Results 8,561-8,580 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Specific objectives for growth are set out in the Government's five year integrated Trade, Tourism and Investment plan which is designed to increase the value of indigenous exports by 33%; to diversify the destination of indigenous exports; to increase overseas visitors to 8 million; to secure an additional 780 inward investment projects through IDA Ireland and create up to 300,000...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As regards credit institutions and insurance companies, which come within the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Finance, I understand that the Financial Regulator hopes to finalise deliberations on a new corporate governance regime for entities in these sectors over the coming weeks. I also understand that issues relating to cross-directorships and the dual role of Chair and Chief...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (13 Oct 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 is aggregated at county level. Data for 2010 will be available in early 2011.Details of the number of new jobs created and lost in IDA supported companies in each of the years 2008 and 2009 are set out in...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Competitiveness Council and Forfás have raised concerns about prices in the domestic non-traded sectors of the Irish economy, particularly in the legal sector. Recently, I met with representatives of the Bar Council and the Law Society to discuss these concerns with them. All parties agreed that further cooperation is necessary to provide more robust statistical data on price...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As both the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority were established under statute, it is necessary to give effect to the merger of the bodies by way of primary legislation. As both bodies will be required to continue to carry out their respective important statutory functions until they are formally merged, I do not envisage any significant organisational change to either...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As I previously outlined in my replies to Question Number 1742 on 29 September 2010, Question Numbers 296 and 298 on 30 September 2010, and Question Number 312 on 6 October 2010, my officials are working with their colleagues in the Department of Finance, the Credit Review Office, Enterprise Ireland and Forfás to address access to credit issues for viable SMEs including, the option of a loan...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Public Procurement policy is primarily a matter for the Department of Finance, for the National Public Procurement Policy Unit (NPPPU) within that Department and for the National Procurement Service (NPS) within the Office of Public Works (OPW) which comes under the aegis of the Department of Finance. Any plans or proposals to refine Public Procurement policy is, therefore, a matter for the...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 126 together. I am very conscious of the implications of the job losses at GlaxoSmithKline and Schering-Plough (Brinny), Co Cork. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) currently employs over 1,500 people in Ireland, at its various sites in Cork, Dublin, Dungarvan and Sligo. The current job losses are a result of market conditions resulting in a fall in demand for the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Forfás recently published a report "Making it Happen – Growing Enterprise for Ireland" which sets out a series of recommendations that can help to improve the competitiveness of the economy and facilitate enterprise growth and job creation. The report includes 40 high level recommendations, supplemented by a number of sector-specific recommendations aimed at addressing barriers to growth...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government's five-year integrated plan for trade, tourism and investment aim to create 300,000 jobs. The new plan, "Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy", is the first integrated strategy to promote overseas trade, tourism and investment. With this new strategy, the Government aims to position Ireland for strong export-led growth to 2015, resulting in high levels of job creation....

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have noted the findings of this report. As regards listed companies (those on the main market of the Irish Stock Exchange), these have, for many years, been subject to the Combined Code on Corporate Governance, the provisions of which applied on a "comply or explain" basis. The Combined Code has recently been reviewed in the UK and revised in light of the financial crisis. The revised...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Drafting of the legislation to give effect to the Services Directive (Directive 2006/123/EC) has been completed. A Memorandum for the Government is being prepared with a view to submitting the draft Regulations to the Government for approval. If approved by the Government, the Regulations will be signed into law by me with immediate effect.

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: International benchmarking statistics reveal that Ireland imposes a relatively low burden of regulation on business. The Forfás Annual Competitiveness Report 2010 states that Ireland's regulatory environment is one of the least restrictive in the OECD in relation to product market regulation, the time taken to comply with tax payments is one of the lowest in the OECD across all categories...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The work to reduce red tape in Ireland is being progressed on two fronts. The High Level Group on Business Regulation works to fast-track simplifications to specific red tape issues identified by business; and an Inter-Departmental Group of officials from all Departments, having regulation affecting business, coordinates the measurement and reduction of administrative burdens in a systematic...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Section 45 of the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003 dealing with directors' compliance statements was not commenced in the light of concerns expressed about the associated administrative burdens. In 2005, the then Minister for Trade and Commerce asked the Company Law Review Group to consider the matter. The Review Group recommended a revised text which was published as part of...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The strategy pursued by my Department is an integral part of the whole-of-government framework for economic recovery and growth adopted in 2008. We are focused on employment creation through support for Irish firms – large and small – and winning foreign direct investment, to sustain and expand job opportunities and boost our economic output. And they are achieving results. Last...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposal for a Consumer Rights Directive was published in October 2008 and has been drafted on a full harmonisation basis which, if retained, would preclude member states from going beyond its protections in national legislation. Though some provisions of the proposed Directive would strengthen consumer rights in Ireland, others would potentially have a less positive effect. Concerns...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (13 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Foreign Trade Council: Foreign Trade Council (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104, 106 and 122 together. Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy, a Strategy and Action Plan for Irish Trade, Tourism and Investment to 2015, is an integrated strategy that is global in scope and covers both existing and new high growth potential markets. It has set a number of ambitious targets to be achieved by 2015 i.e. to create 150,000 new jobs...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the 5th November, 2009, Tytex, a Danish owned company, announced its decision to workers to close its operation in Youghal, Co Cork with the loss of 75 jobs. Following the announcement, FÁS contacted the company and has since been heavily engaged in providing its full range of services to the workers being made redundant. This has included 11 days on-site by FÁS and one-to-one...