Results 21,361-21,380 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Economic Competitiveness (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The competitiveness and industrial performance of EU Member States is monitored on an on-going basis by the European Commission and is reported on in the Commission’s annual Competitiveness Report. The Commission’s 2013 report on Ireland’s industrial performance acknowledges that, while challenges remain, the economic adjustment programme that has been implemented by the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises Supports (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since coming into office this Government has had a clear focus on assisting SMEs to establish, expand and export, with a view to driving economic recovery and creating jobs across the country. SMEs make up over 99% of businesses in the enterprise economy in Ireland and account for almost 70% of people employed. One of the measures introduced by Government is the “Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Social Partnership Meetings (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: None of my recent meetings with social partner organisations involved discussions on the issue of pay increases. A return to wage bargaining is already visible in certain sectors of the economy. In this regard, I note that the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation has indicated that around half of its members expect to experience some level of pay increase over the next 18...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Credit Guarantee Scheme Application Numbers (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together. The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) was established under the Credit Guarantee Act 2012, to address specific market failures in lending to SMEs and in response to calls from business interests. It is a novel Scheme in an Irish context and it is currently developing a position in the Irish financial arena. My Department, along...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Appointments to State Boards (11 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since coming to Office in March 2011 the process for appointments to State Boards, has been administered, where appropriate, through the Public Appointments Service (PAS). PAS publicly invites Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified persons to fill vacancies, as they arise, on the boards of the various agencies within my Department’s remit. The most recent invitation took...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (6 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The inaugural ‘Taking Care of Business’ event took place in Dublin in October last year. This event brought together a co-ordinating group of 27 Agencies and public bodies who organised and participated in this event. Feedback from the attendees was extremely positive and included a suggestion to hold regional events. These regional events will be held in Limerick, Galway and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (6 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: As part of the Action Plan for Jobs consultation process, I have initiated a series of regional meetings across the country. The purpose of each meeting is to outline the Government’s approach to the creation of employment and to promote increased take up of the new and existing supports which are available, such as the Micro Finance fund and the Credit Guarantee Scheme, to small and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (6 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: In the judgment delivered on 9 May 2013 in the McGowan case, the Supreme Court held that Part III of the Industrial Relations Act 1946 was invalid having regard to Article 15.2.1 of the Constitution. Having considered the legal advice from the Attorney General on the implications of the Supreme Court ruling, and given the importance of the issue for employers and their employees,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (6 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Government is keen to see all costs related to doing business in Ireland being as competitive as possible, to allow enterprises to start-up, grow and create jobs. The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, T.D., has responsibility for the development of the legal framework governing financial regulation. However, I understand that insurance companies are required under law to price in...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Assessments (6 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Forfás Strategy for the Manufacturing Sector, which I commissioned identified that an additional 20,000 jobs can be created in the sector by 2016. A complementary report was also published in relation to skills needs by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and Forfás. Arising from the Strategy and the Skills Report, there are now a range of initiatives in hand by my...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Conway and all the Senators who contributed to this debate. It will be very difficult to do justice to all the issues raised but I will deal with a few thematic ones. Senator Ó Domhnaill raised the issue of regional development. This is a really serious issue that we need to discuss. First, we should start from a factual basis. Every region in the country in the past...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is not the case.

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is the total figure, which is not new and amounts to approximately 2,000 more than in the previous year. The increase in employment is not explained by the number of people moving to schemes.

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: I do not think I will speak in Irish for the duration, I am afraid. I would have to have had advance notice.

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: On a point of order, do I get a chance to respond to the matters raised?

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: As the House knows, this is the third year of the Action Plan for Jobs. The thinking behind it was that employment was a crisis of such dimensions that it needed all of Government to respond. It was not a question of one Department or one set of agencies as it was really a challenge for the entire Government. The thinking behind it was also to get every single Department to look at what...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: Very good. I will just give a rough rundown on what the action plan is. There are core elements that will remain constant from year to year. These are built around issues like competitiveness, which includes skills, research and development, cost structures, red tape and those sorts of areas. There is also the issue of Pathways to Work, which has been developed by the Ministers, Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Quarterly National Household Survey, which was published by the Central Statistics Office on 27 February, showed that the number of people in employment increased by 61,000 year-on-year in the fourth Quarter of 2013, net of a reduction of 5,500 people in the public sector. This was the fifth quarter in succession where employment has grown year-on-year. There are now 1.909 million...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Schemes (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: Anyone interested in starting or expanding their own business should in the first instance contact their local County and City Enterprise Board (CEB). The CEBs 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, direction, training and grant support for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Irish Language Issues (5 Mar 2014)

Richard Bruton: The total expenditure incurred by my Department and it Offices in translating and printing Irish language publications over the last three years was €98,323. The table below provides a breakdown of this amount by the categories requested. Within my Department arrangements are in place whereby staff members who are competent in Irish have volunteered their services with regard to the...