Results 24,921-24,940 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Job Creation (22 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I said plainly in my reply to Deputy Murphy's question that the Government's objective is to put the country back on the road to economic recovery and full employment. I recognise that this ambition will not be realised in the short term, but I agree with the Deputy that we need to set ourselves ambitious targets. We should aim to get back to having 2 million people at work and being in the...

Job Creation (22 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The enterprise development agencies under the remit of my department provide a suite of support measures and interventions that help to support job creation and job retention across the country as a whole, including County Kerry. The overall mix of incentives varies from fiscal policies, such as the 12.5% corporate tax rate that all companies can avail of, to targeted supports or incentives...

Job Creation (22 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I did not say anything about selling any site; IDA Ireland is promoting the Castleisland site. The Deputy asked about the global pharmaceutical centre of excellence and officials from all three enterprise agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development, have been in negotiations since it was first announced. All the agencies have agreed to a collaborative approach, whereby...

Job Creation (22 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: While the Pretty Polly site is very valuable, there are questions about the need to convert the building into units that would make it more usable. That issue may need to be explored locally. I met the sponsors of the LNG project. The key issue in this regard relates to the pricing of gas and whether a fee must be paid in respect of interconnectors. The issue relates to a role that does...

Job Protection (22 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: My priority is that any decision taken by Bank of America should have minimal impact on employees at the Carrick-on-Shannon operation and ensure that jobs are maintained at the facility. I emphasised this when I met with senior executives from Bank of America at their headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina in September. Since then, IDA Ireland has engaged in actively marketing the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (17 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) monitors business cost and competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy and offers recommendations on policy actions required to enhance Ireland's position in these areas. The NCC's 2011 report on the "Costs of Doing Business in Ireland", which was published last June, notes that between February 2002 and April 2008, Ireland experienced a 31%...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (17 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department and the 8 Offices of my Department do not currently rent or lease any properties. All of the properties occupied by the Department and its Offices are provided by the Office of Public Works (OPW) without any cost to the Department or the Offices concerned. In many of those cases, the properties are rented or leased by the OPW and the information requested by the Deputy, in...

Written Answers — Credit Guarantee Scheme: Credit Guarantee Scheme (17 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The design phase of a Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme is nearing completion and I will be bringing formal proposals to Cabinet shortly. Once a suitable scheme design has been finalised and approved by the Government, there will then be a further Request for Tender published at the end of November to select an operator to allow for the roll out of the scheme over the coming months....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: There are no former Secretaries General in receipt of public sector pensions currently employed in any Public body or State agency under the aegis of my Department. A former secretary general of the Department of Transport is currently Chair of my Department's audit committee. In line with centrally agreed procedures for external members of audit committees in the civil service, payment is a...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (16 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department currently has 13 State Agencies and 8 Offices supporting us in our work. The Agencies are: Name Location (Head Office) Funding allocated in 2011 from the Revised Estimate Volume (€000) Total staff numbers at 30 September 2011 (WTE) Enterprise Ireland Dublin €168,473 (includes temporary employment subsidy scheme) 811 IDA Ireland Dublin €124,577 246 Science Foundation...

Written Answers — Innovation Fund Ireland: Innovation Fund Ireland (16 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: Innovation Fund Ireland (IFI) is a key pillar of support for dynamic new industries and investments through the Fund facilitate job creation in innovative export focused sectors as well as providing a return to the exchequer over time. The Fund has up to €250 million available to make commitments. This funding runs along two parallel tracks. The first comprises a €125 million pool of...

Written Answers — Employment Statistics: Employment Statistics (16 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: Quarterly Irish economic data can be very volatile. Reflecting this, the Government's labour market forecasts are based on annual averages, rather than quarterly figures. The Medium Term Fiscal Statement published by the Minister for Finance on 4 November forecasts a projected decline of 1.8% in employment levels over the whole of 2011 and a marginal contraction of 0.2% in employment levels...

Written Answers — Economic Growth: Economic Growth (16 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The figures for economic growth for the years 2008 to 2010, and quarterly figures in respect of the first two quarters of 2011, are set out in Table 1 below, showing GDP and GNP at constant market prices. Quarterly Irish economic data can be very volatile. Reflecting this, the Government's economic forecasts for future years are based on annual averages, rather than quarterly figures. The...

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (15 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Government is fully committed to addressing the issues of particular concern to SMEs. Already some important issues have been tackled under the Jobs Initiative. These include initiatives such as: The design of a Temporary, Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme. A targeted Scheme will be in place over the coming months and will operate for one year; An initiative on a Microfinance Fund;...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (15 Nov 2011)

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), through whom assistance is delivered directly to businesses. The CEBs unique role positions them as a first point of contact for persons wishing to set up in business. The role of Dublin City Enterprise Board, as one...

Written Answers — Croke Park Agreement: Croke Park Agreement (15 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: Under the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014, my Department, its Offices and the Agencies that come within my Department's remit were required to prepare Implementation Plans, and two subsequent Progress Reports, for consideration by the National Implementation Body, which is responsible for overseeing, driving and verifying progress on the implementation of the Public Service Agreement. My...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (15 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000, which became law on 1st April, 2000, applies to all employees, except close relatives of the employer and certain apprentices. The national minimum hourly rate for an experienced adult worker was increased to €8.65 per hour with effect from 1 July 2011. Sub-minimum rates of between 70% and 90% of the National Minimum Wage apply where an employee is: · ...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (15 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: Both the merger of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency and proposals arising from a review of the operation and implementation of the Competition Act 2002 will have an impact on the Competition Authority in terms of its functions and powers. In July 2011 Government approved the drafting of the Consumer and Competition Bill which I expect to see published during the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (15 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: I set out hereunder the numbers of applications for employment permits in respect of Bulgarian and Romanian nationals in each of the past ten years and to-date in 2011. Applications received in respect of Bulgarian and Romanian nationals 2001 - 2011 Year Nationality New Renewal Total Issued Total Refused 2011 Bulgaria 24 3 27 6 Romania 275 8 283 103 2010 Bulgaria 74 1 75 8...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (15 Nov 2011)

Richard Bruton: In June 2011, I sought expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons for appointment to several Boards under the aegis of my Department. In total seven vacancies were advertised as part of this process, as follows: IDA Ireland – one vacancy National Consumer Agency – two vacancies National Standards Authority of Ireland – two vacancies Shannon Development –...