a...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 103 and 106 together. The Action Plan for Jobs, which was published on 13 February, sets out a range of measures which are designed to support new business start-ups, improve enterprise competitiveness and help firms to grow. It aims to support the creation of 100,000 net new jobs by 2016 by systematically removing obstacles to competitiveness, putting...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together. The role of Government is to create the conditions where enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation can flourish. It is through the creation of opportunities for growth that employers will be incentivised to increase their labour force and quality employment opportunities will be created. Our objective is to put the country back on the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 108 together. Cost competitiveness is one of the key determinants of every firm's success. While we have seen reductions in wage costs and the costs of a range of business inputs, in many cases Irish prices are coming down from a high cost base and the costs of a range of business inputs remain relatively expensive compared to other jurisdictions. In...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Feb 2012)

Richard Bruton: The figures in respect of jobs in Enterprise Development agency-supported companies and those supported by the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) are compiled in the Forfás Annual Employment Survey and the CEB Annual Employment Survey respectively. The most up to date of these detail employment figures up until 2010. As the information is compiled on an annualised basis, the figures...