Results 14,821-14,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Retail Sector (26 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ State support service for micro and small businesses in each local area. The LEOs provide advice and direction, covering all government supports and requirements, to anyone who wishes to start or expand a business. They can also provide funding for projects that meet certain criteria, generally with regard to export...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Jobs Protection (26 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 142 together. Since this company was attracted to locate Ireland in 1989, it has made a very positive contribution to the Irish economy. Not only does it provide several thousand high quality jobs but its presence here has helped in the development of the domestic ICT sector and has assisted our ability to attract other leading electronics...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (26 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: In January 2016, Minister Ged Nash and I announced a twin track examination of protections in law for employees and unsecured creditors, particularly to ensure limited liability or restructuring are not used to avoid a company’s obligations to its employees and unsecured creditors. We appointed two experts to examine the legal protections for workers, particularly where operations and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (26 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: Gift vouchers supplied to consumers are subject to the provisions of general consumer protection legislation, in particular the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2007 on unfair, misleading and aggressive commercial practices and of the European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) Regulations 1995 (S.I. No. 27 of 1995). Gift vouchers that are not financial services...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (26 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Costs of Doing Business Report published by the National Competitiveness on April 21st provides an assessment of Ireland's cost competitiveness performance vis-a-vis a range of competitor countries. The report concentrates on the costs that are largely domestically determined such as labour, property, transport, energy, water, waste, communications, credit/finance and business service. It...

Ireland's Stability Programme Update April 2016: Statements (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: On a point of order, it is not the tradition in this House that officials are asked during a debate to respond to points raised. Ministers will respond at the end of the debate in the normal manner. That is the way this House has always worked.

Ireland's Stability Programme Update April 2016: Statements (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: There is no expectation that every question will be answered as it is raised.

Ireland's Stability Programme Update April 2016: Statements (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the opportunity to have this debate. I would say, particularly to new Deputies, that no Deputy in this House has a monopoly on compassion. Elected Members from all sides of the House have come here with a mandate to try to do the best they can for their people. We all see the challenges in housing, mental health, education and in trying to provide jobs for our people. We all...

Ireland's Stability Programme Update April 2016: Statements (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: That is not the reality. Anyone who has gone out to work to make a living knows that no one owes him or her a living. One must create the opportunity. We have set out our ambitions for full employment, a housing sector that can provide an affordable home for everyone and fair access to health and education services. We can do this, but we can only do it on the basis of our economic...

Ireland's Stability Programme Update April 2016: Statements (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: I see huge opportunities in this regard in the years ahead.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: With effect from 1st October 2015, the activities of the Labour Relations Commission, the National Employment Rights Authority, the Equality Tribunal and the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court were merged into a new Body of First Instance, known as the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The WRC’s core services include the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Appeals Tribunal (27 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: At the outset I would like to explain that the Employment Appeals Tribunal is currently working through its legacy caseload with a view to being dissolved in 2017. The functions of the Tribunal have, since 1 October 2015, been taken over by the new Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court under the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act 2015. However, the Tribunal, in dealing...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (28 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: Supporting enterprise development in all regions of the country in order to support job creation is a key objective of the Government, with initiatives such as the Regional Action Plans for Jobs seeking to build on the capabilities and strengths of each region to maximise enterprise growth and job creation. The objective of the 8 Regional Action Plans is to strengthen and develop regional...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (28 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: The European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 484 of 2013) require traders to provide a range of information to consumers in a clear and comprehensible manner before the consumer is bound by the contract. That information includes the total price of the goods or services inclusive of taxes, or where the nature of the goods or services is...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Tax Avoidance (28 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: The professional services surcharge to which the Deputy refers is one of a number of longstanding anti-tax avoidance rules relating to close companies. According to the Revenue Commissioners, a close company is a company that is under the control of five or fewer participators or is controlled by any number of participators who are directors. I understand that the close company surcharge...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Applications (28 Apr 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Sport and Cultural Employment Permit Application as detailed above was refused on 15thApril 2016. This refusal was made on the basis that it appeared from the information submitted, that the foreign national in respect of whom the employment permit was being sought, was at the time of application the sole employee of the employer. This being the case, the application did not pass the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Funding (4 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The availability of European research and innovation programmes provides Ireland with valuable mechanisms for firms - indigenous and multinational - to engage in high-level international research to further their innovativeness and competitiveness. These programmes are also a critical source of non-Exchequer funding for this important economic activity. The current EU Framework Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (4 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: Over the last five years the Government has worked tirelessly to ensure that the access of SMEs to an appropriate supply of financing from both bank and non-bank sources is improved and that all businesses have access to appropriate sources of finance to grow develop and expand. A number of key policy and legislative initiatives were developed and delivered since March 2011 with some being...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (4 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: In June 2015, together with IDA Ireland, I was delighted to welcome plans by Moss Vision to establish a facility in Roscommon town to manufacture ophthalmic products. The facility will also act as a sales, marketing and distribution centre for the company’s European operations. The job target is for 50 positions to be created over a seven year period. There are currently six people...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commemorative Events (17 May 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Department of Education and Skills has done its utmost to support and embrace the educational aspects of the Ireland 2016 commemorative programme. Under its auspices, the Professional Development Service for Teachers has already placed approximately 70 resources about 1916 on the Scoilnet portal for teachers and students, many of them produced by teachers themselves. The book,...