Results 11,241-11,260 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Social Partnership Meetings (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: None of my recent meetings with social partner organisations involved discussions on the issue of pay increases. A return to wage bargaining is already visible in certain sectors of the economy. In this regard, I note that the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation has indicated that around half of its members expect to experience some level of pay increase over the next 18...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together. The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) was established under the Credit Guarantee Act 2012, to address specific market failures in lending to SMEs and in response to calls from business interests. It is a novel Scheme in an Irish context and it is currently developing a position in the Irish financial arena. My Department, along...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Appointments to State Boards (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since coming to Office in March 2011 the process for appointments to State Boards, has been administered, where appropriate, through the Public Appointments Service (PAS). PAS publicly invites Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified persons to fill vacancies, as they arise, on the boards of the various agencies within my Department’s remit. The most recent invitation took...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: We will follow the practice we had this year whereby our departmental budget on consultancy reflected Forfás's spend. It is intended that the consultancy commissioned independently will be shown in the accounts in the usual way and will be open to scrutiny here when the Estimates are presented.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: We are setting up a strategic policy division within the Department. We will continue to maintain the approach that has existed with Forfás and, indeed, is adopted by other Departments such as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform whereby certain studies can be published that do not reflect or do not necessarily reflect the views of the Minister. We are retaining the scope to...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: Forfás was the owner of all industrial policy as well as the properties of the individual agencies. The property function has been transferred to the IDA. The IDA provides the property solutions for Enterprise Ireland as well as itself. The property previously vested in Forfás is now vested in IDA.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland is in Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, which is on the canal.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: That continues to be the case. Every effort has been made by Forfás to seek replacement tenants or to dispose of the leasehold interest. Working with professional estate agents, a number of marketing initiatives were undertaken since 2008. Forfás has worked with IDA Ireland in marketing the property. The Office of Public Works and the Department of Finance were advised of the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: On foot of the Deputy's remarks, I will look again at Carrisbrook House. No effort has been spared in turning over every stone in terms of both the private and public sector market. I will talk to the property managers to see if the space would be of interest to Enterprise Ireland or others who would be looking at start-up space. Clearly, with the improvement in the property market the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: No.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: No.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I may have some proposed amendments to table on Report and Final Stages. They refer to the following: a change to the Long Title to correct the reference to the Health and Safety Authority; an amendment to shorten section 25 of the Bill; and an amendment to provide for developing the devolvement of the administration of the pensions for existing pensioners of Forfás to a relevant body...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: This Bill is part of the work of trying to re-organise government to be more effective. I thank the Vice Chairman, members of the committee and the many people involved in making this integration a possibility. I have always held the view, going back to the time of the Culliton report, which enunciated industrial strategy, when the strong view at that stage was that we needed effective...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Protection (12 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 83 together. I understand in the case of Staunton sports that the Examiner is currently in the process of engaging with various parties who have expressed an interest in the business, including the Management Team, and as part of the process has requested proposals from each of the parties as to their plans for the business and the employees of the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Meetings (12 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: There have been no meetings between either myself or officials of my Department with the enterprise referred to by the Deputy since my taking up office on 9 March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Reports (12 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The following reports/reviews/studies were commissioned by me or my Department since 9th March 2011. 9th March 2011 to 31st December 2011 Details of reports/reviews/studies Date commissioned Date completed Cost € An independent Copyright Review Committee was tasked to review the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 in relation to the Digital Environment to identify any areas...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (13 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I recognise that people in the 15 to 34 age group have been seriously affected by job losses in recent years. The latest quarterly national household survey shows that in spite of the creation of an additional 61,000 jobs in the economy in the year to the end of 2013, employment among 15 to 34 year olds decreased by 13,800 year on year. We clearly have a long way to go but in the past year...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (13 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I do not accept the thesis the Deputy has put forward that people who set up their own businesses are in some way inferior in terms of job creation. We want to encourage entrepreneurship. It is a welcome indication that there is a high level of start-up and people setting up as self employed. High levels of company formation are clearly also evident in the figures. I fully admit that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Unemployment Measures (13 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is exactly what we are doing. This year we will put a focus on entrepreneurship, particularly youth entrepreneurship. Last year, we focused on women starting up their own businesses and we got a strong response to that. One cannot discount people who set up their own business and pretend these are not jobs. These are people working in the economy, creating wealth and opportunity....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Grant Payments (13 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: In the past five years, Enterprise Ireland paid out almost €520 million to its client companies: €134.02 million in 2009; €167.28 million in 2010; €80.21 million in 2011; €69.57 million in 2012 and €68.84 million in 2013. It has also invested €115 million through the seed and venture capital schemes, development capital scheme and the...