Results 9,981-10,000 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: Following an initiative which I undertook last year, in the context of the Action Plan for Jobs, where I asked Forfás to undertake a detailed strategy for the Manufacturing Strategy in Ireland up to 2020, I was delighted to have had the opportunity last month to launch that finalised strategy, which sets out a range of steps necessary to consolidate and develop that sector. This...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Directives (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: My Department is proactive in ensuring that good performance on the transposition of Directives is consistently maintained. Within my Department transposition is monitored through a customised intranet database which is used as a central management and information tool to track the implementation of Directives on an ongoing basis. This complements the central tracking and monitoring of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights Issues (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 55 together. Genuine au pairs live as part of the host family. They receive free food and lodging and are normally expected to perform light household duties – normally childcare - for a limited number of hours per week, while having appropriate opportunities to learn about the language and culture of the host country. They should receive an...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations Issues (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: The enforcement of Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) determinations and Labour Court rulings under employment legislation are a matter for the courts. In cases other than those covered by the Payment of Wages Act, the Enforcement Services Unit of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) has some capacity to have a determination of the EAT enforced through the civil courts. In...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme Implementation (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) began operating on 24 October 2012. As at 10 May 2013 thirty six (36) live CGS facilities have been put in place resulting in €3,661,100 being sanctioned through the scheme by participating lenders and it is expected that 190 new jobs will be created and 115 jobs maintained under these facilities. My Department, the scheme operator, Capita, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Targets (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: 2012 was a particularly good year for job creation in Agency-supported companies, with IDA client companies creating a total of 12,722 gross new full time jobs (6,750 net new jobs). The IDA client base in Ireland now employs 152,785 people, a level last recorded before the global financial crisis began in 2008. Meanwhile, clients of Enterprise Ireland (EI) created 12,861 gross new jobs...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Protection (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: The process regarding the sale of Bank of America’s (BOA’s) UK credit card businesses remains ongoing. The former MBNA Credit Card Processing facility in Carrick-on-Shannon now comprises of two operations. The first business, following the purchase by global management company Apollo of the part of BOA’s Credit Card portfolio which services the Irish Card customers, is a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Availability (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: I have established two targeted initiatives to support an additional flow of credit into the economy by filling gaps where specific market failures in the supply of credit to SMEs exists, namely: the Microenterprise Loan Fund and the Credit Guarantee Scheme. Microfinance Ireland (MFI) was established as a private limited company with a Board of Directors, to administer the Microenterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Prompt Payments (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: Prompt payment for goods and services rendered is critical to the effective working of any economy and is an issue to which this Government is committed. The reduction in the number of late payments in commercial transactions is of vital importance to business, particularly SMEs and is one of the ten principles cited in the Small Business Act for Europe as a means to help SMEs to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Shortages (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: The ICT sector is of strategic importance to the Irish economy, in terms of both its contribution to exports and the number of high-skilled professionals employed. There is a growing demand for ICT skills, with employment in the Irish ICT sector increasing by around 7% in 2012. While new job creation is a contributor to demand for IT professionals, many vacancies continue to arise as a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Broadband Services Speeds (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: There are 10 sites in Ireland directly managed by Enterprise Ireland. The Agency’s offices in Dublin and Shannon are currently connected to broadband in excess of 100Mb. The eight other regional offices are currently connected to broadband at a speed of 10Mb. All Enterprise Ireland sites in Ireland have the capability of being connected to broadband in excess of 100Mb and up to a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: My vision, and my clear intention in rolling out the new Local Enterprise Office infrastructure, is to ensure that the operating environment in which State support is delivered to the micro and small business sector facilitates and promotes the creation and maintenance of employment across the regions. A key element of this new structure will be the consistent application of policy across...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Schemes (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: I wish to reassure the Deputy that there will be no reduction in the maximum grant of €80,000 for financial assistance to projects. The ultimate aim of the reform of the existing micro and small enterprise support structures is to create an enhanced and integrated national micro-enterprise support model designed to deliver tailored supports to the highest standards, benchmarked by...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: IDA’s North West Region comprises the counties of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. There are 38 IDA client companies in the Region employing 5,199 people in full and part time employment. IDA Ireland has indicated that, in seeking to win FDI, the concept of scale is crucial. Leading global corporations require a significant population pool, access to qualified talent, world standard...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: Significant progress to implement the Government Decision on the reform of the supports to the micro and small sector has been made. A new Micro and Small Business Division has been established in Enterprise Ireland which, through its Centre of Excellence, will lead, develop and manage the enhancement of support services, delivered through the LEOs, that generates innovative, small and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Joint Labour Committees Reviews (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: The new Section 41A of Industrial Relations Act 1946 (inserted by Section 11 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2012) provides that reviews of each Joint Labour Committee (JLC) will be carried out by the Labour Court, as soon as practicable after the commencement of the Act, and at least once every 5 years thereafter. In this context, the Labour Court appointed Ms Janet Hughes to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: Local Authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual Local Authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Availability (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, all cost elements are critically important to the efficient running of a business and the level of employment. The cost of credit is just one of a number of very important cost factors for business and this Government takes this issue very seriously. SMEs are the engine room for jobs and growth in Ireland and the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 contains a specific section...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 48 together. The recently published Forfas report “Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2012” is an important report in the context of our need to continue to build an export led recovery. It looks at the relative importance of different areas of cost for different sectors. The report indicates that business costs have reduced...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Statistics (22 May 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of estimates of employment in the State. According to the QNHS figure for Q1 2011, the number of people employed aged 15 to 24 years classified by broad ILO economic status was some 171,800 persons. According to the most recent QNHS data available (Q4 2012), the number of people in employment within this cohort was...