Results 8,641-8,660 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together. My Department and its Agencies have already achieved a reduction of almost 24.5% in the administrative burden imposed on business; this amounts to annual savings for business of over €204 million. I anticipate that further measures will be identified that will see the Department meeting its 25% target by the end of the year. Details of...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Workers at the Lagan Brick factory in Kingscourt, Co Cavan have been involved in a protest outside the company's premises in a dispute over the decision by the company to close its operation on 15 December last with the loss of 29 jobs. The union wanted to retain maximum employment at the plant and secure satisfactory redundancy terms for any workers that would lose their jobs. Subsequently,...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: My officials advise me that an Employment Permit application was received in respect of the person named on 25 May 2012. This application will be dealt with in order of date of receipt. The employment permits section is currently processing work permit applications received on 22nd May 2012 and it is envisaged that this application will be processed within the next few weeks.

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) hears claims under 18 separate pieces of legislation, some of which are lodged as direct claims to the Tribunal and others which come to the Tribunal by way of appeal or implementation of a Rights Commissioner's recommendation/decision. I am informed that if a Rights Commissioner decision is referred to the Tribunal for implementation, the Tribunal will...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: A preliminary assessment of the implications of ratifying the International Labour Organisation's Convention 189 on Domestic Workers is currently being finalised by my Department. This assessment includes an Article-by-Article examination of the extent to which domestic legislative provisions already provide for the rights and entitlements enunciated in each Article, as well as the extent to...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senators for very interesting contributions. I agree entirely with Senator Barrett that we need to achieve much more competition in the Irish economy. We have had a real problem with competition in the economy for a number of years but the problem has not been the lack of power in the hands of the Competition Authority to analyse nor the lack of power to publish outcomes of cases....

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I forgot to respond to Senator Kelly who, in fairness, raised issues which are unrelated to competition law. Revenue is, if one likes, the supreme monopoly. It will be a relief to people that we do not have two Revenue commissions in the State. The Senator raised a dilemma. If the Revenue Commissioners fail to intervene and allow a person to run up debts to the Revenue and others, their...

Seanad: Lagan Brick Dispute: Statements (14 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senators for raising this issue. I met the Lagan Brick workers when I was there last month. The workers have been involved in a protest outside the company's premises in a dispute over the decision by the company to close its operation on 15 December last, with the loss of 29 jobs. The union wanted to retain maximum employment in the plant and secure satisfactory redundancy...

Written Answers — Trade Union Recognition: Trade Union Recognition (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: In 2010, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (and IMPACT acting on behalf of their airline pilot members in Ryanair) submitted a complaint to the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organisation that Ireland was not in conformity with the provisions of ILO Convention No. 98 - Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949. The complaint involved...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Company Law Review Group (CLRG) 2009 Report examined the issue of extending audit exemption to companies limited by guarantee (CLG). It made the following recommendations: (i) Subject in each case to consultation with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the charities regulator, the audit exemption regime contained in Part III of the 1999 (No. 2) Act be extended to...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Department has recently developed two new websites – www.enterprise.gov.ie. and www.businessregulation.ie. The former, www.enterprise.gov.ie, will replace the Department's existing website which has remained substantially unchanged for over ten years. Infrastructure, including a content management system, is shared between the two websites. The latter, www.businessregulation.ie, brings...

Written Answers — Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland is an autonomous agency whose statutory obligation is the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. One of the targets in IDA Ireland's strategy document 'Horizon 2020' is the creation of 63,000 new jobs in Ireland in IDA supported companies and a further 42,000 jobs in the wider economy over the period 2010-2014, with 50% of these investments to be...

Written Answers — Employment Investment Incentive: Employment Investment Incentive (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Finance Act 2011 introduced the Employment Investment Incentive (EII) in replacement of the old Business Expansion (BES) Scheme. The new Scheme has significantly increased the amount of investment a company can receive under the Scheme and also increased the number of SMEs who can receive investment under the Scheme. Under the old BES Scheme, only companies in the manufacturing,...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together. Details of the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to each county in each of the years 2006 to the end of May 2012 are set out in the following tabular statement. I am informed by IDA Ireland that the Agency does not maintain records in such a way that would enable it to provide an instant cross reference of...

Written Answers — Meat Slaughtering Plants: Meat Slaughtering Plants (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The extensive amount of information requested by the Deputy will take some time to compile, beyond the timeframe allowed for this question. I will therefore respond to the Deputy with the relevant information as soon as possible.

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: In the context of the Government's Programme of Public Sector Reform including rationalisation of the number of State Agencies and Bodies, there are a number of Bodies under the aegis of my Department that are scheduled to be reviewed under that Programme. Details of the current status of the Bodies under review, including the staff and financial savings anticipated, are set out in the...

Written Answers — Local Enterprise Offices: Local Enterprise Offices (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Government has approved the restructuring of the enterprise supports for the micro and small business sectors with a view to creating an enhanced national enterprise support model. This restructuring will include: - The creation of a small and micro business Division within Enterprise Ireland with a new and enhanced focus on the wider small business sector, and - The establishment of...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland are autonomous agencies with statutory obligations to, in the case of IDA Ireland, attract foreign direct investment to this country and its regions and, in the case of Enterprise Ireland, to develop indigenous industry and to secure opportunities for those industries in international markets and thereby increase employment in this country. There are...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The onus in company law is for the Directors of companies to prepare the accounts of companies on an annual basis. There is a requirement for these accounts to give a "true and fair view" of the financial position and performance of the company. Accounting rules such as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adopted by the EU are required to be used in the preparation of the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (19 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: My officials advise me that this Work Permit application was refused on the 15th December 2011 on the grounds that it is current Government policy to issue new employment permits only in respect of: · highly skilled, highly paid positions or; · non-EEA nationals who are already legally resident in the State on valid employment permits or; · positions requiring specialist or scarce...