Results 8,821-8,840 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Departmental Strategy Statements (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: The last time I answered questions in the House, Deputy Bruton made a misleading statement of what had been achieved. I felt an onus to correct the record.

Departmental Strategy Statements (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----was the extraordinary demand in relation to legislation and a number of demands in terms of services.

Departmental Strategy Statements (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government has taken a decision that it would not be prudent to publish a strategy statement at present because of the announcement at the end of last year regarding the calling of an election. What is available, and what we are working on, is the renewed programme for Government, the smart economy framework, the strategy for science and technology innovation-----

Departmental Strategy Statements (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----the ongoing work of the National Competitiveness Council, the innovation task force and Towards 2016.

Departmental Strategy Statements (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since I came to office we have taken €53 million out of the cost of bureaucracy in business and we are continuing to drive down cost in business. We have become much more competitive as a result of what we are doing.

Insurance Industry (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 64 together. I assure Deputies of my ongoing concern about the situation at Quinn Insurance Limited, particularly regarding the long-term impact on the workforce and their families, as well as the local communities. However, I must emphasise that responsibility for the sales process is a matter for the joint administrators who were appointed by the...

Insurance Industry (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the reopening of the business, the administrators were concerned that they would ensure the value of the business was maintained in order that it can be attractive for potential purchasers. The key factor has been that they reopened the profitable parts of the UK business. The Financial Regulator allowed Quinn Insurance to reopen its private motor insurance business by the end of April....

Insurance Industry (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I met the group several times. I met representatives of the wider Quinn Group in July and November last year. At the first meeting, the delegation outlined to me the details of a proposal that would involve the participation of Anglo Irish Bank and Quinn Group. The Quinn Group hoped it might be a viable alternative to the sale of the business by the administrators. In responding to the...

Insurance Industry (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I appreciate from where the Deputy is coming. The Government has been very supportive of the Quinn Group. I met representatives of the group a number of times as did the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach. There is a limit to what we can do. The regulator is absolutely independent and must be satisfied with regard to the corporate governance relating to all of the participants. I am...

Insurance Industry (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: Deputy Rory O'Hanlon will confirm that we met with the Minister for Finance and that Mr. Elderfield was present at the meeting. It is not for me to reveal in public the sentiments expressed by Mr. Elderfield at that meeting. The Deputy must recognise that the regulator has an independent role, and he demands that independence. He gave an opinion on that occasion with regard to the Quinn...

Insurance Industry (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: Yes, I did meet with Anglo Irish Bank people and I am aware that there was interaction between the Department of Finance and Anglo Irish Bank on this matter. There was also interaction between my Department and the Department of Finance with regard to the proposed investment. The Government, the Minister and the Taoiseach can intervene with the joint administrators with regard to the...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: The role of the County and City Enterprise Boards is to support the micro-enterprise sector in the start-up and expansion phases, to develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs provide both financial and non-financial assistance to eligible micro-enterprises in pursuit of this role and they are the primary initial contact point for...

Written Answers — INTERREG Funding: INTERREG Funding (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Interreg Programme is the Cross-Border Territorial Co-operation Programme for Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland. The programme is 75% funded by the EU, through the European Regional Development Fund, and the remaining 25% is provided by the participating Member States, and has potential funding availability of €256 million. Last May, following the Quinn...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's capital allocation for enterprise development is set out in the National Recovery Plan. The Plan underpins the work of the job creation and research agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards, by providing funding that will allow them to meet their ambitious targets. My Department's allocation under the Plan is...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 81 and 108 together. 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...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: Figures in relation to jobs created by the enterprise development agency are compiled annually in the Forfás Annual Employment Survey. The most up to date figures available are for 2009. Set out in Tables 1 and 2 accompanying this reply are the figures in respect of jobs created in firms supported by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, together with those assisted by the County Enterprise...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Jan 2011)

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 — EU Directives: EU Directives (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: As I stated in my reply to Deputy Kathleen Lynch on 2nd December 2010 (Ref. No. 45550/10), the European Union (Provision of Services) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 533 of 2010) were signed into law by me on 10th November 2010. The Regulations give effect in Ireland to the Services Directive, with the exception of Article 42 of the Directive, which was transposed by the European Communities...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department of the Taoiseach has primary responsibility for the development and implementation of Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) measures across Government Departments. The Department of the Taoiseach has published the Revised Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Guidelines on its website: http://www.betterregulation.ie/eng/Publications/Revised_RIA_ Guidelines.pdf. The RIA Guidelines...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, I acknowledge the important contribution that locally available goods and services make to employment and to Ireland's economy. Many of the policies set out in the National Recovery Plan aimed at restoring national competitiveness will impact positively on businesses operating in the non-export sector of the economy. These businesses will...