Results 8,301-8,320 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (1 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Task Force completed its Interim Report, which was presented to the Minister by Mr. Brosnan last July. Since then the Government has been responding to the recommendations under the various headings. Last September, the Tánaiste sent the Task Force a report on responses up to that time. Following completion of a cross-departmental consultation, taking account of Ministers' budgets for...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (1 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 to 119, inclusive, together. The Information Age Park in Ennis is operated by Shannon Development and the task of securing and supporting industrial clients there is assigned to IDA and Enterprise Ireland. I am informed by Shannon Development that, to date in 2010, there have been 13 site visits to the Information Age Park in Ennis and from these visits...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (1 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have been informed by IDA Ireland and Shannon Development that since 2007, a total of 60 site visits were made by potential investors to County Clare and the Shannon Free Zone. A breakdown of these visits, by year and location is set out in the tabular statement.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (1 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. I have been informed by IDA that from the beginning of 2009 and to date in 2010, there have been a total of 14 site visits by potential investors to Waterford City and County, 10 visits in 2009 and 4 to date in 2010. Details of the locations of those visits are set out in the tabular statement. There have been no immediate investment...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (1 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have been informed by IDA Ireland that since January of this year, there have been a total of 193 site visits by potential investors to various locations throughout the country. Details of the locations of those visits are set out in the tabular statement. Typically, a company is shown three or four selected towns, which can meet its requirements for skills, labour, site and/or buildings...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (2 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As a result of the Government changes announced by An Taoiseach in March and my assuming the position of Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, the Delegation of Functions Orders in respect of three of the Ministers of State assigned to my Department lapsed. Upon taking up my new responsibilities, my first organisational priority was to oversee the transfer of various functions in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the name of my Department was officially changed on 2nd May last. The estimated costs associated with this name change are anticipated to be in the region of €10,000. This includes the costs of stationery, signage and changes to my Department's website. Every effort has been made to keep these costs, which will be provided from within my Department's existing...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (3 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: While my Department does not provide capital funding towards the building or setting up of language schools, Enterprise Ireland is responsible for the promotion of Ireland's higher education sector in overseas markets under the Education Ireland brand. The sector comprises universities, institutes of technology and private colleges offering HETAC (Higher Education Training Awards Council)...

Written Answers — Expo 2010 Shanghai: Expo 2010 Shanghai (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department of An Taoiseach is responsible for coordinating the arrangements in relation to all aspects of our participation in Expo 2010 in Shanghai, including all decisions in relation to staffing and marketing. None of the Agencies that come under the aegis of my Department have a permanent operational presence in the pavilion. In relation to the Deputy's specific point on a strategy...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Directive 2006/43/EC was transposed by means of S.I. No. 220 of 2010 on 20th May, 2010. No amendments have been made to the Regulations since and no paragraphs have been deleted from Schedule 2 of S.I. No. 220 of 2010. In June 2007, the Department established a group consisting of the six Recognised Accountancy Bodies (RABs) and the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA)...

Written Answers — Advertising Agencies: Advertising Agencies (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have no functional responsibility in relation to the regulation of advertising agencies and, hence, I have no plans to require that they be bonded. Advertising agencies, like all companies, are covered by the provisions of the Companies Acts and creditors, including SMEs, can exercise their rights in accordance with those provisions. If creditors are aware of any breaches of company law,...

Written Answers — Israeli Imports: Israeli Imports (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2009, Ireland imported goods from Israel to the value of €82.4 million. Services imports from that country for 2008, the last year for which data is available, were valued at €75 million. The most recent figures for this year show that Ireland imported goods to the value of €11.1 million from Israel for the period January – February 2010.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: When Enterprise Ireland was established in 1998 it became a strategic objective to bring all Dublin based staff together in one location. This was achieved with the move to East Point Business Park in September 2008. Until this time, Enterprise Ireland occupied four office locations in Dublin, primarily as a result of the amalgamation of various state agencies into a single organisation over...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As I outlined in my reply to the Deputy on 27 May, the outcome of the meeting was extremely positive. The takeover company has committed to investments already planned by the company acquired and this investment programme will be implemented over the next two years. Investment in new manufacturing technology is currently taking place and is due to be operational by the year-end in the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are supported by the industrial development agencies. Data is compiled on an annualized basis and therefore figures for 2010 will not be available until early 2011. The survey shows that in 2007 nine new jobs were created in IDA supported companies in county Laois. There were no new jobs created in IDA...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together. Enterprise Ireland has a network of 30 international offices. The staffing complement of these overseas offices by geographic breakdown for March 2008, 2009 and 2010 is set out in the tabular statement below. The Public Sector Recruitment Moratorium provides that until the end of 2010, no public service post, however arising, may be filled...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The latest Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies circulated by Department of Finance in June 2009, applies to the following agencies under the aegis of my Department: 1. Enterprise Ireland (EI) 2. Industrial Development Authority (IDA) 3. Health and Safety Authority (HSA) 4. Forfas 5. National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI ) 6. Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) 7. Shannon...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The promotion of land banks to potential investors is the responsibility of IDA Ireland. The Agency was part of a team that assisted the company concerned in producing promotional material on the facility and site in Kilmeaden. The Agency has circulated the marketing and promotional material on the facility and site to its network of overseas offices. The Agency will promote the site for...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together. I met separately with Allied Irish Banks, Anglo Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland during the week beginning 17 May 2010. These were private meetings held with each bank to discuss the availability of bank credit for businesses, especially SMEs. At the meetings, I raised concerns about the claims of many small businesses that some bankers were...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (9 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As regards non-commercial State-sponsored bodies, the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector advises the Government from time to time on the general levels of remunerations appropriate for senior posts across the public service including CEOS of non-commercial State-sponsored bodies. As it is not feasible for the Review Body to examine the chief executive posts in all of the...