Results 9,441-9,460 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The entire focus of the Action Plan for Jobs is on protecting existing jobs and supporting the creation of new ones. This is the most effective strategy to address the risk of emigration. It is designed to achieve a transition from an economy which became dependent on activities that were unsustainable and where over 300,000 jobs had been lost in the three years prior to March 2011. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Protection (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I regret any job losses. It is an unfortunate reality that businesses can find themselves in difficulty for a wide range of reasons. If my Department becomes aware of a potential company closure in advance, or if the business at risk is a client of one of my Department’s agencies, the Department or agency will do everything within...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Business Regulation (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: Reducing costs for business is a central theme within the Action Plan for Jobs. The Action Plan includes an extensive range of measures across Government which will help to reduce costs for business generally and support job creation. My Department and Agencies have undertaken several initiatives to support this objective, including: - Reforming the statutory wage setting mechanisms; -...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Production (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 37 together. Many indicators are used to measure industrial output and the performance of the manufacturing sector generally. For a rounded view, it is necessary to look beyond a single set of statistics; rather one should seek an assessment of all relevant indicators for that sector, in particular, output, purchases, exports and employment. In...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland’s primary responsibility is to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and to grow and expand existing FDI companies in Ireland in the face of strong international competition. As Ireland is no longer a low cost labour location, IDA Ireland is now targeting companies involved in more knowledge based activities that are driven by technology and innovation,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 29 together. Microfinance Ireland (MFI) opened for business on Monday 1st October 2012. At this stage, the number of applications received as of Monday 21st January is 70, and a further 51 are in the pipeline with those applicants receiving assistance from the County Enterprise Boards. Loans of up to €25,000 are available to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Availability (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Credit Review Office (CRO) was established in March 2010 by the then Minister for Finance. The Credit Review Office mandate is to ensure that viable SMEs have access to credit from the pillar banks, by reviewing banks’ decisions to refuse or reduce credit facilities. In that context, the outcomes of the appeals that the CRO undertake are collated into a regular report for the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs is a multi-annual process which has the objective of supporting the creation of 100,000 new jobs in the economy by 2016 and making Ireland the best small country in which to do business. The 2012 Action Plan represented the start of the process and I am currently finalising the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs on behalf of the Government. The 2013 Action Plan will once...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 39 together. Supporting new and existing indigenous and foreign-owned businesses, across all regions, is central to our plans for recovery, growth and jobs. The Government is addressing job creation and retention through the twin strategies of the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. The aim of the Action Plan for Jobs is to support the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Aid (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 48 together. The process of Member States agreeing the 2014-2021 Regional Aid Guidelines is underway and initial multilateral discussions between Member States and the Commission, which has responsibility for the Regional Aid Guidelines, have taken place. The initiative is Commission led, and my Department is actively engaged in this process and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Professional Fees (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: Under the 2012 Action Plan on Jobs, with a view to increasing price transparency by encouraging all professionals (accounting, taxation, legal etc.) supplying the business sector and consumers to provide price quotations in advance, the National Consumer Agency was tasked with carrying out the following actions: - Conducting market research and liaising with business representative groups to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Credit Guarantee Scheme went live on Wednesday 24th October. At this stage, the number of approved guarantees on Tuesday 22nd January is 10, which amounts to total credit facilities of €1,117,000 being provided to companies who otherwise could not avail of bank credit. Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank are participating in the Scheme. The scheme has been designed to address...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: I am acutely conscious of the extreme problems which SMEs are experiencing with respect to credit. International surveys show demand in Ireland is largely the same as in other EU countries, but refusal rates are highest in Ireland. The data on new credit from the banks is particularly disappointing. We need a transformation in our banks from the old model based on property and commission...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The micro and small business sector is central to Ireland’s overall economic recovery and future growth. The purpose of restructuring the current model for the delivery of State supports to that sector is to rejuvenate and enhance the national model so as to ensure that the micro and small business sector is properly positioned to be a lead player in relation to job creation and to the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Development Capital Scheme (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Development Capital Scheme is aimed at addressing a funding gap for mid-sized, high-growth, indigenous companies with significant prospects for jobs and export growth. Initially, the Government allocated €50 million of exchequer funding with the intention of leveraging a further €100 million of private sector investment. In April last year, I launched an 'expression of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The EU is of huge significance in terms of global trade and investment. It is the largest exporter and source and recipient of foreign direct investment. Consequently, under Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, we attach great importance to promoting the EU’s external trade agenda. The overarching theme of the Irish Presidency will be the contribution of trade to growth, jobs and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: My Department and its agencies are working together to address the unemployment problem that is currently experienced in counties Cavan and Monaghan by implementing the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs which aims to create 100,000 net new jobs over the period 2012 to 2016. IDA Ireland has statutory responsibility to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Ireland. At the end of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs contained over 270 individual actions to be delivered in 2012, spanning all Government Departments and 36 State Agencies. The 270 actions are broken down further into approximately 480 Quarterly milestones or “measures” which are reported on at the end of each Quarter. These Quarterly Progress Reports are published on my Department’s website, ....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: Attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Ireland has been one of the key pillars of Ireland’s industrial policy over the last 40 years. Ireland’s competitive advantage in this regard has been gained by the pursuit and implementation of a range of inter linked measures which include: The creation of the European Single Market which ensures that foreign owned companies...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (24 Jan 2013)

Richard Bruton: My Department works across Government to ensure that we create the right business environment for all enterprises to trade and create jobs. In general, the business operating environment in Ireland is the same for indigenous enterprises as it is for multinationals. Through the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, we are focusing on policies that will support start-ups and help indigenous...