Results 12,521-12,540 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: I fully appreciate the concerns of retired and deferred members of pension schemes whose schemes are being restructured, particularly where such restructuring may impact on existing or potential pension benefits. The question of whether it is appropriate that pensioner groups have access to the State's industrial relations machinery in pursuing pension scheme grievances has been raised for...

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

Richard Bruton: The inspection of employers' employment records and workplaces to determine compliance with employment law and employee's statutory entitlements is carried out by Inspectors from the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA). In 2013, NERA carried out over 5,500 such inspections including construction sites. The policy of NERA is to seek voluntary compliance where breaches of employment...

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

Richard Bruton: The aim of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) is to open up markets for services in order to create jobs and growth. All WTO members associated with the TiSA negotiations – currently 50 - are expected to open up their markets to each other. The EU negotiates on behalf of all 28 EU member states. The EU's initial offer in the TiSA negotiations is based on what the EU has...

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

Richard Bruton: I understand that there are approximately 100 registered domestic waste collection companies operating in Ireland and they employ 8,000 workers directly. The indirect labour figure (agency/contract) is less clear. Given the number of companies competing for business, the cost of service delivery is a deciding factor in winning customers and forms part of the differentiation in terms of...

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

Richard Bruton: Since it was introduced in 2012, the Action Plan for Jobs has put job creation at the centre of policy formulation for all Government Departments and has changed the way Government operates. The Action Plan covers all areas of the domestic economy and not just the areas which fall within the remit of the enterprise development agencies under the aegis of my Department ie IDA Ireland,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Integrated Licensing Application Service was a Disruptive Reform in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 with the delivery of such as Service to the Retail Sector in the first instance. This Disruptive Reform was based on findings in a Forfás report on "A Review and Audit of Licences" that businesses had to apply for a multiplicity of licences adding to their administrative burden. A...

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

Richard Bruton: The grant of visas to non-EEA nationals is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, a non-EEA national who wishes to work in Ireland is generally required to hold an employment permit in order to take up employment here. The recently enacted Employment Permits (Amendment) Act 2014 provides for a variety of permit types to allow skilled migrant workers to...

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

Richard Bruton: I fully appreciate the concerns of retired and deferred members of pension schemes whose schemes are being restructured, particularly where such restructuring may impact on existing or potential pension benefits. The question of whether it is appropriate that pensioner groups have access to the State's industrial relations machinery in pursuing pension scheme grievances has been raised for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Construction Sector Strategy (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Forfás report on Ireland's Construction Sector was published in July 2013 and presented an outlook for the sector to 2015, based on known and anticipated demands. The report included a number of proposed actions aimed at generating more certainty in the domestic market, removing constraints and obstacles, and ensuring that the sector is equipped and capable of delivering innovative...

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

Richard Bruton: I understand that a number of separate, but connected, issues are involved in the dispute at the school building site near Lucan, Co. Dublin, including allegations regarding non-compliance with statutory rates of pay, status of employees and issue of subcontracting. As you are aware, it is the remit of Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Protection to clarify questions...

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

Richard Bruton: The recently published Entrepreneurship Policy Statement outlines the actions that will be taken to ensure that Ireland is among the most entrepreneurial nations in the world and acknowledged as a world-class environment in which to start and grow a business. Achieving the Government's vision for entrepreneurship requires the development of a strong entrepreneurial culture. In order to...

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

Richard Bruton: The aim of the Action Plan for Jobs is to support enterprise growth and job creation in all regions of the country. As I pointed out in my reply to the Deputy's questions of 13 March last, our efforts are not specifically focused on regional towns, but on building the enterprise base across the regions. The Action Plan for Jobs 2014 includes a commitment to develop a framework for Regional...

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

Richard Bruton: Since the formal negotiations between the European Union and the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) began in July 2013, seven negotiating rounds have taken place. The most recent (7th) Round took place in the US from 29 September to 3 October 2014. The EU chief negotiator's press statement following the end of the 7thRound is available at Reports of...

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

Richard Bruton: According to assessments made by the EU Commission and other European bodies, a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership could over time boost EU GDP by 0.5% per annum bringing significant economic gains as a whole for the EU. This agreement will provide a significant injection of economic activity and consequently bring new job opportunities. I have indicated in replies...

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

Richard Bruton: As Minister, I regularly meet with the CEO of the enterprise agencies on both formal and informal occasions and I have met with the new Chief Executive Officer of IDA Ireland on a number of occasions since he took up the post on 1 September 2014. I will be leading a trade and investment mission to the East Coast of the United States during the last week of October and I will be accompanied...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Social Welfare Rates (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: The issue of social protection cover for the self-employed and entrepreneurs has been raised with my Department and the Department of Social Protection in the context of the public consultation on the recently published National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship and indeed the wider Action Plan for Jobs process. The Report of the Entrepreneurship forum, which led to the new National...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Establishment (16 Oct 2014)

Richard Bruton: There is a commitment in the Statement of Government Priorities 2014-2016 to establish a Low Pay Commission (LPC) on a statutory basis as an independent body to make annual recommendations to the Government about the appropriate level of the minimum wage and related matters. The Minister for Business and Employment is currently developing proposals to implement that commitment. Issues being...

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

Richard Bruton: I have no plans to introduce legislation to require the use of direct labour in the construction sector, either in respect of Government funded projects or in respect of private building contracts. As with all such processes, it is a matter for the parties to agree voluntarily between themselves the most appropriate manner in which a contract should be performed.

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

Richard Bruton: Firstly can I point out to the Deputy that Ireland's ranking has not fallen, Ireland is ranked 15th out of 189 in the 2014 report - unchanged from the 2013 report. As part of an overall goal of boosting Ireland's international competitiveness and making Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business, the Government has put a process in place to identify practical steps...

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

Richard Bruton: The Government's Action Plan for Jobs is centred on rebuilding a sustainable economy based on enterprise and exports. Exporting companies supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through its agencies have recorded three strong years of employment growth, both in the creation of new jobs and in the terms of overall net change in employment when account is taken of job...