Results 14,481-14,500 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Economic Competitiveness (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy asked a two-sided question, which I answered. If the Deputy wants to change his questions, he has a right to do so. I welcome the move by Northern Ireland to have a low corporate tax rate. I think it will benefit both parts of the island. We stand to gain from a more competitive offering in Northern Ireland. Of course, we will face competition for mobile projects but that has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Economic Competitiveness (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: We have a group. The strategic policy group deals with all issues involved in preparing for the Action Plan for Jobs. The National Competitiveness Council assesses all aspects of competitive challenge for Ireland. I do not see a move by Northern Ireland to have a lower corporation tax rate as something that we should be worried or concerned about. I see it as a natural development. A...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Economic Policy (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the publication of this interesting report which gives considerable food for thought by undertaking some economic analysis of issues arising in the event of the unification of Ireland. It is very difficult to say whether the conclusions of the report in relation to the potential growth boost to the Irish economy would be borne out in practice. I note that the report’s...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Economic Policy (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I have read the document in considerable part and, as I said in the reply, it is based on a number of assumptions. It is up to people to read it and evaluate them. They are assuming an immediate devaluation in Northern Ireland which would mean a reduction in the average value of wages within the Northern Ireland economy. There are issues around that. It assumes the immediate harmonisation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Economic Policy (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: Certainly I am in favour of lower trade barriers. The work of InterTrade Ireland is to do just that, to reduce trade barriers; both North and South, as export economies, favour the reduction of trade barriers in every way possible. Obviously, the more immediate concern of the Government would be with the possibility of the reverse happening, that there would be an increase in trade barriers...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I am encouraged by the overall strong recovery in employment, with a net 135,000 extra people back at work in enterprises right across the country. While every region has seen employment expansion in its IDA Ireland-supported base, we have not experienced equal recovery in all sectors which is why I have launched the regional Action Plan for Jobs. I would point out to the Deputy that the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for his comments. It is important to bear in mind that 70% of the wins by IDA Ireland in terms of job expansion come from the existing base of companies. Deputy Calleary will know that the west of Ireland has had a very strong performance in the last four years, with a net increase in the numbers working in IDA Ireland companies of 27%. Indeed, all counties have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is welcome to examine IDA Ireland's strategy and talk to IDA Ireland officials as well. They have been successful in targeting, for example, emerging companies that are making their first move, particularly from the US, to a European base and attracting these high-growth companies. Where we have a win such as Uber in Limerick, a high-growth company expanding rapidly, those wins...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: Increased exports have played a major part in Ireland’s economic recovery. Of the approximately 135,000 people back at work, it is estimated that close to 50% have come directly from export earnings. Agreements that improve the access to markets for Irish enterprises are strongly supported, therefore, by Ireland. With regard to the Canadian agreement, political agreement on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy asked why these are in place. He should consider a small Irish enterprise trading in the US. There are 50 different states in which a legal action might be taken to establish its rights under a trade agreement. In many cases, those states do not incorporate into their laws the specific elements of these agreements. The investor dispute mechanism is, therefore, a way of trying...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: No, the Deputy is misinformed on this. The agreement does not allow companies to contest interference in respect of legitimate expectations. The range of cases that can be taken is narrow. These include denial of justice in criminal, civil or administrative proceedings; a fundamental breach of due process, manifest arbitrariness; and abusive treatment of investors. The agreement...

Other Questions: Regional Development (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the Deputy's support for the process. One of the things we have lacked over the years is a genuine attempt to have bottom-up regional development which embraces the stakeholders in the region and gets them involved in a set of objectives for the region and actions that can transform it. As the Deputy knows, since the start of the Action Plan for Jobs we have seen a net increase of...

Other Questions: Regional Development (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: There will be a six-monthly review. I am attending the first six-monthly review, not of the midlands but of the south east, where we will be sitting down with the stakeholders. It is a broad base so it is enterprise as well as public bodies. We are starting that process of reviews. It will be a progressive element. It is an evolving process, so new ideas can be included and we will soon...

Other Questions: Regional Development (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: In respect of Irish-owned business, most of the effort and 70% of the budget I have goes into supporting Irish-owned business, and we have tried to do new things. There have been major improvements in access to finance and various instruments. There has also been a major expansion of Lean, innovation and other initiatives that can help companies to up their game, such as new models to help...

Other Questions: Economic Competitiveness (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: We have allocated extra staff to the LEOs, including new graduates, so we are attending to that and will review staffing levels.

Other Questions: Economic Competitiveness (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Deputy that competitiveness is crucial to our economic progress and the Deputy should acknowledge that exports from Irish-owned firms have been the star performers in our recovery. Last year, Irish-owned exporters created more jobs than the IDA. Most of the debate focuses on the IDA, but Irish-owned exporting companies created more jobs in 2014 than foreign-owned companies,...

Other Questions: Economic Competitiveness (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: The export plan set by the previous Government for 2014 was exceeded dramatically by Irish-owned enterprise. It is not true that Irish businesses are underperforming in the markets; they are exceeding expectations. We have enjoyed double-digit export growth from our Irish-owned companies in the past three years. That is exceptional performance. It is driven by some very innovative...

Other Questions: Economic Competitiveness (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: The Government adopted a national talent drive last year. The consequence of this is that the Minister of State, Deputy English, has introduced 25 new apprenticeships which will have 1,500 people enrolled each year in entirely new areas of apprenticeship as well as significant growth in the traditional apprenticeship areas. We have doubled the output in ICT. When we started, we were...

Other Questions: Trade Agreements (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: We have had this debate previously in the House. Free trade agreements are an effort to make it easier to trade across borders. In the course of the recent recovery, half of the extra jobs have come from exporting. We depend on access to markets as a key aspect of our ability to bring companies overseas and to grow. I have visited Japan, Canada and the United States with companies...

Other Questions: Trade Agreements (26 Nov 2015)

Richard Bruton: I would have to respect Professor Stiglitz, because I sat in his classes at some stage, but I must disagree with him on this issue. For a small trading economy like ours, if we can get the barriers down to conduct trade in ICT products for public procurement contracts in the United States, that is good business. It means a lot of smart companies that have solutions to problems can do...