Results 24,221-24,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The total spend of my Department and the Offices of my Department on External Public Relations and Communications Consultants and the name of each organisation used for the period 2011 to date is as follows:- Year Name of Consultant/Organisation Purpose Cost 2011 Barberry Limited; trading as Keating & Associates To provide NERA with Communication Services; including PR; media monitoring;...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not compile statistics on the number of SMEs in operation here or the number of staff they employ. Responsibility for statistical information rests with the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Information received from the CSO shows that the number of persons engaged in small and medium enterprises (employing up to 250 people) in the total business economy was 900,952 in...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: While the rights of employers in transfer situations may vary, depending on the particular characteristics involved, the transfer to which the Deputy refers will have regard to the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 131 of 2003). These Regulations provide that the rights and obligations of the original employer, arising from...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The query in this case relates to a contract for the supply of goods which was awarded by a Local Authority. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific contracts in the procurement process which are a matter for the procuring authority and the company in question regarding any issues or queries on the awarding of particular contracts. I am, however, keen to ensure that SMEs...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: In December 2011, the European Commission launched a "Youth Opportunities Initiative" in response to the growing problem of youth unemployment across the EU. The Commission's communique of 20 December 2011 set out a number of actions which will be financed directly by the Commission as part of the Initiative. These include measures to be supported by the European Social Fund and by the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Tackling the cost of doing business is a shared objective across the whole of Government. Since coming into office, we have taken a number of measures to reduce business costs. In the Jobs Initiative last May, we halved the rate of Employer's PRSI on earnings up to €356 per week and reduced the lower rate of VAT on certain goods and services, from 13.5% to 9%. The Restaurant Association...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (25 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Action Plan for Jobs 2012 contains over 270 actions for delivery across all 15 Government Departments and 36 State agencies, to support employment creation and retention. Each action is broken down into quarterly measures - or milestones - for delivery, and the body responsible for implementation of those measures is identified. A Monitoring Committee, comprising representatives from the...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Moriarty Tribunal made two recommendations for changes to company law, as follows: That a provision similar to section 172 of the UK Companies Act, 2006 be adopted, together with the adoption of additional implementation or enforcement measures. That consideration be given by the Oireachtas, and/or by the Company Law Review Group, to enacting provisions similar to those contained in Part...

Written Answers — Trade Relations: Trade Relations (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The focus of my visit to China was to provide opportunities for exporters to increase their profile with prospective trade buyers and expand access to existing and potential customers across as many business sectors as possible. The trade mission was focused on the enterprise to enterprise aspects of doing business with China. Consequently, the mission was organised by Enterprise Ireland...

Written Answers — Trade Agreements: Trade Agreements (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Negotiating trade agreements is a matter of trade policy which comes within the competence of the EU Commission. Accordingly, no bilateral trade agreements were signed between Ireland and China. Three Memoranda of Understanding were signed between Ireland and China during the recent visit of Vice Premier Xi Jinping to Ireland and the subsequent trade mission that I led to China in March....

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Heads of a Bill to give effect to the Microfinance Fund have been agreed by Government and the Bill is due for publication in Quarter 2 2012. The Fund will be managed and controlled by the Social Finance Foundation (SFF). Funding of €10m has been allocated as seed capital for the Fund in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation's Vote for 2012. It is anticipated that this €10m...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Development Capital Scheme as outlined in the Action Plan for Jobs has been developed to complement the existing suite of financial supports offered by Enterprise Ireland. A range of other initiatives are already in place for the provision of capital at the early stage and scaling phases, and a clear market failure was identified in the availability of risk capital for established...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Draft heads of the Consumer and Competition Bill which, inter alia, give effect to the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, were approved by Government in July 2011 and were then forwarded to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for drafting. I expect the Bill to be published later this year.

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together. The Deputies' questions concern a dispute between the company and twenty employees in relation to a claim for enhanced redundancy terms of four weeks pay per year of service in addition to statutory redundancy entitlements, following the acquisition of the company and the closure of its Dublin offices in 2011. The company rejected the...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme, on which legislation was published on 3 April, is designed to address two specific market failures, namely: 1. inadequacy of collateral (Pillar 1) and 2. inadequacy of bank understanding of novel aspects of the business environment, particularly in the areas of new markets, new technologies and business models (Pillar 2), which may restrict the...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Neither I nor any of my officials have attended any meetings recently regarding recommendations in the Moriarty and Mahon Tribunal reports.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department processes applications in respect of the different types of employment permits and all applications are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006. A Work Permit application in respect of the above named was received in my Department on 16 March 2012. A letter issued from my Department to the applicant on 5 April 2012 seeking additional information in respect of the...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: My Department has the lead responsibility for the Competitiveness Council and for the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO). When the Foreign Affairs Council considers trade matters, such matters also come within the remit of my Department. The Competitiveness Council itself is sub-divided into industry, internal market and research issues. The Employment,...

Written Answers — Action Plan for Jobs: Action Plan for Jobs (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 323, 326, 329 to 331, inclusive, 333 to 336, inclusive, 339 to 343, inclusive, 345 to 349, inclusive, 351 to 354, inclusive, and 356 to 358, inclusive, together. The Questions the Deputy has raised relate to measures the Government undertook to deliver in the first Quarter of 2012 as part of the Action Plan for Jobs. The first Progress Report on the Action...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (24 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Section 1.12 of the Action Plans for Jobs provides for a commitment to enact legislation to reform wage setting mechanisms. To this end, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 2011 was published on 22 December 2011. The Bill has completed Second Stage in the Dáil and is currently awaiting Committee Stage. The main purpose of the Bill is to implement the commitment in the Programme...