Results 10,421-10,440 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights Issues (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I would clarify that statutory law already permits private sector workers to work past the age of 65, as there is no statutory retirement age for such employees in Ireland. However, a contract of employment may contain a retirement age. The existence of a clause in the employment contract setting out a maximum retirement age is a matter of contract between the employer and employee and they...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I am determined to ensure that Ireland can continue to compete globally for foreign direct investment. In winning such investments, I am, however, mindful of the need to address the concerns that have been expressed to me by Deputies on all sides of the House about the relatively low level of site visits to certain regional locations. I have, accordingly, requested IDA Ireland and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: We are accompanied by departmental officials, including Mr. Philip Kelly, assistant secretary, Mr. Tommy Murray, industrial division, Mr. Aidan Hodson, research division, and Mr. Pat Kelly. There are many files for this Council, which spans a large area of responsibility and involves Departments other than ours. The Council is divided into two days. One is largely devoted to the research...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Calleary for complimenting the staff at my Department. They have put in a huge effort at a time when all sections of the Department face the pressure of declining resources. Politicians have the advantage of sitting at the top of that success, but every achievement is like an iceberg: most of the work is well below the waterline and no one sees it. Deputy Calleary is right...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I am not aware of any direct approach to the Department or its agencies. Such approaches would come through the Department of Finance. It was based on revenue rules and not specific issues. All of our agencies' state aid programmes are entirely within recognised state aid provisions. I hope I have dealt with the questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I am never satisfied with any of the performances in any area. We always want to do better. We will establish the local enterprise office network, which is a new integration of local authorities and city and county enterprise boards and we hope it will be a win-win development. The resources of the local authority will be engaged in the business agenda and a good first-stop-shop will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I gave the figures earlier to Deputy Calleary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: There is scope to build further on both of these schemes and we want to do so. As I stated to Deputy Calleary, we are reviewing the credit guarantee scheme to examine whether some of the terms should be improved. The roll-out of the local enterprise offices is very much designed to do more than promote micro-finance, for which they will be the primary interlocutors. They are the first...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: There is no disputing that. Manufacturing used to employ much more than 300,000 people. There has been a long-term decline in the sector. As the Senator knows, we have instituted a manufacturing forum and are implementing a policy to promote manufacturing. The recession had a significant impact on job losses. However, the past three quarters have seen industry starting to add employment....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is overstating what I said. There is a shift.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: On the small business envoy, it will work with all government bodies to encourage the principle of thinking small first. First my Ministers of State, Deputies Sherlock and Perry, and I have used our action plan for jobs as our route to get cross-government thinking about a lot of issues. This has been effective in developing sectoral opportunities. For example, the health innovation hub...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I think it will be brought before the Seanad next week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: It is scheduled.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: On procurement, the data on procurement that has been provided would indicate that the situation is not quite as bleak as the Deputy suggested. The data indicates that while 98% of contracts went to Irish companies some of the larger contracts did not. As such, the situation is that more than 95% of all contracts went to Irish companies. That is not a hugely negative figure. Consolidation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: On the last occasion, the figure was below 50%. We now have 1% more population coverage. As I mentioned to Senator Cullinane the BMW region previously in category A has transitioned to category C. We are entering into discussions with regional authorities about the detail of the map. That discussion will take place at regional level so that there will be full consultation. This is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: In terms of internationally mobile investment, the Deputy is correct that in this area the type of projects we are winning are more concentrated on cities. In developing an effective regional strategy, we need to have a more effective driver of indigenous growth and to work with our companies. This is the reason I regard the manufacturing initiative important. We have a good spread of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: These are EU-wide rules. When a region migrates from A to C, there is a period during which it has a higher level of transitional aid. At the end of a regional aid programme, the transitional support goes. The Senator has correctly indicated that there are small, medium and large areas, with different approaches for each. For the small ones there is more generous regional aid permitted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: It is worth saying that with internationalisation, we are doing really well. We have put in a first-time exporters' division, which is getting pick-up from companies which have never looked at exporting before.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Meetings (25 Sep 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 to 98, inclusive, together. It is normal practice within my Department that where a business meeting takes place with an external body, a summary record of the meeting will be retained. In the case of all official meetings with external parties, it is routine practice for a Minister to be accompanied by officials, regardless of the external party concerned.