Results 12,881-12,900 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Health Insurance Community Rating (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I was contacted on the issue of lifetime community rating in the context of proposals that were brought forward by the Minister for Health to Government in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) was launched in October 2012 and to date three loans have been sanctioned in Waterford. My Department publishes quarterly progress reports on the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme on the Department's website www.enterprise.gov.ie. The progress report detailing the analysis and performance for the quarterly period ending 30thSeptember 2014 is available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Application Numbers (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: My Department publishes quarterly reports on the progress of Microfinance Ireland (MFI) on the Department’s website . The 2014 3rdquarter progress report on MFI showing a detailed analysis for period ending 30thSeptember is available on the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation’s website. Details on the number of applications based in Waterford are contained within...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: An Fhoireann Rannach (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Dhearbhaigh suirbhé ar bhaill foirne, a cuireadh i gcrích in 2012 le heolas a fháil faoi leibhéal an éilimh á bhraistint ag mo Roinn ar sheirbhísí trí mheán na Gaeilge, gur fíoríseal ar fad líon na gcumarsáidí faighte i nGaeilge le blianta beaga anuas. Toisc nach bhfuil athrú tagtha ar an scéal ó shin i...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Community Enterprise Centres (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I understand from Enterprise Ireland that since the launch of the first Community Enterprise Centre scheme in 1989, Enterprise Ireland has approved €64 million for the development of Community Enterprise Centres in towns and villages across the country. There are currently 117 such centres across the country. There are currently no specific proposals to extend the Community...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Statistics (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Big data and data analytics have gained prominence in recent years but there is no clear definition, operational or otherwise, of big data that can be used to determine exact enterprise and employment figures. Data management and analytics is a key enabler of business across all areas of economic activity, for example, in the food, manufacturing and financial services sectors. The Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Sector Staff Data (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I can advise the Deputy that my Department does not have offices in County Waterford. My Department’s records indicate that, with the exception of two staff who transferred to another government department with offices in County Waterford under the Government’s decentralisation programme in place at the time (one Clerical Officer in 2009 and one Executive Officer in 2010), there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Every Department has had to deal with constrained resources. It is one of the facts of post-crisis Ireland and every Department has had to ensure that it delivers but had to do more with less. Against the backdrop of the objectives we set ourselves, which the Secretary General read out, we have delivered very strongly with diminishing resources on championing enterprise and seeking to make...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The context has been outlined by officials. When this statement was presented to me, I took advice from the officials and it was decided that the witness statement should be issued to the Garda. It was pointed out very clearly that provisions were very particular and not, as the Deputy suggested, a case of bundling this up and sending it to the Garda. The Department can only release...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: As the Secretary General has made clear, no decision was taken before the examination of this witness statement. No decision could have been made-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: -----and the Department and ultimately, the Minister - under whose name it would be released - in any information they release, have clear responsibilities under the Companies Act to protect people. The Minister and the Department have an obligation to ensure that any request for the release of information is done in accordance with the powers assigned to them. That is what they have done....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is the case and the Committee of Public Accounts has the material available to it and we respect the role of the Committee of Public Accounts in this regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: There was no decision to deprioritise this. When I met the officials concerned, we decided the best course of action was to release the witness statement as requested and then the work had to be done to prepare for that release. That is a complex piece of work because this is an investigation that has been ongoing since 1997 and which has a large volume of material appended to it, all of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Resourcing: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: It depends on the complexity of what is provided and whether it accords with the sections provided. I am not an expert in the assessment, but it has been acknowledged by the officials that there were resourcing constraints due to the retirement of individuals, which put a strain on the Department such that only one official was in a position to deal with this issue and who had the corporate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: IDA Data (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since 2011 IDA Ireland has opened three additional offices in overseas locations. During 2013 two additional overseas offices were opened, one in Korea and one in Beijing, with one member of staff in each office. In 2014 an additional office was opened in Texas in the United States. It has two staff members. In 2011 IDA Ireland ceased to have a presence in Taiwan, with activity now being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: IDA Data (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I can report good progress in meeting the 20% target. In 2011, 8% of greenfield investment came from high growth markets, while the figures for 2012 and 2013 were 14% and 16%, respectively. IDA Ireland is confident that it will hit the 20% target this year. There are still a number of investments yet to be considered by the board of IDA Ireland; therefore, the definitive figure for 2014...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: IDA Data (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy knows, when his party was in government, the Export Trade Council was established. One of the initiatives in our programme for Government was to include private sector members in the council. The council meets quarterly and closely reviews progress made across all of the agencies, not just those under the aegis of my Department, including, for example, Bord Bia, Fáilte...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Market Issues (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The house price issue will have to be directed to another Minister, but I can deal with the issue the Deputy inquired about on the commercial property sector. The Central Bank noted that 2013 saw the largest investment in commercial property since 2007, at €1.8 billion, with 60% in the office market, and that investment activity has remained strong into 2014. The growth in demand for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Market Issues (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Deputy. That is the reason the Government published Construction 2020, which is the strategy for renewing the construction sector. It contains a detailed programme of work, including 75 time-bound actions across the issues the Deputy raised. They cover housing, the planning process, the availability of financing, monitoring and regulating the sector, and ensuring that we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Market Issues (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: If, as the Deputy says, there are cases in which the national minimum wage is not being paid, NERA will investigate. There are other cases that the Deputy has brought to my attention, which relate to the terms of employment. I understand the scope section of the Department of Social Protection is investigating them. The law in that regard is well established. With regard to registered...