Results 21,821-21,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permit Criteria (3 Dec 2013)

Richard Bruton: The employment of foreign nationals in the State is governed by the Employment Permits Acts 2003 to 2013. The law is clear on the matter of employment of 3rd country nationals - it is illegal for such a 3rd country national to be employed without the State's permission and it is an offence for both the 3rd country national and the employer concerned. Illegal employment of 3rd country...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Redundancy Payments (3 Dec 2013)

Richard Bruton: Claims in respect of statutory redundancy and minimum notice, where they remain unpaid, can be taken to the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT). A claim for statutory redundancy must be submitted within one year from the date of dismissal, and up to two years at the discretion of the Tribunal and where reasonable cause is shown. There is no statutory limit for submitting a claim for minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services Provision (3 Dec 2013)

Richard Bruton: Earlier this year, Forfas published a report on Social Enterprise in Ireland. What is clear from the Forfas report is that social enterprises are not a homogenous group. There are many different types of social enterprises engaged in a wide variety of activity. The spectrum ranges from enterprises that are fully dependent on State support, to a small number of commercially trading...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Funding (3 Dec 2013)

Richard Bruton: I understand from Enterprise Ireland that the companies concerned received grant funding from Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland paid grant funding to the companies in question totalling €202,005.83. These grants were awarded over a period beginning in 1997 and concluding in 2012 under programmes covering areas such as Research and Development and Capital grants. The grant...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Media Mergers (3 Dec 2013)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the proposed Consumer Protection and Competition Bill is, amongst other things, to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers. Work is at an advanced stage on the drafting of the Bill and it is hoped to finalise it before the end of the year. Given the proposed transfer of responsibility for the public interest test in relation to media mergers to...

Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (28 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank Deputies for facilitating an early debate on the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 and the urgent issues it addresses. It is the second Bill I have introduced this year to amend the Companies Acts and has already passed all Stages in the Seanad. It provides for a small number of immediate and targeted changes to...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: Arising from Budget 2014, the 2014 Exchequer allocation to my Department and the agencies under its aegis has been set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at €781 million. This allocation comprises a current allocation of €339 million and a capital allocation of €442 million. Individual allocations across my Department and its agencies will be presented...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: Unfortunately, the agencies operating under the remit of my Department and every other Department are being reduced in size. That is the reality within which we are working. There have been reductions of approximately 15% in staff numbers. Departments and agencies have been required to seek to work in a smarter way by reorganising their activities. Enterprise Ireland has been particularly...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: A number of questions have been asked. We have received agreement from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to fill some key positions in Enterprise Ireland. There will be ongoing discussions between his Department and my Department on how the capacity of Enterprise Ireland might be developed against a background of resource constraints. Clearly, we will continue to find plans...

Other Questions: Regional Development (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: The truth is I cannot build roads. I do not have the authority to do so nor can I fund the building of roads. While I am sure there is great merit in the Deputy's proposal, I am not the Minister to do it but I can support enterprises. We have 14 IDA Ireland and 180 Enterprise Ireland companies in County Donegal. We will approach those companies in the coming year to see what their plans...

Other Questions: Job Creation Data (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Forfás annual employment survey reports on job gains and losses in companies supported by the industrial development agencies. Data are compiled on an annualised basis and is aggregated at county level. Figures for 2013 will not be available until the end of the year. In the two-year period, 2010 to 2012, inclusive, the total employment numbers in IDA Ireland client companies in...

Other Questions: Job Creation Data (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: As I said, IDA and Enterprise Ireland numbers are collected by way of a survey of those companies and they will not be available until later in the year. The survey results from the CSO, which has nothing to do with my Department but which were published yesterday, cover groups of counties. It does not break it down by county. However, the Border region, which includes County Donegal, saw...

Other Questions: Job Creation Data (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy was a member of the party which was in government previously. We have secured a 25% increase in the number of people working in IDA companies in the past two years. That contrasts with the situation under the previous regime of a reduction of approximately 33%. This is a strong performance and the Deputy needs to recognise that. I do not think he should be bad-mouthing the...

Other Questions: Job Creation Data (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: -----in developing companies. Much work is being done and more work will be put into this but the progress must be acknowledged.

Other Questions: Trade Agreements (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: Agreements of this nature have to come back for ratification. The European Commission is mandated to negotiate on behalf of the governments but the deal must be agreed in the end by the governments. We have a common market in the EU so if we are negotiating rules with other markets it is appropriate that the Commission would conduct the negotiation. If legally binding agreements are put in...

Other Questions: Trade Agreements (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: Corporations always have the right to sue States. There is nothing innovative about that. If an international agreement gives certain terms of access, a corporation is entitled to see that parties which have contracted to that agreement would respect that. As I said in my reply, this in no way seeks to change the legal protections the EU has in any area, whether in food, intellectual...

Other Questions: Regional Development (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 22 together. Enterprise Ireland runs many initiatives to help sustain existing jobs and to create new jobs in the county and provides funding to the Institute of Technology in Letterkenny to build research capabilities in County Donegal and the north west region. There are 180 Enterprise Ireland client companies in County Donegal employing 2,655...

Other Questions: Regional Development (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: Deputy McConalogue has a total misunderstanding of the purpose of the capital budget allocated to my Department. It is to support enterprises that are growing. It is not available for road projects, which would have to be funded by other Departments. Perhaps the Deputy would direct his question to those Departments. We support Enterprise Ireland and IDA companies and micro-companies in...

Other Questions: Trade Agreements (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy introduced a new matter that was not in his original question. The mandate given to the European Commission, the negotiator for the EU in the transatlantic trade and investment partnership, TTIP, negotiations is a broad-ranging one. It builds on the outcome of the work of the EU-US high level group that recommended that negotiations on a comprehensive trade and investment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Development Capital Scheme (27 Nov 2013)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland has a mandate that is focused on export oriented companies. The skill we bring in for these companies, for example, is in people who have the capacity to enter new markets. The scheme is aimed predominantly at export oriented companies. We have large numbers of companies with great growth capacity and these are well spread throughout the regions, in the areas of food,...