Results 24,981-25,000 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Organised Crime: Organised Crime (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not maintain official statistics on the number of cash for gold companies. As regards the possible link between this trade and criminality I understand that my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality is finalising a report on the "Cash for Gold" trade. I also understand from my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality that his Department has been in contact...

Written Answers — Organised Crime: Organised Crime (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not maintain official statistics on the number of scrap, iron and metal yard companies. Neither does my Department have any sector specific regulations in relation to these companies. Insofar as there is a possible link between such companies and criminality the appropriate authority for dealing with such criminality would be An Garda Síochána to whom all thefts of...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together. IDA is an autonomous agency set up by statute with a mandate to attract foreign direct investment from manufacturing and internationally-traded services companies into Ireland, and to support new and existing FDI operations so as to maximise the related industrial employment, output, exports, economy expenditures including wages, and...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10 of 2005) requires every employer to ensure, in so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety health and welfare at work of his or her employees. The employer's duty extends to the design, provision and maintenance of plant and machinery or any other articles that are safe and without risk to health. Regulation 30, of Safety, Health...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: I can advise the Deputy that none of the agencies under the aegis of my Department are commercial semi-State companies.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: Forced labour in the context of trafficking is currently criminalised by the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 which is legislation that falls within the remit of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence. As regards the act of forced labour without trafficking, I would point out that international instruments such as those of the International Labour Office draw a clear...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: The European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) Regulations, which gave effect to the corresponding European Council Directive on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts, applies to any term in a contract concluded between a seller of goods or supplier of services and a consumer which has not been individually negotiated. Whilst contracts for financial services such as mortgages may...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: A comprehensive response to the submission from the Electro-Technical Council of Ireland (ETCI) was sent to Mr Hanly on 5 October. In relation to the issues raised in the submission, in particular, international memberships, the position is that the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) took the view that, given the extent of the public funding, both direct and indirect, provided by...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (25 Oct 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) and Enterprise Ireland, through whom assistance is delivered directly to businesses. The role of the CEBs throughout the country is to provide a source of both financial and non-financial assistance support for...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department's ICT End of Year Statement for 2010, as submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, indicates that total expenditure on ICT costs in that year, exclusive of staff costs, was €6,857,783. My Department's ICT Start of Year Statement for 2010 estimates ICT staff costs for the period, on the basis of staff complement and the mid-point salary per grade excluding...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (20 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy's question relates to the development and operation of certain elements of the National Consumer Agency's website. These are operational matters for the Agency itself in respect of which I have no direct function. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Agency for direct reply.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (20 Oct 2011)

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. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of an application in this case.

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (20 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: Aetna will not cease operations in Castleisland until December this year and the facility will be in use up to this time. It is IDA's understanding that the Company has not expressly decided to give the facility to a statutory body or local authority and that it is still evaluating options but is most likely to seek to sell the site. Since the announcement by Aetna of their decision to close...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (20 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: No State Agencies or other statutory bodies have been created by my Department since February 2011. Although no agencies have yet been formally abolished, plans are under way to do so in a number of cases. My Department currently has 13 State Agencies supporting us in our work. These are: 1. Enterprise Ireland 2. IDA Ireland 3. Science Foundation Ireland 4. Shannon Development 5. County &...

Written Answers — Companies Registration: Companies Registration (20 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: Not-for-profit organisations that choose to incorporate as companies are treated in the same manner as all other entities that incorporate in this form. They enjoy the benefits of being a company such as separate legal personality and limited liability and also must meet their obligations under the Companies Acts. It is open to such organisations to avail of other corporate structures or to...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (19 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: There are many differing and complex factors that can influence a firm's decision to relocate in today's modern globalised economic environment. Companies adjust their plant locations and utilisation strategies to address matters such as accessing new markets, moving production nearer to customers, meeting firm or market specific customer relationship issues, in addition to business takeovers...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (19 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: The information sought by the Deputy was provided in response to Question No. 72 of 13 October 2011.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (19 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland has met with GLED on a number of occasions both in Ireland and in Taiwan. Earlier this year the company advised IDA that it planned to establish a manufacturing operation, which would serve the Irish market and have contracts with County Councils, Public Bodies etc. and the company planned to tender for projects in the Irish market to supply LED lighting. Due to the fact that the...

Written Answers — Wage-Setting Mechanisms: Wage-Setting Mechanisms (18 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: On 26 July 2011 the Government agreed a package of radical reforms to the Joint Labour Committee and Registered Employment Agreement wage settling mechanisms. The reform proposals deal with recommendations made and issues raised in the Independent Report on the JLC/REA systems (Duffy/Walsh report) as well as the outcome of the recent High Court ruling in the Grace Fried Chicken constitutional...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (18 Oct 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its twelfth session from 3 to 14 October 2011. The review of Ireland was held at the 7th meeting on 6 October 2011. Ireland's delegation was headed by the Minister for Justice and Equality. In the course of the Working Group's discussion any UN...