Results 24,001-24,020 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Work on the Department's new website (www.enterprise.gov.ie) and a new associated content management system (CMS) is still under way so the final cost of development work is yet to be determined. The new website will, over time, replace the existing Departmental website which has remained substantially unchanged for over ten years. Design and development work is being carried out by pTools...

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

Richard Bruton: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are clients of the industrial development agencies. Information is collected annually and aggregated at county level. The survey shows that in the 5 year period 2007 to 2011, there were a total of 45,512 jobs created in IDA supported companies. Figures for 2012 will not be available until the end of the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Government has an ambition to make Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business by 2016. To achieve this objective, we must improve our international competitiveness and the competitiveness of companies based here. The Action Plan for Jobs, which was launched on 13th February, aims to transform the operating environment for business in order to improve...

Written Answers — Market Access: Market Access (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy, the Government's Trade Strategy and Action Plan for the integrated promotion of overseas trade, tourism and investment, seeks to build on our strengths in existing markets and also to develop exports in emerging economies. This strategy has set a number of ambitious targets and its overall objective is to marshal and coordinate the resources of the...

Written Answers — Job Initiatives: Job Initiatives (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 Enterprise Development agency-supported companies and those in companies...

Job Losses (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising these matters. The expiry of the patent on products manufactured by Pfizer has, unfortunately, resulted in the announcement of the loss of 177 positions in Cork this week. My thoughts are, obviously, with the workers and their families. All the applicable supports of the State will be made available to the workers if they are needed. I have spoken to the...

Job Losses (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The situation is not quite as the Deputy projects. Rent is certainly cited as a factor in the examinership of Atlantic Homecare but the big factor is the collapse in revenue. That is clearly stated by the company, and is not untypical of many companies closely connected to the construction sector. Deputy O'Dea raises a fundamental point of company law. To move from a system that allows the...

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Ireland has suffered an enormous dislocation of employment as a result of the deep financial crisis and serious policy failures of the previous Government. In the three years prior to the Government taking office, over 300,000 jobs were lost. This scale of job loss cannot be reversed overnight. This employment crisis is the central challenge facing Government. In response, the Government...

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I fully agree that the biggest crisis we face as a nation is the employment crisis. I do not dispute that. To be honest, I had no role in the scheduling of the timing of Question Time.

Job Creation (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I take them at whatever is the appointed time. We are undertaking a difficult transformation in the economy. That is the truth of the matter. We built a property bubble that was unsustainable. Part of it meant the construction sector grew well beyond what was sustainable in the long term. The reason we have seen the huge rise in unemployment is the wipe-out of the construction sector....

Action Plan for Jobs (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I have met the representatives of small businesses in north Dublin, including Drumcondra and Clontarf, and recently held a public meeting with small businesses across the north side to discuss the action plan for jobs. The concerns raised included access to finance, competitiveness of costs, prompt payments, VAT thresholds, enterprise supports, regulatory burdens, employer costs and sectoral...

Action Plan for Jobs (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: I do not accept that the needs of small business are not receiving sufficient attention. In my Department the Minister of State, Deputy John Perry, specialises in supporting small businesses and has been active in that regard. This is not to say the problems have been solved. Far from it, but we have access to finance and a micro-finance initiative for small businesses is being worked on,...

Economic Competitiveness (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The action plan for jobs 2012 which was published on 13 February includes an extensive range of measures across government that will help to reduce costs for businesses and support job creation, including in each of the areas identified by the Deputy. For example, the majority of local authorities have reduced or frozen their annual rates of valuation at 2011 levels, NAMA is taking action to...

Economic Competitiveness (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy has raised several issues that are not my direct responsibility. Accordingly, I cannot give him comprehensive answers on these and would advise him to table questions to the relevant Ministers. The ESB is undergoing a cost-reduction programme of 20% in its cost base. The valuation (amendment) Bill will be introduced to deal with commercial rates as has the legal services Bill....

Economic Competitiveness (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Deputy O'Dea is simply wrong. The Government did not increase any of the employment related costs, neither income tax nor PRSI. In fact, it reduced PRSI and took people out of the universal social charge. We actually reduced the costs on employment directly in the last budget. It was the previous Administration that did what the Deputy has just claimed. Action is being taken against...

Economic Competitiveness (7 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The statistics would not support that claim.

Written Answers — Prompt Payments System: Prompt Payments System (6 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: Since 2009, Central Government Departments have been improving their respective payment times, so as to assist the cash flow of businesses, and are obliged to pay their suppliers within 15 days of receipt of a valid invoice. This 15 day prompt payment rule was introduced by Government on an administrative basis. Departments are required to report quarterly to my Department on their...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: It is important to maintain an appropriate balance in terms of labour market flexibility and protection of employees and this is something that is constantly under review. The most recent evidence supporting the view that Ireland is among the least rigid labour markets is available from the OECD's most recent report on the subject of employment protection and the extent of its rigidity...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (6 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: The current Programme for Government contained a commitment to reverse the €1 per hour reduction in the National Minimum Wage introduced by the previous Government on 1 February 2011. The increase was provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 and effected by the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 (Section 11) (No. 2) Order 2011 on July 1st 2011. The restoration of the National...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (6 Jun 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not provide direct funding or grants to businesses but provides funding to a number of State Agencies, including the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) and Enterprise Ireland, through whom assistance is delivered directly to businesses. The role of Dublin City Enterprise Board as part of the network of CEBs is to develop indigenous potential and stimulate economic...