Results 8,681-8,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Order for Second Stage (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome this opportunity to present the Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012 to the House. The Bill is one of the key targeted initiatives in the Government's action plan for jobs 2012 to address access to credit and support lending to microenterprises, which are the most vulnerable cohort of our SME sector. I believe it will prove to be a...

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Finian McGrath spoke a moment ago.

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: My colleague the Minister for Finance, Mr. Michael Noonan TD has responsibility for the banks and bank lending, and I understand that he addressed this issue in his written response to question 31087/12, also tabled by the Deputy. Access to credit is key to building a vibrant and sustainable enterprise base. I am currently bringing two pieces of legislation through the Oireachtas to deal...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: A key part of our Action Plan for Jobs is to ensure that we have more businesses establishing, succeeding, expanding, and creating employment. To achieve this, we are implementing a series of targeted initiatives to make it easier for small businesses to access credit. The Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill was published on Friday 22nd June following Government decision last Tuesday (19th )....

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio, including the purchase and sale of land is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency, as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas, and it is not a matter in which the Minister of the day has an involvement. I have been informed by IDA that the Agency has not acquired any lands compulsorily since...

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (27 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The table below provides a breakdown of money spent on ministerial transport for each of the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. 2009 2010 2011 leage 88,262.37 56,182.58 56,553.54 Flights 19,663.29 28,089.19 10,681.25 Car Hire 11,559.80 5,818.96 468.65 The mileage figure indicates the total amount paid directly to Ministers of State of the Department during the period 1 January 2009 to 31...

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: That is a very generous allocation. First, I thank the many Deputies who contributed to the debate, all 33 speakers. That is one in five of all Members, if one deducts the Ceann Comhairle, and shows a good level of interest in the debate. I am not surprised. Everywhere I go - the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, reports the same - the issue that comes up repeatedly is access to finance....

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: They have done extremely well. The truth is that this measure is different. We have to examine how to legally protect the State's interest and the structures that will be put in place. This involves the State taking on the risk. As Deputy Eoghan Murphy said, the State does not normally get into this sort of risk business and that is true. We need to get partners who are experienced in...

Microfinance Loan Fund Bill 2012: Referral to Select Committee: Referral to Select Committee (28 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation pursuant to Standing Order pursuant to Standing Orders 82A(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 126(1) of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department introduced an Attendance Management Policy in March 2011. The policy is based on Department of Finance Circular 09/2010 on the Management of Sick Leave. It sets out clear procedures for reporting, recording and management of sick leave and is intended to help managers adopt best practice approaches to attendance management. It seeks to encourage excellent attendance while...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (28 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: nister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Mr. Bruton) I can advise the Deputy that the following documents are available on my Department's website at: www.djei.ie : · Details of the Public Service Implementation Plan to 2014 for my Department, its Offices and Agencies, and · Progress Report and associated Savings Report for the period April 2011 to March 2012. I would like to draw...

Media Mergers (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Penrose for raising this issue. I assure him there is no intent on my part to delay this in any way. In fact, as he rightly said, I went to Government in July last year to bring forward proposals. That legislation contains not just the media merger proposals but also contains two important programme for Government commitments, the merger of the Competition Authority and the...

Media Mergers (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: I support the recommendations set out by the advisory group. In the interim, between now and the enactment of new legislation, there are already strong protective provisions in place. I do have the power to block or impose conditions on a media merger on the grounds of it conspiring against diversity, plurality, mixed ownership and so on. I also have the power to consult a broad range of...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: The total expenditure by my Department and its Offices in relation to the provision of services through the Irish language in each of the past five years is as follows: 2008, €63,872; 2009, €85,350; 2010, €42,461; 2011, €48,424; and 2012, €12,989 (to date). The recorded expenditure in 2009 was higher than in other years, due in part to the translation into the Irish language of...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: Current Government policy is to issue new employment permits in respect of jobs requiring key skills, where there is a recognised scarcity of suitably skilled workers. A significant range of job categories within the technology and related sectors are eligible across the employment permit schemes. The issue of any employment permit is predicated on a job offer from a prospective Irish...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland publishes all job announcements on its website as they are announced. A full list of job announcements since the beginning of this year is available at www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/News/PressReleases.

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: Details of all IDA Job and Investment announcements for 2012 and previous years are available on the IDA Ireland website (www.idaireland.com).

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (3 Jul 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...

Written Answers — Legal Cases: Legal Cases (3 Jul 2012)

Richard Bruton: I can advise the Deputy that the information requested in terms of the number of legal cases pending against my Department is set out in the table below. Year of Commencement No. of Cases 1996 1 2009 3 2011 4 2012 5 I would point out in addition that the State Claims Agency which, pursuant to Section 9 of the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act, provides a claims...