Results 13,481-13,500 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Grocery Industry Competition (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Governmentcontains a commitment to regulate certain practices in the grocery goods sector and this will be met by way of enabling powers to regulate certain practices in the grocery good sector. These powers are contained in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014. On 22 December 2014, I issued a set of draft regulations for public...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Apprenticeship Programmes (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: In its submission to the Apprenticeship Review in 2013, this Department identified the need for apprenticeships that better reflected the changing occupational needs brought about by advances in technology and productivity in modern manufacturing and service occupations. The focus of this Department has been on advocating for a wide range of enterprise-led apprenticeships to meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: My Department's Policy Statement on Foreign Direct Investment, which was published at the end of July 2014, sets out the strategic direction for FDI to 2020 and the key actions needed to enhance Ireland's attractiveness and business environment in the context of intensified international competition for investment and talent. As the Deputy is aware Ireland continues to perform well in the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Retail Sector (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: Since coming into office, the Government has recognised the importance of the retail sector to the economy. The Wholesale and Retail sector accounts for the largest share of employment in the Irish economy, employing 276,000 people in Ireland and representing approximately 15% of the workforce. The sector provides employment in every community in the country and is an important part of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Process (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The table below sets out the legislation submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny by my Department since 2011. In addition I expect to publish the Scheme of a Consumer Rights Bill for public consultation in April 2015 and propose to submit it for pre-legislative scrutiny. Legislation submittedfor pre-legislative scrutiny since 2011 Name of legislation Details Workplace Relations Bill The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The company referred to, which announced the Global Sustainability Initiative for Facilitating Investment in Africa, is neither an IDA Ireland nor Enterprise Ireland client company and neither agency were involved in this announcement. Nevertheless, I welcome the announcement and IDA Ireland has agreed to help attract companies into the proposed technology hub, the “Global...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Portfolio (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: I have been informed by IDA Ireland that the Agency's lands in Mullagharlin/Haynestown currently have valid planning permission in place for an Advance Biopharmaceutical and Knowledge Industry Campus which will support biopharmaceutical administration, research and support activities. The site has been masterplanned to include two facilities which will consist of a medium to large scale bio...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The Irish Maritime Energy Research Cluster (IMERC) promotes Ireland as a world-class renowned research and development location that will unlock Ireland's Maritime and Energy potential. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is represented on the Board of IMERC. EI has engaged, and continues to engage with IMERC on assisting it in implementing its strategic plan. To-date, EI has not made a financial...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Data (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The data available relates to manufacturing and services sectors jobs in companies which are supported by the enterprise agencies. There were 38,705 jobs created (i.e. gross job gains) in agency-assisted client companies in 2014, up from 35,411 jobs in 2011, 35,165 jobs in 2012, and 37,412 in 2013. In terms of the net change (i.e. when job losses are subtracted from job gains), there were...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland has informed me that the vast majority of its client feedback shows that one of the key considerations for potential and existing clients when it comes to making investment location decisions is the availability of talent at a competitive price. Other factors which also affect investor decisions include Ireland's relative cost competitiveness, good infrastructure, corporate tax...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Funding (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: EU framework programmes for research and innovation provide Ireland with valuable mechanisms for firms – indigenous and multinational - to further their innovativeness in products, services and processes. These programmes are also a critical source of non-Exchequer funding for this important economic activity. The current EU framework programme for research and innovation is...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) will shortly publish its annual Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2015 report which was conducted as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2015. This report will provide benchmarks of key business costs across a range of indicators and will identify areas where Irish enterprise costs are out of line with key competitors. The report will concentrate on...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: Since this Government came to Office in March 2011, it has worked across its various Departments and Agencies to ensure that all enterprises have access to appropriate finance for both working capital and investment. The SME State Bodies Group, chaired by the Department of Finance and with members from all relevant 'access to finance' Departments and Agencies was established and works to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Data (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The data available relates to jobs in companies supported by the enterprise agencies. There were 1,621 gross jobs created in 2014 in County Kildare in agency-assisted client companies. When job losses are subtracted from the gross figure, 847 net jobs were created in County Kildare in 2014. The number of gross jobs created in County Kildare have varied from 2,625 in 2005 to 651 in 2007,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Portfolio (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: EU infringement proceedings are currently underway in connection with one alleged breach of the Services Directive. This relates to Article 24 of the Directive and the prohibition on commercial communications by barristers. The substance of this case is being dealt with by my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality to whom I note the Deputy has also posed a similar question.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Jobs Protection (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: Policy responsibility for public sector jobs is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, T.D., and I have no policy remit in relation to this matter. The specific situation referred to by the Deputy relates to the Department of Social Protection and is also outside my remit. From the point of view of improving the spread of jobs created by the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Contracts Data (26 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: In the absence of a complete list of such business interests via joint bid or consortia etc. being available, it is not possible to give a definitive response to the Deputy's question. However, I am not aware of any contracts entered into or tenders awarded by my Department to the named company, singularly, as a joint bid or consortium during this period. The awarding of contracts by any...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (31 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: At the launch of the study carried out by Copenhagen Economics on the impact of TTIP in Ireland in Dublin Castle last Friday, 27 March, the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström acknowledged that some people are worried about investment protection and investor-state dispute settlement. The Commissioner indicated that there is, nonetheless, a rationale to investment protection....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (31 Mar 2015)

Richard Bruton: The Latvian Presidency of the European Union hosted an informal meeting of EU Trade ministers in Riga on 24/25 March, 2015. During this informal meeting, the EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström, briefed Ministers on her recent meeting with US Trade Representative Mike Froman. The Commissioner also set out some of her preliminary ideas for reforming investor state dispute...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Supports (1 Apr 2015)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland devised a digital marketing initiative for attracting inward investment by highlighting the specific attributes of individual regional locations throughout the country. The Midlands region is one of seven regions to be included in the initiative. ‘Invest in Midlands’ is a digital marketing tool, which provides an interactive experience designed for use on tablet,...