Results 12,501-12,520 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Economic Competitiveness (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am glad to report that we received sanction last year to strengthen the Competition Authority. It is taking on new enforcement staff and ten effective resources. This year, we also strengthened the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, ODCE. As such, and in sympathy with the concerns expressed by the Deputy, we have strengthened both agencies that ensure good corporate and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy was unavoidably unable to attend, but we had an opportunity to present to the committee last week. We are seeking to proceed with the legislation with all haste. The small to medium-sized enterprise, SME, guarantee scheme was launched in October 2012 in response to numerous calls from business interests. In the Irish context, it is a novel scheme that is continuing to develop a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: I will certainly consider that suggestion. We will make legislative provision for it, but it will require state aid approval if we extend support to SMEs dealing with banks which are exiting. There is another step besides improving the legislation. The Deputy is right that one of the lessons we have learned is that the way in which banks manage internally the credit guarantee scheme and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: Clearly, it is up to banks in terms of the application of the scheme. The paperwork is not what has held it back. In my view and that of the review group, the real impediments have been some of the conditions attached. A three year loan is not sufficient. We will streamline the scheme, but the formal letter of decline was an impediment and we are removing it. There are elements which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Availability (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: As I stated previously, the Government has made more than €2 billion in financial supports available to Irish SMEs to support growth and job creation in the economy. Through the seed and venture capital scheme 2013 to 2018, the microenterprise loan fund and the renewed credit guarantee scheme, we are making more than €1.6 billion available in the coming years to SMEs through...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Availability (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: I will make two points. Across the schemes €150 million in new facilities has been put in place by my Department alone under the Government's initiatives. This is very significant. New finance from the banking sector is only at €2 billion. We are making a significant impact in that we now have the Strategic Bank Corportation of Ireland and the SME funds from the National...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Availability (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: Our ambition is huge. I believe that during 2015 we will exceed our target of 100,000 additional people at work. The vast majority of those jobs will be created in small and medium-sized enterprises. We are also ambitious when it comes to driving access to finance as a means of resuscitating the growth of companies. This is the first Government to have put innovative funds in place right...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Credit Availability (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: They are being rolled out as we speak. As I have indicated, over €150 million from my own few funds is going out the door. That compares with €2 billion in new lending from the whole banking system. These significant and ambitious changes are changing the landscape of choices that are available to SMEs as they grow. That is the environment we are now in. We are putting in...

Other Questions: Military Exports (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: My Department is responsible for controls on the export of military items from Ireland. Under Irish law, military export licences have to be sought in respect of the goods and technology, and any components thereof, listed in the annex to the Control of Exports (Goods and Technology) Order, SI 216 of 2012, which reflects the EU common military list. The EU common military list includes...

Other Questions: Military Exports (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: When applications for export licences come from individual companies, we have to look at the ultimate users and so on. There is a process whereby each licence is assessed on its individual merits. That is the system that is in place. It might bore the Deputy that I am explaining the system to him, but he asked me about the system that is in place.

Other Questions: Military Exports (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: When we have identified the end user and the country of final destination, we have to look at key issues in that country, such as its respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, the internal situation there as a function of the existence of tensions and armed conflicts, and the preservation of regional peace, security and stability. This range of tests focuses on the...

Other Questions: Military Exports (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am trying to explain to the Deputy that these applications are assessed on an individual basis. An assessment is made in each case. Some applications are approved and some are refused. This system is not based on picking countries that one does not like. It is based on established and published criteria. As I have indicated, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade must be...

Other Questions: Military Exports (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: -----with both sides of the concerns.

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am disappointed because Wicklow has one of the very good local enterprise offices, which I visited recently. It is the one stop shop we have established, one of 31 across the country. That would be their first port of call. It is exceptionally well run and managed and would help the individual within the Bray Chamber of Commerce. At national level, all three of us are involved in the...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: If the individual concerned wants to send me that information I will have it fully investigated. However, in the last 12 months we have put in place protocols between the local enterprise office and each and every one of the agencies. Whether it is the Revenue Commissioners or the Companies Registration Office, therefore, there is a protocol in place whereby a named individual in those...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services Provision (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: At the heart of the local enterprise offices' initiative is the fact that they have built strong consultative relationships with business communities, including local chambers of commerce. The Minister of State, Deputy Nash, chairs the high-level group on business regulation and more recently has established more formal connections with chambers of commerce. He has thus undertaken a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The aim of the Action Plan for Jobs is to help enterprises to create employment in all regions of the country. If we are to do this successfully, it is important that the economic potential of each region is maximised and that each region builds on its particular strengths and assets to provide an environment that stimulates entrepreneurship and attracts investment - both indigenous and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Exports Growth (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: Ireland is a highly globalised, small open economy with trade at the core of its economic model. While Ireland has high import intensity relative to the size of our economy, this is also matched and indeed exceeded by very high export intensity. As such Ireland is a net exporter to the world which underpins the growth in our economy as measured by GDP and GNP, and this has been a principal...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The closure of any company involving job losses is always regrettable, so I was very pleased to be able to announce recently the creation of 100 new jobs by another Irish food company, Ribworld, at the opening of their new manufacturing facility in Fethard. This facility is part of a new €8 million strategic investment programme by the company, which has been supported by my...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The scope of the EU Commission's mandate to negotiate with the US on TTIP is publicly available since 9 October 2014, and can be found on the EU Council's website at Included in the mandate is the recognition of the right to take measures necessary to achieve legitimate public policy objectives. I understand that the subject matter of a letter from the US Chamber referred to by the...