Results 24,381-24,400 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Alcohol Pricing: Alcohol Pricing (7 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Since the repeal of the Restrictive Practices legislation, no statutory basis exists for me, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to make a minimum pricing order in respect of alcohol or indeed any product. I am aware of concerns raised about the high level of consumption of alcohol and the consequential detrimental effects caused to individuals and to society in general. In...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (7 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The accompanying details are available in regard to the Deputy's question. Competition Authority The Competition Authority consists of a full-time Chairperson and up to four other full-time members who act as an executive board. A serving member of the Competition Authority was appointed as Chairperson of the Authority on a temporary basis with effect from 27th April 2010 until his...

Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (7 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together. My Department has no responsibility or function for any inspections carried out by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and does not have the information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: A dynamic and healthy venture capital market is a prerequisite for the growth and development of high potential start-up companies in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland assists companies who wish to raise venture capital funding to grow their businesses, focusing on stimulating funding for companies that would have difficulty raising capital through traditional sources of finance. The agency's...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: With regard to the Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme, an Operator has been selected through a public tendering process and will be contracted by my Department to act as the agent for the practical oversight, management and operation of the Scheme. Primary legislation to underpin the Scheme is being urgently progressed with the Attorney General's Office, and a Credit Guarantee Bill...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: People who were previously self-employed and who are out of work can avail of the services of the state agencies for a range of supports. For those seeking employment, a variety of supports are available through the Department of Social Protection, including the services to jobseekers provided by FAS. Further details of services for jobseekers are available on the website www.fas.ie . ...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the successful outcome of discussions at the International Labour Conference (ILC) that lead to the adoption of a new International labour standard aimed at ensuring Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The final text of the draft Convention was one that the Irish Government was in a position to support and the Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers now becomes ILO Convention...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Ireland's system of industrial relations is, essentially, voluntary in nature and responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes is a matter for the parties involved. The system of industrial relations in Ireland is designed to help and support parties in their efforts to resolve their differences, rather than imposing a solution on the parties to an industrial dispute. It is...

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

Richard Bruton: The Carer's Leave provisions 2001 to 2006 provide that a person may take leave to care for a person, who is deemed by the Department of Social Protection to be in need of such care. The original provisions of the 2001 Carer's Leave Act were amended by Section 48 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act (2006) which increased Carer's leave from 65 to 104 weeks. I have no plans at the...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together. The table outlines the number of FOI requests received, the relevant fees paid as well as the overall amounts received in respect of FOI requests in each of the years 2002 to 2011: Year No of requests Application Fee€ Internal Review application Fee€ Balance of Search & Retrieval paid€ Total Fees received€ 2002* 205 N/A N/A...

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

Richard Bruton: 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 for Government to reform the Joint Labour Committee system. The reform of the legal framework for our statutory wage setting mechanisms...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Government's Action Plan for Jobs outlines a number of actions which will be implemented in 2012 to support the Cloud Computing sector in Ireland. Such actions include: · Examining the potential for demonstration projects in cloud computing to promote Ireland as a centre of excellence for this technology, providing a reference site for Irish companies, while potentially lowering costs...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Cullinane for raising this issue on the Adjournment. While Article 40 of the Constitution guarantees the right of citizens to form associations and unions, it has been established in a number of legal cases that the constitutional guarantee of the freedom of association does not guarantee workers the right to have their union recognised for the purpose of collective...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: It is not Government policy to introduce mandatory recognition of trade unions, as outlined in my reply. The policy is to seek to deal with court rulings that have occurred in this area and in particular to find a workable solution that-----

Seanad: Industrial Relations (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: I do not have the legal expertise to advise the Senator on that.

Seanad: Industrial Relations (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Yes, indeed. To be honest, I do not know. It is not Government policy to have mandatory recognition, as it is essentially a voluntary system. The reason is that many investors do not recognise trade unions. We have a mixed system. What evolved under the industrial relations Acts, is that trade union representation was not recognised and there were still issues that needed to be resolved...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Contributions have been quite wide ranging. Senator White focused on the banks and made a very valid case. The recent Mazars report, which was commissioned by the Department of Finance, sheds considerable light on the problems. Demand for credit from small businesses has reduced substantially, which is understandable given that many businesses are trying to reduce their exposure to debt....

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: That is a problem. The Government is taking a range of initiatives. Clearly monitoring the banks' delivery on their targets is being done much more aggressively this year. There has been a series of meetings with the banks since the beginning of the year. Mr. John Moran, the senior official in the Department of Finance dealing with banking, is on the road show with the Minister of State,...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: Both organisations have been reducing in size, especially Enterprise Ireland. Let us consider the size of Enterprise Ireland now compared to what it was ten years ago. There is no comparison in respect of the reform carried out.

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Richard Bruton: That is an easy critique to put forward. It is easy to suggest that the number of jobs went down despite continued investment at a time of declining employment in a recession. The truth is that companies and job creation do not have an indefinite life. Jobs do not last forever. Companies merge and change and certain projects succeed. A project that remains in the country for seven years...