Results 25,401-25,420 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Media Industry: Media Industry (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 258 together. The editorial strategies of media organisations and the manner in which they carry out such strategies are matters for the organisations themselves and I have no direct function in relation to such matters.

Written Answers — Consumer Prices: Consumer Prices (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Central Statistics Office publishes indices of consumer prices, including the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which is accepted as the best method of comparing consumer prices across the European Union. The most recent Harmonised Index has shown that consumer prices in Ireland rose by 1.5% in the twelve months to April 2011 as compared with rises of 3.2% in the rest of the...

Written Answers — Consumer Prices: Consumer Prices (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Central Statistics Office publishes indices of consumer prices, including the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which is accepted as the best method of comparing consumer prices across the EU. The most recent Harmonised Index has shown that consumer prices in Ireland rose by 1.5% in the twelve months to April 2011 as compared with rises of 3.2% in the rest of the EU and 4.5% in our...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Internal audit work is carried out by Civil Servants employed by my Department in compliance with the Report of the Working Group on the Accountability of Secretaries General and Accounting Officers (known as the Mullarkey Report Department of Finance 2002). External audit services are provided by the Comptroller and Auditor General's Office.

Written Answers — Media Industry: Media Industry (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Broadcasting media organisations are subject to the licensing requirements of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, including in relation to issues such as diversity and plurality of ownership. Policy responsibility in this area lies with my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and I have no direct function in the matter. Mergers between media...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Job creation is central to our economic recovery and the Programme for Government has job creation at its core. The role of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place that will support and grow our enterprise base in order to facilitate both job creation and job retention. The Jobs Initiative includes measures designed to increase access to credit for viable SMEs...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 268 together. I am very concerned about the job losses that have been announced and of the impact that they have had on the workers concerned and their families as well as the communities affected. I understand that Vodafone Ireland, which is not an IDA or EI client, has announced this as a part of a review of its European operations and which will...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265, 273, 275 and 276 together. The overall finding of the Report of the Review of Employment Regulations Orders and Registered Employment Agreement Wage Setting Mechanisms was that the basic framework of the current JLC/REA regulatory system requires radical overhaul so as to make it fairer and more responsive to changing economic circumstances and labour...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: The commonly accepted position regarding "au pairs" is that of a young person who chooses to help look after the children of a host family and carry out light housekeeping duties. The au pair is given room and board and is typically paid weekly "pocket-money" and gains experience of a new culture while also improving his or her foreign language skills. There is no specific regulatory...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Job creation is central to our economic recovery and the Programme for Government has job creation at its core. The role of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place that will support and grow our enterprise base in order to facilitate both job creation and job retention. On a national basis, the Jobs Initiative announced on 10 May focuses our limited resources on...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: My constituency office is located in the Department's Head Office in Kildare Street which is owned by the State. The Department meets the cost of my home telephone line and to date one such bill has been paid amounting to €50.84. The staff of the constituency office use equipment taken from a pool of equipment available to be used as and when required by staff of the Department and no...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland has the remit for visiting itineraries only in relation to Food and Natural Resources. In the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 there were no site visits to Co. Kerry. I have been informed by IDA Ireland that the number of itineraries that have been hosted by them in County Kerry in each of the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 is as set out in the tabular statement below: Site visits...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: My Department participates in the scheme known as the Travel Pass Scheme or Tax Saver Commuter Ticket Scheme, which encourages staff to use public transport. This scheme allows staff to purchase an annual travel pass for their preferred mode of public transport and to pay for the ticket over twelve months by salary sacrifice. Savings to staff arise because tickets are not subject to tax or...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Many of the recent jobs losses which have occurred are as a result of the restructuring process which is going on in industry in Ireland and around the world. While some jobs in Ireland have been phased out as these activities become uneconomic in an Irish context, operations remain in Ireland and we hope that other higher-value jobs can be added as time goes on. Manufacturing is the bedrock...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (15 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Minister at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (Mr. Bruton) The statutory minimum wage due to employees for certain employment sectors, including retail grocery, is set out in statutory instruments known as Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) The Industrial Relations Acts 1946-1990 impose a statutory obligation on NERA inspectors to enforce the rates of pay and conditions of...

Business Regulation (9 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy asked a large number of questions. I have not made a false connection. The review group recommended that the joint labour committee and employment regulation order system be radically reformed to restore competitiveness. Its report sets out inflexibilities in the system which make it difficult to respond to the changed economic circumstances. I am not making anything up. We...

Business Regulation (9 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: I ask Deputy Tóibín to read the report. It did not produce any empirical evidence to suggest some of the proposals we are taking-----

Business Regulation (9 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: It made one statement about employment, namely, that reducing the JLC rates to the national minimum wage rates would not have a substantial impact on employment. The Government has not made any proposal to reduce the JLC rates to the national minimum wage. The report used analysis that examines minimum wage systems across a range of countries in normal circumstances. It did not consider...

Business Regulation (9 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: While I recognise that there has been collapse in demand in the economy, the volume of demand is not invariable but changes as businesses adapt to different circumstances. For example, some businesses will open on Sundays to win more opportunities to trade and create employment. They will adapt to respond to opportunities in the tourism sector. The Government has set a target of attracting...

Business Regulation (9 Jun 2011)

Richard Bruton: Existing employees are protected by their existing contracts of employment which would have to be renegotiated if there were to be any change. The changes would provide that a different regime could apply to new recruits. This offers flexibility. The report does not recommend - nor does the Government advocate - cutting JLC rates across the board or reducing them from their current levels...