Results 8,921-8,940 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County and City Enterprise Boards Abolition (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 587 together. The Government has approved the restructuring of the enterprise support model for the micro and small business sectors. This restructuring will include: the dissolution of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) and the transfer of their functions, assets and liabilities to Enterprise Ireland (EI); the development of a new Small...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Media Mergers (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: In July 2011 the Government approved the draft heads of the Consumer and Competition Bill which, inter alia, gives effect to the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers in full with two amendments: one sees the change in relevant Minister for public interest considerations from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to the Minster for Communications, Energy and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Issues (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland’s goal is to attract new foreign direct investment to Ireland and to encourage existing client companies to engage in transformation activities in order to sustain employment. Details of jobs created in IDA Ireland client companies by county and by region from 2008 to 2011 are set out in the attached tabular statement. At end 2011, there were 130,499 people employed in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 and 575 together. The Government published the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 in February this year. The Plan contains 270 actions to be implemented in 2012 across all Government Departments as well as 36 State agencies to improve the operating environment for business and remove barriers to employment creation. The 270 individual actions are further...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Advisory Group on Small Business Recommendations (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Minister for Small Business, John Perry, chairs the Advisory Group on Small Business. This group published the Voice of Small Business Report in 2011, which was submitted to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Employment as the recommended small business actions for consideration in the Action Plan for Jobs. The Voice of Small Business contains fifty-seven actions across twelve broad...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Issues (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: As I have pointed out on many occasions, the Government does not create jobs – entrepreneurs and successful businesses do. However, the Government has a key role to play in providing the environment where businesses can start-up, expand and create jobs. Within the first 100 days of coming into office, the Government introduced a Jobs Initiative which was aimed at rebuilding...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Business Regulation (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: A key objective of the Government is to create a supportive enterprise environment so businesses can start up, grow and generate employment. To do this, we need to keep costs for business as low as possible, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and provide supports to enterprises where appropriate. Some operating costs for business are largely outside the control of Government. For...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Availability (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: Improving access to credit is a priority on the business agenda and is an issue which the Government is addressing in a comprehensive and co-ordinated manner. To address the issue my Department is currently in the process of introducing two targeted schemes to support an additional flow of credit into the economy namely the Microenterprise Loan Fund and the Temporary Partial Loan Guarantee...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Joint Labour Committees Agreements (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2012 was enacted on 24 July 2012 and commenced on 1 August 2012. The main purpose of the Act is to implement the commitment in the Programme for Government to reform the Joint Labour Committee system. The Act provides for a radical overhaul of the system so as to make it fairer and more responsive to changing economic circumstances and labour market...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations Issues (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: It has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments to promote collective bargaining through the laws of this country and through the development of an institutional framework supportive of a voluntary system of industrial relations that is premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association. There is also an extensive range of statutory provisions designed to back up...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The current Programme for Government contained a commitment to reverse the €1 per hour reduction in the National Minimum Wage introduced by the previous Government on 1 February 2011. Agreement was reached with the Troika on the reversal. The increase was provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 and effected by the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 (Section 11) (No. 2)...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Business Regulation (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department and its Offices and Agencies continue to focus on reducing administrative burdens on business, with a reduction of 24.5% already having been achieved; this amounts to potential annual savings for business of over €206 million. Details of all the initiatives making up this total are available on my Department’s website www.djei.ie Successful initiatives resulting...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Labour Market Flexibility (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 584 and 585 together. Employment policies that promote labour market flexibility together with tax and benefit systems that reward work and provide a pathway to employment, education and training opportunities for those who have lost their jobs are a necessary prerequisite for progress. The measures in the Government’s Action Plan on Jobs together...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: Competitiveness is determined by a variety of factors, including the cost of doing business, productivity levels, the availability of skilled labour, good infrastructure, the quality and intensity of innovation and research, and regulation that supports enterprise growth. Ireland has regained some of the competitiveness it had lost and this is reflected in the fact that Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Grocery Industry Competition (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to enact legislation to regulate certain practices in the grocery goods sector. I intend to give effect to this commitment by including an enabling provision in the legislation currently being prepared by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority, which will allow...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The total amount spent on providing entertainment by my Department since taking up office in March 2011 is €18,749.98. There have been no payments in respect of ministerial allowance by my Department in the period. Expenditure on official entertainment in my Department is normally confined to business lunches and dinners, for example where it is appropriate and necessary to host...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The total amount spent on food and drink by my Department since 9 March 2011 is €23,037.65. Details are provided in the table. Occasion Attendees Cost Lunch in Houses of Oireachtas Official lunch for Small Business Advisory Group hosted by Minister Perry Minister Perry & 9 others €215.30 Dinner in Deane's Deli, Belfast Working dinner to discuss Employment Rights &...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department did not spend any money on hair and make-up since my coming to Office in March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Adviser Appointments (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: The following table outlines the names and salary details of the two Special Advisors appointed by me as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation. There are no further Ministerial advisers appointed in my Department. Position Name Annual Salary Special Adviser Mr. Ciaran Conlon €127,000 Press Adviser Mr. Conor Quinn €83,337 In line with the Guidelines for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consultancy Contracts (18 Sep 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 596 together. Tables 1, 2 and 3 provide details of the costs associated with the external public relations and consultancy persons and organisations used by my Department, and the names of the individuals / firms involved, in the period specified by the Deputy. Just one of the companies listed, Barberry Limited, relates to PR and communications...