Results 20,261-20,280 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I will deal with the Enterprise Ireland element and my colleague Deputy English will comment on SFI. We expect that there will be a full drawdown of EI funding. The truth as the Deputy will know, is that the drawdown in any one year is partly a reflection of the number of approvals in previous years. What was happening in the more difficult years was that plans were postponed or did not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: Our input into this is through Forfás which liaises with our agencies. They regularly examine infrastructural needs. I do not imagine it would go down to town level but we have conducted an analysis of broadband capability as part of our general strategy. While I am not aware of the details in terms of level to which it goes down, I can say that it will identify areas where agencies...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: There has been some resistance to the LEO approach, which incorporates an embedding of structures within local authorities and bringing them under the centre of excellence system within Enterprise Ireland. What is happening does represent a significant change, but I defend it very strongly as the right approach. It is vital to have access to the experience of Enterprise Ireland and its...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: We have done very well at a time when capital resources generally have been severely constrained. The proportion of those capital resources that we are winning has grown consistently and has almost doubled. As Senator Quinn observed, the Government does not create jobs; rather, enterprise is what creates jobs. Our programmes have been aligned to support enterprise in creating the jobs. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am convinced that the new structures for Shannon are better and not worse. The proof of that is that virtually every political representative in the region also agreed. There was a sense that, for example, if one is trying to compete for foreign direct investment a single regional authority will not be able to compete with a body such as the IDA and its experience and presence in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: The IDA is probably the best FDI promotion agency in the world. It is certainly in the top two. We have a competitive advantage in doing that. The development of Dublin will be crucial in continuing to attract FDI. If, in due course, Dublin city has an elected major there will be a role for him or her to develop it as the sort of city that is attractive to foreign investment....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: There is an international war for talent in certain key sectors. There is a worldwide scarcity of people who have experience and training in fields such as advanced data analytics. I suppose all Ireland can do is to ensure that we seek to educate as many of them as we can. Through the agreement with the former Minister for Education and Skills, we are more than doubling our ICT provision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: It is a clearly a mixture of factors. Obviously we have put a very conscious focus on regional spread and there is no doubt that the IDA recognises that as an important part of its mandate. The IDA is also concentrating on emerging companies and has sought to match the mobile investment it chases with achieving a better regional spread. It is focusing more on emerging companies rather than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I do not have those data with me but it is a mixed picture. Some companies are more open while others are not. Some still want to go to the deep labour market pools but some do not. It is not a question of political opportunity. Companies come with a very clear matrix of what they want. The question then is how to meet their needs within that while promoting what we have in the regions....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is in the proportion of new investments, but the proportion of new jobs is actually marginally better than 44%, so it is not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: These are investments approved, so these are new projects, and if one looked at employment it is 48%. The low point was 23% in terms of employment created, which is an end-of-year, retrospective number. That recovered in 2013 to 30%. By 23 July of this year, the number of projects was 33, 13 of which were outside Dublin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: I have looked at the literature on entrepreneurship because we are drawing up this policy and it focuses on networks that are not created by government. The Government can do a certain amount, but the magic ingredient is often in the business-led networks, whether through mentoring or allowing products get onto shelves, or angel investors. A large part of these successful regions and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: First, I agree that we do not go out thinking that our employment challenge is cracked. On the other hand, it is fair to point out that there has been a good regional spread. In 2013 every region of the country saw an improvement in employment, but not at the same rate; clearly, regional challenges remain. To address that challenge we will be introducing a framework for a regional...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Richard Bruton: First, I congratulate you, a Chathaoirligh, on your appointment and wish you well. The committee has been very ably guided in recent times by Deputy English and I know you will continue that. The committee has been extraordinarily constructive in its approach. We might not share what the solutions are in all cases, but there is certainly a shared view that we must transition the economy...

Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: From the Seanad (17 Jul 2014)

Richard Bruton: This is merely a technical amendment that was picked up in drafting.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (17 Jul 2014)

Richard Bruton: The “Succeed in Ireland” initiative has been in existence since March 2012. The initiative launched by the government, is managed by IDA Ireland and executed under contract by Connect Ireland. Connect Ireland on IDA’s behalf, markets, promotes and implements the ‘Succeed in Ireland’ initiative in the international marketplace. Under the contract,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Remit (17 Jul 2014)

Richard Bruton: Anyone interested in starting their own business should in the first instance contact their Local Enterprise Office (LEO). The LEOs support the indigenous micro-enterprise sector in the start-up and expansion phases and stimulate enterprise potential at local level. They are the first port of call in terms of advice and guidance for anyone who wishes to start or expand a business. The LEOs...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (17 Jul 2014)

Richard Bruton: As you know, the Forfás Strategy for the Manufacturing Sector, which I commissioned and which was published last year, identified that an additional 20,000 jobs can be created in the sector by 2016. To this end, the enterprise agencies and other relevant players have been tasked with working to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing in Ireland by working with companies and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland offers a range of financial and non-financial supports to assist companies through all stages of the business development cycle. Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start fund is aimed at accelerating the development of High Potential Start-Up companies (HPSUs) and creating a strong pipeline of HPSUs. Enterprise Ireland piloted the Competitive Start Fund in 2011 which...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (17 Jul 2014)

Richard Bruton: The industrial relations system in Ireland is voluntary in nature both as regards access to the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court. Any change to that principle would alter fundamentally the conduct of industrial relations. Mandatory attendance at conciliation would clearly affect potential for agreed outcomes compared to situations where the parties attend voluntarily. I...