Results 14,641-14,660 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (19 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The EU-US negotiations have as their objective to strengthen and deepen the trade and investment relations between the two regions covering 40% of global economic output. The trade deal will stand to benefit business, large and small, and consumers. The negotiation in respect of regulatory cooperation will ensure that economic gains do not lower our high standards in the field of labour...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (19 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the EU Commission aim to conclude all chapters of the EU-US trade agreement in 2016. A comprehensive and ambitious EU-US trade agreement will have tangible benefits for Ireland in terms of jobs, growth and investment and it is my hope that substantial progress on all aspects can be reached this year.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Growth Initiatives (19 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The concept of a specific Border Development Zone as a means of fostering economic recovery in the cross-border region of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was initially proposed by the Centre for Cross Border Studies (CCBS) in their Bradley/Best economic study of 2012 and I am aware that the CCBS has undertaken further research on the topic in the intervening period also. I also...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Staff Promotions (19 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: Rules regarding eligibility for internal promotion within Civil Service Departments were changed as a consequence of a communication from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a consequence serving officers have been allowed to compete for promotion to all grades regardless of their current grade. In line with this methodology, since January 2015, of the 17 staff promoted to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Tóibin fails to recognise what the Central Statistics Office, CSO, has confirmed on each occasion it has published statistics in this area. Unemployment, which peaked at 15.1%, is now down to 8.8% and is falling continuously. Under-employment has fallen by 33% in the last two years and is reducing rapidly. From the outset, our goal has been to shift an economy that became too...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy again refuses to recognise what every international publication has recognised - that Ireland has improved its competitive position consistently. Forbes magazine recently listed Ireland as the best place to do business in the world, at No. 1 globally. All of the various competition rankings show Ireland consistently improving its placing and, importantly, in areas that matter,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: Ireland's performance in our export markets has exceeded that of any other European state.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: We are growing more rapidly than any other European state. Net migration, which was mentioned by the Deputy, is down by 66%. Involuntary under-employment is down by 34% while unemployment is down by 40%.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: These figures are all consistently going in the right direction. We have published the 2016 Action Plan for Jobs and a medium-term strategy that will ensure we copperfasten those competitive advantages and build on them for the future to have 200,000 extra people at work. That is the impact we will make if we stick to the policies we are pursuing. They have a track record which is there to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: This week we launched the fifth Action Plan for Jobs. A key objective of the Action Plan for Jobs process has been to rebuild our economy based on enterprise and entrepreneurship, talent, innovation and exports and provide a solid foundation for future growth. The Action Plan is a to-do list for the economy - a to-do list for the whole of Government. Most importantly it publically commits...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy should understand that what we can influence is the number of jobs that are created. That is the central target we have always set ourselves. It was a target of 100,000 and it is now a 200,000 target. Obviously, projecting the impact that has on the number of unemployed will depend on a number of factors that are less easy for a government to predict exactly because they include...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: Let us consider the Irish economy other than in the period when it was overheating. Full employment was in the range of 5% to 6%. That is where we aim to get to by 2020. However, one of our key ambitions is that it will be a sustainable level of full employment and that the economy will not be subject to the buffeting that happened when we were reliant on the construction sector to get to...

Other Questions: Job Losses (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: There will always be companies that lose employment. It is a source of disappointment whenever that happens, but the rate of job losses in Enterprise Ireland and IDA companies is at an historical low. This is encouraging. There is strong employment growth, including in manufacturing. It is a source of great disappointment that Cadbury has needed to indicate that it will reduce the...

Other Questions: Job Losses (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: In any company based in Ireland that has an international footprint, its Irish operation must be competitive with its other operations. This means that companies continually go through processes of restructuring. Enterprise Ireland seeks to support companies in doing that in order to anticipate threats that might be posed. Protecting companies and employment forms a large part of...

Other Questions: Job Losses (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is seeking to distort what I stated. Through Enterprise Ireland, the Government seeks to work with companies to secure quality jobs that will survive in the long term and provide increased living standards for people. Consider the evidence of recent years since the recovery took hold. The number in employment has increased, wages have increased, the Government has been in a...

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: As Minister in the Department with primary responsibility for the promotion of a competitive environment that supports and promotes job creation, my Department and I are acutely aware of the enormous value of work experience in assisting jobseekers in finding employment. Since the inception of the JobBridge national internship scheme, my Department has been a willing participant and sought...

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: It has long been established that a catch-22 for people seeking to enter the labour force is that they do not have experience. The purpose of the JobBridge programme is to bridge that gap. The Department of Social Protection, to which the Deputy should, perhaps, direct his questions, has very clear requirements in respect of the training provided and the value of the experience gained....

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy should acknowledge that every country with an unemployment problem develops work experience programmes as part of its response. The OECD has been very strong in advocating that Ireland needs to have a wider range of these sort of programmes that give people a bridge from whatever they did in school or college to the employment environment. Those schemes are continually evaluated...

Other Questions: IDA Portfolio (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. An adequate supply of office and manufacturing facilities is a key component of successful enterprise development. As part of the regional Action Plan for Jobs 2015, I announced that IDA Ireland would invest €150 million over five years in property solutions designed to allow it to create opportunities to win additional projects for all...

Other Questions: IDA Portfolio (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I agree absolutely that this is important and not only has the Government acted on it through acquisition but planning permission has now been granted for a 40,000 sq. ft. office space in Galway. As the process for delivery will be selected in the coming year, the Government is moving ahead in that regard. However, private property developers should also have confidence given the flow of...