Results 23,321-23,340 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Code of Practice on Access to Part-Time Working, which was promulgated in 2006, already contains provisions relating to the provision of additional hours of work to employees. The Code was prepared by the Labour Relations Commission in line with Section 13(5) of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001. The provisions in the 2001 Act had implemented an EU Directive, which...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Emigration Levels (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The most recent official figures from the CSO are for the year ended April 2012. Emigration from Ireland in the twelve months to April 2012 is estimated to have increased to 87,100 from 80,600 in the year to April 2011, while the number of immigrants is estimated to have fallen marginally to 52,700 from 53,300 over the same period. The combined effect of natural increase and negative net...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The State has a significant body of employment rights legislation designed to protect workers. There is no distinction made under this legislation between workers on grounds as to whether or not they are classified as European Economic Area workers or migrant workers. The State provides a number of mechanisms through which these statutory employment rights can be vindicated and enforced. ...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: In October 2011, I launched a €10 million International Start-Up Fund aimed at encouraging overseas entrepreneurs to locate start-up businesses in Ireland. The Fund, which is administered by Enterprise Ireland, targets investor-ready projects seeking financial support of between €200,000 and €500,000. Funding is in the form of an equity stake taken by the State in the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Procurement (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: There is a series of actions included in the Action Plan for Jobs aimed at implementing the commitment in the Programme for Government to improve access to public procurement for SMEs. These include ensuring that the qualifying criteria for public contracts are proportionate, and providing advice to firms on how to improve their engagement in the procurement process. Some of these actions...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: There are two major elements to the Government’s response to unemployment – Pathways to Work and the Action Plan for Jobs. The aim of the Action Plan for Jobs is to create a supportive environment for enterprise to create and sustain new jobs, while the aim of Pathways to Work is ensure that as many of those jobs as possible go to people who are currently on the Live Register,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Proposed Legislation (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Government is committed to reform of the State’s Workplace Relations Services. The system that developed over the last sixty years had become unwieldy and complex; it lacked consistency, involved long delays and in some cases proved expensive for users. In short, the system was no longer fit for purpose and it was for this reason that I have commenced a root-and-branch reform...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Shortages (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the Report of Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, ‘A review of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills demand in Ireland’ and look forward to meeting with the Committee shortly to discuss its findings. Ireland has to compete with other countries for migrant labour, particularly in respect of high-level skills. Skills required in the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 45 together. North South economic co-operation is and will remain a priority of mine and of the Government. To this effect, there is on-going dialogue between relevant Ministers and officials, North and South, to promote economic development, job creation and innovation, in the border region. From my own perspective, I attend meetings in the Trade...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs recognises the role that communities and local businesses play in supporting and creating jobs. The Plan includes a number of commitments on the part of Government to encourage and support local initiatives that promote job creation. One of these is that the Government will examine the potential to establish a Community Investment Fund which would be allocated to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Initiatives (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: The JobBridge internship scheme is part of the Government’s approach to helping unemployed people to get back to work. The scheme falls within the responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton. The objective of JobBridge is to help those seeking employment to gain valuable work experience and enhance their prospects of securing employment. It is just one...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Details of IDA Ireland’s investment announcements, including potential job numbers over the past 5 years, are available on the IDA website – www.idaireland.com. However, I should point out that some investment and job creation projects in client companies are not announced, for example, in cases where the company involved does not wish this to happen. The Forfás Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Business Costs (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Some operating costs for business are largely outside the control of Government. For example, fuel and energy prices are primarily driven by external factors such as global fossil fuel prices. However, the Government’s approach has been to identify those areas of policy it can influence to bring about cost reductions or provide supports to business. The Action Plan for Jobs 2012...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Visa Applications (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: It is important to recognise the importance of the ICT sector in Ireland. Ireland is a successful major centre for ICT operations with nine of the top ten software companies in the world having substantial operations here. There are approximately 82,300 staff employed in the sector. Over the last year, there has been a 5% employment growth for companies engaged within computer programming,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Supporting new and existing indigenous and foreign-owned businesses, across all regions, is central to our plans for recovery, growth and jobs. The Action Plan for Jobs contains a number of measures which are aimed specifically at the facilitation and incentivisation of national enterprise development from start-ups to growth companies. The Enterprise Development agencies are at the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Innovation is a key enabler of job creation but it is extremely difficult to disaggregate the contribution made specifically by innovation towards overall job creation. Ireland is a small open economy which needs to have the export of goods and services at the heart of its economic strategy. In order for our companies to achieve success on the global market they must be innovative in order...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Investments (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: In line with the Governments Action Plan for Jobs 2012 Enterprise Ireland launched the Female Entrepreneurship Competitive Feasibility Fund in July 2012. Enterprise Ireland received 108 applications before the Fund closed on 4th September 2012. The assessment committee deemed the applications to be exceptional in terms of quality and potential and recommended that the top 20 applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland works intensively with high potential start-ups to drive growth and has in place a number of supports to assist entrepreneurs and new start-up companies including those in the healthcare sector. Enterprise Ireland’s financial support directly assists entrepreneurs and leverages matching funding from banks and investors. In addition to financial supports,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: Earlier this year, the Government decided to proceed with a major commitment in the Programme for Government to reform the system for delivery of support to small and micro businesses to make the operating environment more coherent, responsive and conducive to entrepreneurship. The aim is to deliver high quality, accessible micro-enterprise and small business supports that promote the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Scientific and Technological Fund (22 Nov 2012)

Richard Bruton: There has been much discussion across Ireland’s research system in recent months, much of it arising from the National Research Prioritisation Exercise and from other reforms being introduced across Ireland’s research system. Ireland has substantial achievements in science over the past decade. We are now in the top 20 in the world for the quality of our scientific output, and...