Results 8,841-8,860 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Innovation Fund: Innovation Fund (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I announced the first call for expressions of interest in Innovation Fund Ireland on 23 September 2010. Enterprise Ireland and the National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) will manage the Fund and investors had until 26th November 2010 to signal their interest in establishing a presence here. Now that this deadline has passed, Enterprise Ireland and the NPRF are in the process of evaluating the...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have ongoing contact with the main banks in relation to their lending to businesses and will, together with my colleague the Minister for Finance, and John Trethowan of the Credit Review Office, continue to ensure that they meet their lending commitments under the 2010 Recapitalisation package in terms of providing sufficient credit to the business sector. In this regard, John Trethowan...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 guarantee scheme to assist the working capital requirements of SMEs. The Working Group has received updated analysis from Forfás and Enterprise Ireland to allow greatest...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: The role of Government is to create the economic conditions in which enterprise can grow and jobs can be created. The National Recovery Plan sets out how the Government intends to do this over the next four years, including actions which the Government will take to reduce costs for business across the economy. In this regard, I would refer the Deputy to the answer I provided to his...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: There have been significant developments in relation to the proposed Directive since my last reply to the House on this question on 2 December 2010. In that reply, I stated that intensive discussions were proceeding under the Belgian Presidency in advance of the Competitiveness Council on 10 December with a view to achieving a final resolution of the outstanding issues. In the light of those...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 117 together. In keeping with the commitment contained in the Renewed Programme for Government , the Government, in March 2010, reviewed the progress achieved by a number of Government Departments in relation to a list of 21 Competition Authority recommendations which had been prioritised based on their impact on competitiveness. A Government Statement...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 101 together. The critical role of entrepreneurship and enterprise development is fully recognised by Government. The complementary remit and activities of Enterprise Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards ensure that as broad a suite as possible of State supports are available for entrepreneurial and enterprise development. Enterprise Ireland...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Arising from a process of random sampling of audit reports filed in 2010, the Companies Registration Office (CRO) identified a number of audit reports which appeared to have been signed by persons who were not at the time notified to the CRO by a recognised body of accountants as holding an audit practising certificate from such a body. Neither were the persons signing the reports among those...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 114 together. In April 2009 my Department initiated a public consultation on the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts. Arising from this consultation my Department has prepared a general scheme of a Bill which will be submitted to Government shortly for approval. This Bill is aimed at addressing a number of practical difficulties currently being...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: "Towards 2016" contains a Government commitment to introduce amending legislation to exclude voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians when engaging in collective bargaining, from the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. The commitment takes into account, inter alia, that there would be negligible negative impacts on the economy or on the level of ...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The role of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place to support and grow our enterprise base in order to facilitate job creation. The State Development agencies under the aegis of my Department – Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, are continuing to drive and promote enterprise development, and consequently employment creation in our economy. Budget 2011 saw €508...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Within my area of responsibility my priority is to ensure that the business environment in Ireland continues to be supportive of enterprise and export growth, and encourages growth in all areas of the economy including entrepreneurs in both the start-up and development phases. The State directly assists both start-ups and developing small and medium enterprises via the supports offered by the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: One of the high level goals in the IDA's strategy document "Horizon 2020 " is a commitment that, by 2014, 50% of all FDI investments will be located outside of Dublin and Cork. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Ireland increased significantly in 2010, despite global economic uncertainty. IDA has continued to increase the number of companies investing in Ireland for the first time while...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: As regards credit institutions and insurance companies, which come within the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Finance, the Central Bank issued last November the corporate governance code for credit institutions and insurance firms which sets out minimum statutory requirements on how banks and insurance companies should organise the governance of their institutions. The Code applies to...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As one of the commitments in the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014, (Section 2.2.5, Page 34 and Section 2.5.2, Page 42) published on 24 November 2010, the Government has decided to extend the 15 day prompt payment rule beyond Government Departments to the wider public sector, in order to further assist the cash-flow of SMEs. In addition, under Section 2 (IV), page 13 of the EU/IMF Programme of...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Forfás, working with officials from my Department, is at present developing an evaluation framework which will facilitate a review of the effectiveness of State agency support for enterprise. The framework is designed to robustly measure the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of programme objectives and delivery. I expect that the development of the evaluation framework will be...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (19 Jan 2011)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have met with Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland throughout 2010 to discuss the availability of bank credit for businesses, especially SMEs. I last met with AIB on 9 November 2010. My officials met with Bank of Ireland on 17 December 2010. At these meetings, the banks were reminded of the purpose of the recapitalisation package and of the huge investment of taxpayers' money into the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Last year in response to the developments in Quinn Insurance and its impact on the employees' jobs, I established an inter-agency team comprising Enterprise Ireland, FÁS, IDA Ireland, the relevant County Enterprise Boards and the Department of Social Protection. The group meets regularly under the chairmanship of Dan Flinter and while I have not attended the meetings of the group, the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: There are nine EU Directives due to be transposed by my Department. One of these Directives is currently overdue. Directive 2009/125/EC establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products was due to be transposed on 20 November 2010. However, work on the implementation of this Directive is at an advanced stage and it is anticipated that the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Recovery Plan sets out the strategy to underpin Ireland's economic recovery by restoring stability to the public finances, improving Ireland's cost competitiveness, stimulating enterprise growth and job creation. As part of the Plan, the Government has prioritised capital investment for the Enterprise Agencies over the next four years with the provision of €2.2 billion. In...