Results 8,221-8,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Our commitment to supporting business is particularly evident from the range of initiatives outlined in the Action Plan for Jobs. The Plan tackles the issue of access to finance through a range of measures, such as the introduction of a Micro- Finance Fund to provide loans of up to €25,000 to micro-enterprises and the roll-out of the Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme. On a...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of this Bill is to strengthen the enforcement of competition law in Ireland. A breach of competition law is a white collar crime and, as with all other forms of crime, those who commit it must be punished accordingly. This legislation will provide a more effective deterrent and an improved sanctions regime for those who engage in price fixing, cartels, abuse of dominant position...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: It was recently filled by public advertisement.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senators for a very good debate. The original debate on this was probably in 1776, when Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations, in which he said it was to not the virtue of the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker that we owed our dinner, but to the invisible hand of competition. He also commented that business people never come together but to collude against the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I did not interrupt the Senator's own flight.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: That is the difficulty. It was not just this Attorney General but the Attorney General who advised the Senator's party in Government who took this view. We cannot decide that a certain behaviour is criminal and then say we are going to pursue it in a different way. That is the ultimate difficulty with the case for civil fines. Several people have quoted the EU and the IMF elements of the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I imagine it is.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Senator Michael Mullins also raised the issue of banking prosecutions. Such prosecutions must be taken under different legislation. The offences are clear. The issue is convicting people of a breach of the law. We know what the offences are. Senator Leyden raised the issue of below cost selling. It was right to remove the ban because it was a restriction on competition. When the State...

Written Answers — Credit Guarantee Scheme: Credit Guarantee Scheme (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme is to operate under the De Minimis State Aid rules as agreed by the Government in November. The De Minimis State Aid framework provides a basis for swift implementation of such a Scheme. Operating within the scope of the De Minimis State Aid regulations places limits on the range of options available in terms of the extent and pricing of the...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The following State bodies come under the aegis of my Department and, with the exception of InterTrade Ireland, are subject to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. Enterprise Ireland Forfás IDA Ireland Health and Safety Authority National Standards Authority of Ireland InterTrade Ireland Shannon Development National Consumer Agency Competition Authority Personal Injuries...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: A Bill entitled the "Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill, 2011" completed passage in the Dail in mid February, 2012 and commenced consideration in the Seanad on 28th February, 2012 and it is currently before that House. The Bill is a priority Bill for my Department and I expect that the Bill will be enacted by end March, 2012.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the successful outcome of discussions at the International Labour Conference (ILC) that lead to the adoption of a new International labour standard aimed at ensuring Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The final text of the draft Convention was one that the Irish Government was in a position to support and the Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers now becomes ILO Convention...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Decisions relating to the sale of land for industrial purposes fall to be taken by the Board of Shannon Development in the context of the day to day management of the company and are ones for which I have no statutory responsibility. Shannon Development has informed me that the average price per acre of land sold for industrial purposes in County Limerick in the year 2000 was...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I assume the Deputy is referring to retirements under the grace period as specified under the Public Service Pension Rights Order 2011 (S.I. No. 80 of 2011) which was signed on 23 February 2011, as there was no early retirement scheme provided for under the Croke Park Agreement. The Public Service Pension Rights Order 2011 specified 29 February 2012 as the end date for the grace period within...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (13 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: As I have pointed out on many occasions, the Government does not create jobs – entrepreneurs and successful businesses do. However, the Government has a key role to play in providing the environment whereby businesses can start-up, expand and create jobs. There are two major elements to the Government's response to supporting business and unemployment – the Action Plan for Jobs and...

Written Answers — Wage-setting Mechanisms: Wage-setting Mechanisms (14 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Industrial Relations (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 2011 was published on 22 December 2011. The Bill has completed Second Stage in the Dáil and is currently awaiting Committee Stage. The main purpose of the Bill is to implement the commitment in the Programme for Government to reform the Joint Labour Committee system. The reform of the legal framework for our statutory wage setting mechanisms...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (14 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: In general, where an employee is absent from work for reason of illness, injury or disability, the monitoring of sick absences on the part of their employees and the payment of sick leave by employers is discretionary. There is no legal entitlement to sick leave. However, some employment sectors have pay and conditions of employment regulated through Registered Employment Agreements (REAs)...

Written Answers — Transfer of Undertakings: Transfer of Undertakings (14 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Where a business or part of a business is taken over by one employer from another employer as a result of a legal merger or transfer (including the assignment of forfeiture of a lease), a formal transfer of undertakings can occur. In these circumstances, the provisions of the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations (S.I. No. 131 of 2003) apply....

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (14 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department and the eight offices of my Department do not currently rent any properties. All properties currently occupied by the Department and its Offices are provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) without any cost to the Department or its Offices. Details of rental costs associated with the buildings occupied by the Department and its Offices may only be obtained directly from...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (14 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The matter referred to by the Deputy in the first part of the question is an operational matter for the body concerned, which is independent in the exercise of its functions, and is not one in which I have a direct role. In accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, details of the salary of the Chief Executive are published in the body's Annual Report. In...