Results 8,581-8,600 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2005, IDA Ireland identified a site of approximately 54 hectares of land in Carrigtwohill East as suitable for development and acquired it. Amgen subsequently entered into contracts to purchase the entire holding from IDA and, in 2006, applied for Planning Permission for a Bulk Manufacturing facility and associated works. Site ground works commenced in late 2006. The terms of the...

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since the introduction at the end of 2008 of the moratorium on the filling of public service vacancies, its impact on the staffing of my Department and all of its offices and agencies has been closely monitored in order to minimise its impact on the delivery of public services. As for other offices and agencies, this has included frequent discussion between my Department and IDA and between...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Regulation of the insurance industry is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance, and is an area in which I have no direct role. I am aware of an arrangement whereby insurance companies actively recommend certain approved repairers to their policyholders with the approved repairers selected on the basis that they meet various qualitative standards and, in return, are guaranteed a...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with Section 70(1) of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001, the Company Law Review Group's (CLRG) Work Programme is assigned by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation every two years. I have received the Review Group's Report at the conclusion of its 2008-2009 Work Programme and I am considering its recommendations in the context of the drafting by the Office of the...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Access to bank credit for businesses, particularly SMEs, has been central to Government Initiatives in addressing the crisis in the banking sector. Both the 2009 and 2010 Bank Recapitalisation arrangements provided specific commitments from the recapitalised banks to assist SMEs. Under the 2010 Bank Recapitalisation arrangement, AIB and Bank of Ireland have both committed to making available...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Enterprise Ireland has been in regular contact with Cadbury Ireland since Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury plc in February this year. Following a very positive meeting in May this year when I met senior Kraft Foods executives, Enterprise Ireland has been in ongoing discussions with Cadbury Ireland in relation to the planned investment programme, the redundancy programme and the Kraft/Cadbury...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the four year period 2006 to 2009 inclusive, there have been a total number of 494 foreign direct investment projects won by IDA Ireland. The attached tabular statement shows the number of projects won in each of those years. One of the high level targets set out in IDA's strategy "Horizon 2020"is that 640 investments will be won in the period 2010 to 2014. Ireland continues to attract...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is evident from international research that providing suitable property solutions for sale or rent to newly-establishing industrial projects is often a key element in the attraction and facilitation of such projects. In Ireland it has since the late 1950s been an integral part of industrial policy that the State, through the industrial development agencies, will have available land that...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 117 together. In keeping with the commitment contained in the Renewed Programme for Government , the Government earlier this year reviewed the progress achieved by a number of Government Departments in relation to a list of Competition Authority recommendations which had been prioritised based on their impact on competitiveness. A Government Statement...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The enterprise development agencies under my Department's remit have, as a matter of course, collaborated extensively on an on-going basis through a range of formal and informal mechanisms. However, in 2009, my Department established a High Level Group comprising representatives of each agency to identify areas for further collaboration. In addition to involving my own Department's...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently a total of 13 EU Directives due to be transposed by my Department. One of these Directives is currently overdue: Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market. This Directive will be signed into law by me very shortly. My Department has received 27 Reasoned Opinions from the European Commission relating to Directives since 2002. These issues have all been...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Since I became Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, in March last I have undertaken one marketing trip organised by IDA for the purposes of attracting foreign direct Investment (FDI) to this country, to the US in April 2010, and I am due to undertake another such visit to the US in the last week of October. During these visits, I meet and have discussions with Chairmen, CEOs and...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The network of County and City Enterprise Boards, which come under the auspices of my Department, are the primary initial contact point for business start-ups in Ireland. The CEBs can assist micro-enterprises i.e. businesses with 10 employees or fewer and are to the forefront in supporting viable business start-ups and in assisting the development of growth-orientated micro-enterprises which...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: On Thursday last, 7th October, I undertook an Enterprise Ireland Trade promotion visit to London. The programme included meetings with relevant officials of the London Olympics Development Authority and with Irish companies involved in pursuing contracts on that major project. For a number of these companies, the Olympics has acted as a key driver of internationalisation activity and...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In response to requests from County Enterprise Boards for additional funding to support job creation, I have had discussions with my colleague the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in the context of maximising State support to enterprise through considering all streams of available funding, including funding available under Leader and funding for the CEBs. The capital...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Statistical information as sought by the Deputy is not collected through my Department. Responsibility for statistical information rests with the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Information is collected by the CSO under a new format under the EU Business Demography Regulation which only came into force in late 2007 and is subsequently published under the CSO Business Demography returns. I...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the various reports of potential job losses within the banking sector. The financial crises within the banking sector has had and will continue to have, implications for employment levels within individual banks. It is a commercial matter for the banks concerned to determine their staffing requirements having regard to changes in banking practices and re-structuring...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Access to bank credit for businesses, particularly SMEs, has been central to Government Initiatives in addressing the crisis in the banking sector. Both the 2009 and 2010 Bank Recapitalisation arrangements provided specific commitments from the recapitalised banks to assist SMEs. Under the 2010 Bank Recapitalisation arrangement, AIB and Bank of Ireland have both committed to making available...

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The consultation paper referred to in the deputy's question relates specifically to financial institutions and insurance undertakings, responsibility for which rests with my colleague the Minister for Finance. I understand this initiative is part of a wider strategy to update the domestic regulatory framework applying to credit institutions and insurance undertakings and that the Regulator...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: A key objective for Enterprise Ireland is to assist its client companies to drive sustained efficiency and achieve continued improvements in their cost structure, as well as capacity development through investment in capital equipment. EI may financially support the purchase of both new and second hand equipment through some R&D programmes and more specifically through the Job Expansion...