Results 8,341-8,360 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will supply the list to the Deputy.

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will also outline for Deputy Varadkar the reasons we believe we cannot approve four of five of them.

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I did give consideration to the recommendation that the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, and National Employment Rights Authority, NERA, be merged into a single workplace inspectorate. Again, however, radical differences arise in the context of the nature of these agencies and there are overlaps in their work. In the circumstances, we cannot see a merger becoming a reality or the savings...

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As Deputies Varadkar and Penrose will testify, the legislation to which the Deputy refers was before the House quite recently. We are moving forward with this matter. Emergency legislation was introduced and another major Bill is being finalised at present. I hope to be in a position to publish the latter in September or October.

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The process relating to drafting the relevant legislation is extremely complex and a great deal of interaction took place between the Department and the Office of the Attorney General. I have increased the staffing complement dealing with this matter in my Department by bringing on board an official from the Office of the Attorney General. It is hoped we will now be in a better position to...

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Deputy Bruton was not happy with it.

Loan Guarantees (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that work is under way in my Department on the examination of a possible scheme of loan guarantees for the SME sector which could augment lending by banks by addressing particular market failures. This is in line with one of the recommendations in the Mazars review on bank lending to SMEs. Enterprise Ireland and Forfás carried out examinations of loan guarantee...

Loan Guarantees (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Generally speaking, I implement the recommendations in reports. However, we must be careful in this instance. We have looked at the UK and other countries. The design of a loan guarantee proposal is of vital importance. If the design is not right the guarantee might supplement credit that is already available, which could cost the country much more in the long run. We asked Forfás to do...

Loan Guarantees (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are two issues here. First, we have increased the amount of credit available to SMEs through both banks. We hope that process will lead to greater availability of credit to small and medium sized businesses. Second, we do not want a loan guarantee to supplement that. Some of the medium sized businesses find it easier to get credit than smaller businesses. Approximately 30% of the...

Loan Guarantees (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will answer the last question first. I will put the proposals in the Forfás report to Government before the summer recess. It will be a matter for Government to take the decision. I was also asked whether we have examined the Chilean system. Yes, we have. That has been taken into account in the FÁS and Enterprise Ireland reports. On the high level groups, it is fair to say we are...

EU Services Directive (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The regulations to bring the services directive - directive 2006/123/EC - into law under the European Communities Acts have almost been finalised. I hope to sign the regulations into law by the end of this month. Ireland is open for business as far as the directive is concerned, as we have been applying it administratively since January 2010. The purpose of the services directive is to...

EU Services Directive (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: From Ireland's point of view, it is important to have the Services Directive in place. The directive was supposed to be transposed into law-----

EU Services Directive (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----in December 2009, so we have been tardy in that respect. This is why I spoke to the Attorney General about the transposition of directives. I am delighted that a specialist has now been seconded to the Department from the Office of the Attorney General to assist with the transposition of directives, helping us to achieve this more efficiently and effectively than has been the case up...

EU Services Directive (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: This is why we in the Department are anxious to transpose the directive legally, although it is operating administratively. Along with IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and so on, we are anxious that indigenous companies in the services sector be given the opportunity to export these services, which should result in the creation of jobs at home.

Written Answers — Trade Relations: Trade Relations (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government's Asia Strategy, which ran for the ten years up to the end of 2009, was instrumental in developing Ireland's Trade and other links with the key Asian economies. The success of the Asia Strategy has been striking. Exports to the eight countries has risen from €4bn in 1999 to €9.6bn in 2009, well ahead of the target of €9bn. The number of Irish companies with a presence in...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Innovation my priority is to ensure that the business environment is supportive of enterprise and export growth and encourages growth in all areas of the economy including entrepreneurs. The Government's sustained investment under the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation has led to year on year increases in R&D and innovation projects in...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government has implemented a comprehensive new, sustained growth in business, exports and jobs, based on increasing levels of productivity, competitiveness and innovation. In terms of direct supports to companies, last year the Government introduced the Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary) in the context of rising unemployment to help employees retain their jobs while at the same time...

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: While I am very concerned at the continuing high level of unemployment as indicated by the May Live Register figures, it has to be regarded as positive that the figures have largely stabilized in recent months and the current priority for Government is recovery and growth. As the Taoiseach made clear in a recent speech, the whole thrust of Government policy in relation to the restoration of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Minister for Finance has previously indicated that a €3 billion adjustment in spending will be required in 2011 to continue the process of stabilising the public finances. In this context, I am currently reviewing all programme areas under my Department's remit to identify any potential expenditure reductions that might contribute to the Minister for Finance's target. The outcome of...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Consumer protection law obliges traders offering a product for sale to indicate the selling price and, where appropriate, the unit price of that product and to ensure that the indication of the selling price and of the unit price is clearly visible. Complaints in relation to products being offered for sale where the price or unit price is not clearly visible should be brought to the attention...