Results 21,461-21,480 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Losses (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Assay Office is an independent test-laboratory, set up by Royal Charter in 1637, in which I as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation have no direct day to day role or responsibility.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Data Protection (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: My Department's Freedom of Information Officer provides assistance to persons who wish to apply for access to information under the Freedom of Information Act 1997, as amended. This post was created following the coming into effect of the Freedom of Information Act in 1998 to ensure that the Department can effectively comply with its obligations as set down under the Act. In addition, my...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permit Applications (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: There is no record in my Department of a Work Permit application in respect of the persons named by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (19 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Negotiations between the EU and the US on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) began formally in July 2013, with the first round of negotiations held in Washington in the week beginning 8 July 2013. Two further rounds of negotiations took place in November and December 2013 while the fourth round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in Brussels during week commencing...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (19 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland’s primary responsibility is to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and, in the case of Enterprise Ireland, to support indigenous industry. At present, there are 19 IDA supported companies in Co. Wicklow employing 2,443 people. IDA Ireland has strong relationships with these companies and works closely with them to ensure their long term sustainability and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights Issues (19 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I have brought the employees’ situation to the attention of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), which has made contact with the person whose details were provided by the Deputy NERA is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. Under the current reform programme, NERA’s Information Unit has been restructured and expanded to form a new...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Collins has a great interest in mentoring. I saw recently an interesting point in a review of mentoring to the effect that two thirds of all mentoring is of start-up businesses while only one third is of existing businesses. The point was made that this is not a proper balance. One should really be considering the strengthening of one's existing base of SMEs or micro-enterprises....

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 8: In page 5, line 31, to delete “Every right” and substitute “Subject to subsection (5) of section 12, every right”.Section 12 provides for Forfás, Enterprise Ireland or local authorities to accept into their employment staff who were previously employed by the county enterprise board on terms and conditions no less favourable in regard...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 9: In page 8, to delete lines 13 to 23 and substitute the following:“(5)(a) Save in accordance with a collective agreement negotiated with a recognised trade union or staff association and approved by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the entitlement to any superannuation benefit of, or in respect of, a person who was...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Essentially, it comes through the service level agreement.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Apart from that it is the work done by the officials and my Department-----

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: There are issues such as the transfer of the 50 people and the services committed to delivery in the local enterprise offices. We have met those involved and worked out the delivery expectations. That will continue and intensify as we move to the set-up process. We will be meeting all the county and city managers to drive home the opportunity and responsibility of this, and we will...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Exactly. Each year we will consider an area in which LEOs could shape up with some innovative thinking and there would be some financial incentive to support that through the budget allocation. It would be a carrot more than a stick but the stick exists in the service level agreement.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I was a member of local authorities for a long time and I do not believe members of a board are required for an effective role for local authorities in overseeing and driving an enterprise strategy. Those involved will have access to metrics and key executives. I would look to local councillors to be a big part of the enthusiastic drivers of a better enterprise strategy coming from local...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is not the case because we will, through the procedures manual, create an expectation of compliance with all obligations. We will also go further in establishing a first-stop shop to allow companies to access information in respect of relevant areas. They will also have access to a service in respect of local obligations, including licensing, health regulations and planning...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The background to this is that we are not providing a legal framework for the service level agreement. This is technical legislation which moves the functions previously located in the country enterprise boards to Enterprise Ireland and allows them to enter into arrangements. We should not set out a legal obligation in this sphere. I accept, however, that we should re-examine the service...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy makes a reasonable argument. The reason we established a small business centre of excellence in Enterprise Ireland is to do just as he proposes. We need to create within national policy institutions a drive to improve the capacity of small businesses at local level to establish and grow. Implicit in this is that the domestic economy and export orientated sectors are equally...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the sentiment that we should ensure that people who get State support are compliant. We propose there will be a procedures manual for the local enterprise offices. We are currently working on that and a requirement of compliance with labour law will be included in that review. We will examine exactly what the Deputy has set out. We must strike a balance. Some of these are...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: We have legislation, be it labour, environmental or law, and those laws are equipped with their own enforcement mechanisms, which will be proportionate to the offence that they identify. I do not think that we should set up a body, the job of which is to support the growth of enterprise, and in some way to try to reserve to it a policing role in regard to areas like Revenue where Revenue has...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Feb 2014)

Richard Bruton: Clearly, there are different levels of non-compliance. People can inadvertently fail to comply with any item of legislation but what we seek to do here is to provide a first-stop-shop to make sure that particularly new small businesses are aware of their obligations and opportunities. The reason we are bringing in, for example, the local authority, which is in charge of licensing in respect...