Results 11,021-11,040 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consultancy Contracts (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) was established under the Credit Guarantee Act 2012. The Scheme launched in October 2012, in response to numerous calls from business interests. It is a novel Scheme in an Irish context which is currently developing a position in the Irish financial arena. Consultancy fees have been spent on the development and design, and the establishment and ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Data (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) views the United Kingdom as a whole for services trade data. Therefore, it is not possible to provide separate Great Britain and Northern Ireland figures for services trade. Merchandise trade figures are however available from the CSO for Northern Ireland and are as follows: Year Exports (€m) % Change on Previous Year Imports (€m) %...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Agencies Mergers (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Legislation to enable the amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency is currently being drafted and is due to be published shortly. Since the proposal to amalgamate the two agencies was announced, both of the agencies have being working together to plan for the merger. In that regard a number of working groups drawn from staff of both agencies have been...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Redundancy Payments Waiting Times (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Under the Protection of Employment Act 1977, companies proposing collective redundancies must enter into consultation with the employee representatives at least 30 days before anyone receives notice of redundancy. They must also notify the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation of the proposed redundancies at least 30 days before any employee receives notice of redundancy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Appointments to State Boards (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. I can confirm that neither my Department nor I have engaged the services of any external professional consultants in connection with the appointment of persons to State Boards.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: ILO Convention Ratification (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: At an informal meeting of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs on the subject of domestic workers, which I chaired in Geneva last June at the time of the 102nd International Labour Conference, I announced that Ireland would ratify the ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. I intend to ratify the Convention as soon as the European Council Decision which confirms that...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Aid (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: With regard to Question No. 98 of 17 October 2013, the Deputy will recall that, at the time, I responded that due to the significant volume of information to be gathered and collated, that it was not possible to collate the information required in the timeframe given. I am now in a position to reply to the Question and I extend my apologies for the delay in doing so. Enterprise Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Microenterprise Loan Fund Scheme facility was introduced in October 2012 following demands from business interest for the introduction of supports for microenterprises in a difficult economic environment. It has now developed a presence in the Irish financial market. As of 27 January 2014 MFI, has approved 153 applications to the value of €2.37m supporting 338 jobs. The latest...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permit Applications (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: An Employment Permit application was refused in respect of the person named by the Deputy on 30 January 2014 in light of the level of remuneration offered in respect of the stated employment. Levels of remuneration are a key indicator of the skills and experience required for a job and assist in determining the necessity for employing a foreign national. Therefore, in order to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Organisation of Working Time Act (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Workers entitlement to public holidays are determined by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. The benefit is decided by the employer in advance of the public holiday and can be one of the following: a paid day off on the day; a paid day off within a month; an additional day of annual leave; an additional days pay. Under the Protection of Employees (Part-time Work) Act 2001, part-time...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Procurement Contracts (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs includes a number of measures to support SMEs to access public procurement opportunities. These measures are being delivered by various bodies, including Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland, the newly-formed Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and my own Department. Enterprise Ireland and the OPG work on an on-going basis to encourage SMEs to register on the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I have been informed by IDA Ireland that there were 62 agency sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Waterford from 2010 to 2013 inclusive. Details of these site visits made to Waterford in each of the years from 2010 to 2013 are set out in the following tabular statement. There are currently 28 IDA client companies employing over 5,000 people in Waterford city and county....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Information and Communications Technology Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: My Department has had two smartphone Apps developed during the period on question, both for internal use. The first is an Android app to support the annual scanning of assets. It was developed by Fujitsu (Ireland) Ltd. at a cost of €3,595. The second was a Blackberry app to allow travelling staff access the Department's internal phone directory using official Blackberry devices. It...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Data (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are supported by the industrial development agencies. Analysis by IDA on the preliminary results released in respect of 2013 show that a total of 68 jobs were created in IDA supported companies in County Meath while 58 jobs were lost. In addition, there are 14 IDA supported companies in County Meath...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: IDA sponsored itinerary visits by potential investors include visits to multiple locations where there are greenfield or current turn-key property solutions for them to consider. The majority of these solutions with the exception of Dublin and to a lesser extent Cork, are usually situated on the outskirts of towns and cities. For reasons of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: State Bodies Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 and 292 together. As part of the Public Service Reform Plan, I undertook to review how the functions currently carried out by Forfás might be integrated with the resources of my Department in order to further enhance the formulation and implementation of national enterprise policy. Following consideration of the matter and engagement with the Board...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: State Bodies Issues (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Forfás has been of enormous value to my Department and to the Government in the development of appropriate policy responses to the many enterprise and jobs-related challenges that have confronted the country, particularly throughout the economic crisis of the last few years. The overarching objective of integrating Forfás into my Department is to strengthen our capacity to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pension Provisions (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Under the Industrial Development Acts 1993, 1998 and 2003, Forfás is the legal employer of all staff in Forfás, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and a number of staff in the National Standards Authority of Ireland. Forfás has responsibility for managing pension arrangements of these staff and for paying the pensions of retired staff of those...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Data (4 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland offers a range of financial and non-financial supports to assist clients through all stages of the business development cycle. Enterprise Ireland’s offers in the Start-Up space are aimed at High Potential Start-Up (HPSUs). HPSU companies are defined as start-up ventures that are: - Introducing a new or innovative product or service to international markets; -...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Application Numbers (5 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: As at 31 January, 2014 Microfinance Ireland (MFI) has received a total of 414 applications. Of these applications, 153 have been approved for loans ranging in value from €2k up to €25k and a total loan value of €2.37m being invested in microenterprises, supporting 338 jobs. Since the Fund launched, the marketing and communication strategy for MFI has been continuously...