Results 9,221-9,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Semi-State Sector Remuneration (21 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together. The details of pensions of former semi-State agency executives or employees are a day-to-day matter for the respective agencies. I have asked the Agencies to respond directly to the Deputies concerned.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Manufacturing is a key priority of enterprise policy. Employment in the sector makes up 64% of Enterprise Ireland supported jobs and over 50% of IDA supported jobs. Manufacturing employment grew by 1.1% in 2011, an increase of almost 2,200 jobs. This reverses a trend of four continuous years of job losses, when almost 45,000 jobs were lost in manufacturing. The bulk of the growth was in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The most reliable figures are the agency figures because seasonal factors come into play in respect of the QNHS. Since we entered Government, we have had a focus on the sector. It is growing, in sharp contrast to the history of the sector. There were misgivings in the area in 2006 when the manufacturing sector was having problems. There was inactivity in the Department and no action was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: In the action plan for jobs, the Government set an ambitious target of having 100,000 more people at work by 2016. Achieving this target requires a transformational change to our economy. This Government, when it came into office, was starting from a position where more than 300,000 jobs had been lost in the previous three years. Of those job losses, 150,000 were in the construction sector...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: That was hardly a question at all. The Deputy is living in a dream world. We experienced an extraordinary economic shock of incredible proportions when 16% of our employment was wiped out. We are, however, stabilising that. While the Deputy refers to a 33,000 job loss, only 3,000 of those were in the private sector. The sectors we need to grow for the future are stabilising....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Property (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The property in question, Carrisbrook House, was acquired by AnCO in 1969 on a 65 year full-repairing lease, commencing on 1 August 1969 and expiring on 31 July 2034. There is no provision for lease breaks and the rent is due for review every seven years. The Industrial Development Authority, IDA, acquired assignment of the lease in 1976. Since the relocation of the IDA to Wilton Park...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Property (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I do not think in time left I could deal with the lessons that have been learnt from the property problems we inherited. Numerous lessons have been learnt, as the Deputy knows. The Office of Public Works, OPW, which manages all public office property, has been notified of this building on repeated occasions. The OPW has signalled that there is not a demand for the type of accommodation on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: State Property (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I will follow up on the Deputy's suggestion.

Other Questions: Job Retention (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The process regarding the sale of Bank of America’s card businesses is ongoing but there have been no significant recent developments and the employment levels at the facility in Carrick-on-Shannon have been maintained. Earlier this year negotiations regarding the sale of the Ireland portfolio culminated in its sale by Bank of America to Apollo Global Management, a leading global...

Other Questions: Job Retention (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I would love to be able to give all those categorical assurances about the future of this loan book. However, as the Deputy knows Bank of America was badly affected by the financial crisis and it announced extensive restructuring throughout its organisation. At that time it announced its plan to exit entirely the international credit card business. That was a strategic decision to focus on...

Other Questions: Job Retention (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: To take Deputy Naughten's point. As recently as in the past three weeks the IDA met with the company. We are keeping alert to any possible developments. I will not speculate on what is the strategy of Bank of America. It has made significant decisions and disposals already but we are ensuring that we seek to protect this. Deputy Tóibín raised a much wider issue about regional...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 15 together. To some extent, I dealt with a good deal of this answer in the earlier reply where I outlined the establishment of a manufacturing development forum and its ongoing work to produce a strategic plan in the new year. Rather than repeat that, I suppose it is worth saying-----

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I will read-----

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: To amplify that, it is worth saying that both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland continue to develop policy interventions to support the manufacturing sector. As I stated, under the Action Plan for Jobs there are a number of measures to improve productivity, extend innovation, introduce lean systems, enhance management skills, develop collaboration in new technologies and enhance access to...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I agree with Deputy Calleary. One of the results that came out of the national tour we did with the Action Plan for Jobs was that there is insufficient knowledge out there. On foot of that we have produced a simple and easy-to-use brochure which we have online. We have been promoting it through the Company Registration Office, chambers of commerce and county enterprise boards. We are...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: As regards Deputy Tóibín's point, I will investigate what the problem is with Lean for that company in Inishowen. I am not familiar with a difficulty but if the Deputy provides me with the details I will follow it up. While electricity costs are not a matter for my Department, they obviously depend on the power and continuity required by a customer. There are problems with...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Code of Practice on Access to Part-Time Working, which was promulgated in 2006, already contains provisions relating to the provision of additional hours of work to employees. The Code was prepared by the Labour Relations Commission in line with Section 13(5) of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001. The provisions in the 2001 Act had implemented an EU Directive, which...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Emigration Levels (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The most recent official figures from the CSO are for the year ended April 2012. Emigration from Ireland in the twelve months to April 2012 is estimated to have increased to 87,100 from 80,600 in the year to April 2011, while the number of immigrants is estimated to have fallen marginally to 52,700 from 53,300 over the same period. The combined effect of natural increase and negative net...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The State has a significant body of employment rights legislation designed to protect workers. There is no distinction made under this legislation between workers on grounds as to whether or not they are classified as European Economic Area workers or migrant workers. The State provides a number of mechanisms through which these statutory employment rights can be vindicated and enforced. ...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: In October 2011, I launched a €10 million International Start-Up Fund aimed at encouraging overseas entrepreneurs to locate start-up businesses in Ireland. The Fund, which is administered by Enterprise Ireland, targets investor-ready projects seeking financial support of between €200,000 and €500,000. Funding is in the form of an equity stake taken by the State in the...