Results 20,181-20,200 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: The issue regarding sanctions against Russia has arisen within the European Councils in which Ireland, as part of the European Union, has taken a collective view. That action came in the wake of the taking over of Crimea by Russia and, following that, a series of difficulties within Ukraine. All of these issues have been thoroughly debated in the public arena and the European Union has taken...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for the question. I think it is fair to say that everyone recognises the challenges that exist in our health service. Since 2008 the budgets of the Department of Health and the HSE have been cut by €3.8 billion and there has been a very significant reduction in staffing levels. Despite that, the Department of Health and the health services are increasing their...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I will take no lectures from Fianna Fáil on the issue of health reform.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Calleary's leader committed in 2004 that he would eliminate health waiting lists.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: He also presided over a Department of Health that increased its budget by 50%-----

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: -----and added 30,000 people to the health service, but he still did not resolve any of those issues.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: Going back over the years - I well remember it - Fianna Fáil had 25,000 people waiting more than six months to have treatment.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: The problems were there in Fianna Fáil's time; it threw money at it and did not deliver.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: We have to resolve the challenges in a very difficult environment where budgets and staff numbers are reducing.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: Despite that, more patients are being treated, fewer people are waiting for outpatient treatment and fewer people are on trolleys. So progress is being made. However, I am first to acknowledge that this is a challenging area of reform. We have a new Minister who is setting out his priorities and he will get the results in this area.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: My Department engaged international expertise to examine the economic and other impacts and related potential opportunities for Ireland of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership [TTIP]. The focus of the study is to identify key areas and sectors of the economy that will be impacted by the TTIP. The preliminary findings of the consultants were presented at a conference on TTIP...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am informed by IDA Ireland that in the five year period 2009 to 2013 inclusive, there have been a total of 131 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Galway. These site visits were from new companies visiting the location for the first time and from senior executives of existing companies. For reasons of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, details of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together. I am informed by IDA Ireland that, while there has been no further IDA Ireland sponsored further site visits to Roscommon to date in 2014, there is a pipeline with regard to Roscommon town, on which I am unable comment further at this time. In regard to the Green Isle facility in Boyle, I am informed that there has been no change to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (24 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 80 together. As I mentioned in my reply, work on a new strategy for Science Technology and Innovation is ongoing and at an early stage. A frame of reference to guide specific structured consultations being undertaken in the context of a new strategy will be developed at the appropriate time in the process. The focus at the moment is identifying,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Appointments (23 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since it came into office, the Government has recognised the importance to the economy of the retail sector. The sector accounts for approximately 10% of GDP (approx. €16bn) and, together with the wholesale sector, employs almost 270,000 people throughout the country in every community of Ireland. The Government’s Statement of Priorities to 2016, which was announced by the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (23 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Company Law Enforcement Act 2001 provides that the functions of the Director of Corporate Enforcement include enforcing and encouraging compliance with the Companies Acts and exercising a supervisory role over the activities of liquidators. In the case of an insolvent liquidation, the liquidator of the company has a duty to investigate the company’s affairs and, under section 56...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Low Pay Commission Establishment (23 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 to 214, inclusive, and 216 together. There is a commitment in the Statement of Government Priorities 2014 to establish a Low Pay Commission (LPC) on a statutory basis as an independent body to make annual recommendations to the Government about the appropriate level of the minimum wage and related matters. The Minister for Business and Employment is...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (23 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since the formal negotiations between the European Union and the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) began in July 2013, six negotiating rounds have taken place. The most recent of these took place from 14-18 July in Brussels where all pillars and chapters of the TTIP were discussed. During that round, close to 25 different negotiating areas were covered,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Agencies Staff Remuneration (23 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: The table that follows shows the annual remuneration for the CEOs of the State-Sponsored Bodies under my Department’s remit: Non-Commercial State-Sponsored Body CEO Salary Health & Safety Authority €143,535 Personal Injuries Assessment Board €173,310* National Consumer Agency) Previous incumbent ( Deputy Secretary Level) €137,554 €169,415...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Funding (18 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Development Agencies of my Department do not provide financial support to individuals for the buying out of a company. With regard to access to finance, the Government introduced 2 new schemes in 2012 to assist businesses who have been declined bank credit. Both the Credit Guarantee Scheme and the Microenterprise Loan Fund represent a significant change in our enterprise supports with...