Results 23,961-23,980 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (12 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's question appears to arise from the concerns of workers affected by the non-implementation on the part of an employer of a recommendation made by the Labour Court in a dispute in relation to a claim for enhanced redundancy terms in excess of the employees' statutory redundancy entitlement, following the acquisition of the company and the closure of its Dublin offices in 2011. As I...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (12 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs 2012 contains a range of supports for small and medium-sized businesses, including a €150m Development Capital Scheme aimed at addressing a funding gap for mid-sized, high-growth indigenous companies with significant prospects for jobs and export growth, a Loan Guarantee Scheme and a €100m Micro-Finance Loan Scheme. The Plan also contains measures to reduce costs...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (12 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: As I have previously indicated, it is my intention to implement the provisions of Articles 19 and 22 of the Consumer Rights Directive on payment charges and additional charges by the end of this year. My Department is awaiting clarification from the European Commission on a number of issues relating to Article 19. On receipt of this clarification, the Department will issue a consultation...

Estimates for Public Services 2012 (12 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I move the following Revised Estimates: Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €32,082,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2012, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Finance, including the Paymaster-General's Office, for certain...

Unemployment Levels (12 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Deasy for raising this issue and I understand his concern. The figures show the south east with the highest rate of unemployment in the country at 19.7%. That was a feature even in the good times. It was an area with high unemployment even while there was strong performance in the rest of the country. Unemployment blackspots, which disappeared in many parts of the country,...

Unemployment Levels (12 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I acknowledge Deputy Deasy's point that the agencies have increased their activity in the region and I note his acknowledgement of the sectoral opportunities for development such as in the life sciences. I will pursue his query as to the reason for the lack of quarterly meetings by the forum. My impression is that there is quite an amount of bottom-up commitment in the region. I will raise...

Controlled Product Exports (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with national and EU legislation, my Department is responsible for issuing licenses for exports of dual use items outside the EU, certain military products both within and outside the EU and for implementing EU trade sanctions. The first report on the operation of the Control of Exports Act 2008 was published in September 2011. One of the most significant aspects of this...

Controlled Product Exports (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: As I indicated, I will look at the issue. There is quite a bit of transparency in the existing document and, for example, it shows the military licences by destination. None of the countries to which the Deputy referred is on that list. There is quite a bit of information on the different types of products, setting out the criteria used which are pretty robust. The document details all...

Controlled Product Exports (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Each licence is different. Some specify the end user where there is a high level of concern. Some licences are more global, and the country rather than the specific end user is specified. We go into that level of detail to assure ourselves that a dual use product will not go to a country where there is high risk to an end user or if we have questions about the process. There is a level of...

Job Losses (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 41 together. The latest available data from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, indicates that exports of medical and pharmaceutical products to the United States in the first quarter of this year decreased by €1.1 billion and that total exports of these products decreased by €772 million when compared to the corresponding period in 2011. A...

Job Losses (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The IDA has recognised and anticipated this for many years. Part of the response was to shift into biopharmaceuticals, which is a growth area. There are horizon and sunset products in this sector and the trick for the IDA is to make sure we are at the horizon side. For example, Eli Lilly announced an investment of €330 million in a new facility at Kinsale, County Cork, creating 200 jobs....

Job Losses (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I am confident, although I acknowledge this has not been an easy year by any means. However, the evidence is that despite our difficulties, this sector, which employs 25,000 people, increased employment by 1,400 last year. We are, therefore, beating the trend about which the Deputy is worried. A total of 1,200 new job approvals have been announced so far this year. It is not true that we...

Job Losses (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Deputy that more patents need to be generated. The Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, and I have gone through the research prioritisation exercise and tomorrow he will launch the IP protocol to make it easier for small companies to access higher education research in order that it can be rolled out into commercial products. Enterprise Ireland backs technology clusters that...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 19 together. As the House is aware, the Government has imposed SME lending targets on the two domestic pillar banks for the three calendar years, 2011 to 2013. Both banks were required to sanction lending, including lending for working capital purposes, of at least €3 billion in 2011, €3.5 billion this year and €4 billion in 2013 for new or...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 24 together. On 8 May last, the Government approved a number of amendments to the Industrial Relations (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2011. It should be remembered that the main purpose of the Bill is to implement reform proposals in line with the commitment in the Government's Programme for National Recovery to reform the JLC system to make them more...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: An annual Exchequer allocation is provided under the Estimates process for the CEBs. The 2012 allocation is €26.4m of which €15m is for the provision of direct grant aid and the provision of training, mentoring and advisory services to micro-enterprises. Individual CEB allocations are determined by the CEB Central Coordination Unit within Enterprise Ireland (CCU). In determining these...

Written Answers — Workplace Safety: Workplace Safety (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Health and Safety Authority – an Agency of my Department - is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated statutory provisions. To date this year, 17 workplace deaths have been reported to the Authority. 54 workplace fatalities were reported for the whole of 2011. Every workplace fatality is a tragedy. In that...

Written Answers — Job Statistics: Job Statistics (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The total number of jobs created in IDA Ireland client companies over the period 2008 to 2011 is 34,579. Over the same period 44,650 jobs were lost in the agency's client companies. At the end of 2011 there were 145,878 people employed in 1,004 IDA client companies. I attach a tabular statement showing the yearly movements. 2011 saw a strong performance in the level of FDI won by Ireland....

Written Answers — Exports of Controlled Products: Exports of Controlled Products (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Summary information in respect of Dual Use and Military export licenses issued by my Department for 2011 is available on my Department's website at the following address : www.djei.ie/trade/export/Export_Licences_2011.pdf This information shows the number and value of licences issued by my Department. In the interests of improving transparency on the issue of export licences, similar...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The figures in respect of jobs in Enterprise Development agency-supported companies and those supported by the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) are compiled in the Forfás Annual Employment Survey and the CEB Annual Employment Survey respectively on an annualised basis. The figures in respect of jobs created in 2011 are set out in Table 1 accompanying this reply. In 2011, IDA Ireland...