Results 11,081-11,100 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 343 together. International labour standards are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO's constituents (governments, employers and workers) setting out basic principles and rights at work. They are either conventions, which are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member states, or recommendations, which serve as...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Targets (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 and 345 together. The most recent regional employment data, from the Central Statistics Office shows that in the 12 months up to the end of September 2013 an additional 10,000 people were in employment in the South East region, including Waterford, and that the unemployment rate there fell by 2.8% during that period. This is a very positive development,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Data (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Responsibility for statistical information rests with the Central Statistics Office However, I understand that the CSO does not compile statistics on jobs created on a county basis. As regards jobs created, the only figures available to my Department are those in respect of jobs created, on a county basis, in client companies of the Enterprise Development Agencies under the aegis of my...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Land Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Shannon Development is in the process of transferring land at a number of specific locations in the Limerick Region to IDA Ireland for Industrial Development purposes. The remaining land and property portfolio of Shannon Development will remain in the ownership of Shannon Development and continue to be managed by Shannon Development on the same basis as previously. The wider land and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Directives (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The transposition of the provisions of Directive 2010/32/EU (known as the ‘Sharps’ directive) on the basis of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, had originally been recommended in the Regulatory Impact Assessment undertaken in 2011 by the Health and Safety Authority. In line with the public consultation procedures conducted under Section 57 of the Act of 2005, a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County and City Enterprise Boards Abolition (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the CEB Dissolution Bill 2013, which is going through its final stages in the Oireachtas, is to give effect to the Government Decision to create an enhanced national micro enterprise support model, delivered through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) which will be established in each Local Authority area. The LEOs will have primary responsibility for the delivery of State...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Expenditure (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: It should be noted that Enterprise Ireland has no subsidiary organisations. Also, due to the volume and detail of the information sought by the Deputy, it is not possible to collate the information required within the timeframe given. I will endeavour to have the information required provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consultancy Contracts (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: It should be noted that Enterprise Ireland has no subsidiary organisations. Also, due to the volume and detail of the information sought by the Deputy, it is not possible to collate the information required within the timeframe given. I will endeavour to have the information required provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Staff Remuneration (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Pay and incremental progression within my Department is operated in line with Government policy and the payment of increments is subject to satisfactory performance under the Performance Management Development System (PMDS) and compliance with sick leave regulations. It should be noted that the process of progression by one incremental step per annum has been modified in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: State Bodies Issues (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Neither my Department nor the Offices under the aegis of my Department subscribe to Pricestats for daily inflation data for Ireland. Subscriptions to database services by the Agencies under my remit is a day-to-day matter for the individual Agencies concerned, for which I have no direct function. I have asked all Agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of any such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: It is a pleasure to brief the committee. I am accompanied by officials of the Department, Mr. Philip Kelly, assistant secretary, Mr. Tommy Murray, principal officer, Ms Orla O’Brien, assistant principal officer and Mr. Garry Purcell, higher executive officer, all of whom work on different aspects of the Competitiveness Council agenda, which is quite broad. The first item on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I can understand why the Deputy would be looking for more action. The areas of initiative are not a surprise. They are about better integration of the market, which will promote opportunities. They are about improving the operation of the digital market, which has a big untapped potential in Ireland. It is estimated that 75% of online trading goes out of Ireland. This is about Horizon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: To be fair to Commissioner Tajani, he certainly has a sense of urgency. Europe has put its money behind it. The Horizon 2020 programme involved a substantial increase in a welcome sense from an Irish point of view because we are top of the league in terms of access to funds for SMEs under the programme. The programme has increased the proportion going to small and medium-sized enterprises...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy and he is welcome back to the committee. As I said to Deputy Calleary, it is not unlike our own challenge. Our approach to the Action Plan for Jobs is not altogether dissimilar to the European approach. It considers a wide range of areas. It is possible to see this from the headings, which refer to the integrated market and how we bring down barriers within the market....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: They are big questions. Many energy resources, including nuclear power and renewables, raise significant public policy concerns which are shared by the general public, not just by policy makers. The Senator's comments are well made. If we want to diversify away from our dependence on fossil fuels, we must identify the sources of energy we intend to pursue and develop a strategy for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Internal Market in energy is essentially about delivering a free flow and a strengthening of infrastructure in order to provide better interconnection and enhance the ability to trade across boundaries. Where, for instance, electricity is cheapest in France or wind power is most plentiful in Ireland, it offers the benefit of the cheapest source across the network. This reduces the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: No. The Deputy inquired about other models. The huge growth in third level participation here probably puts us at one end of the spectrum. As the Deputy correctly stated, approximately half of the relevant cohort in Germany would take the apprenticeship route. However, there is a route back, and this underlines the strength of the German system. It is not the case that someone who takes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: No, it has nothing to do with that. The TTIP negotiations make no difference. The concern is that businesses may move to lower-cost energy sources. TTIP has no relevance in that regard because it only changes tariffs. However, the tariffs in this case are extremely low. Reducing a tariff from 2% to 0% would be neither here nor there in terms of competition if it is possible to avail of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Senator Clune asked how the energy aspect would be approached at the Council meeting. The answer is that it could be approached in 28 different ways.