Results 401-420 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (29 Sep 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1738 and 1739 together. My Department and the 8 Offices of my Department currently occupy 11 buildings within the State. A list of the buildings involved is in the tabular statement. With the exception of a building in Shannon occupied by the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), none of the buildings or premises occupied by my Department and the 8...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (29 Sep 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Competitiveness Council, whose work is underpinned by research and analysis carried out by Forfas, examined electricity costs as part of its "Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2010" report, which was published last July. The report benchmarked industrial electricity prices for large energy users and for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) against a number of other EU...

Written Answers — State Banking Sector: State Banking Sector (29 Sep 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The provision of credit to our enterprise sector, especially to SMEs, should primarily come from a properly functioning banking sector. The whole focus of Government policy on banking since 2008 has been to return the banks to a position where they can access funds and lend these funds on to viable businesses and households to support enterprise growth and economic recovery. Government has...

Economic Strategy: Motion (29 Sep 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I move amendment No. 2: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "—supports fully the actions and policies of the Government designed to restore sustainable economic growth and job creation capacity to the economy as soon as possible, through: safeguarding the future of the banking system as a provider of credit to viable enterprises in the State; pursuing...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There has not been a Task Force report in relation to the South West. The Task Force report published last year is that of the Mid West Task Force, which completed its Interim Report and submitted it to my predecessor in July 2009. Since then the Government has been responding to the report's recommendations under the various headings. I recently met with Mr. Denis Brosnan, Chairman of the...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The role of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) is to support the micro-enterprise sector (i.e. businesses with 10 employees or less) in the start-up and expansion phases and to promote entrepreneurship at local level. Business growth, job creation and job retention are central to the activities of the CEBs. The CEBs provide both financial and non-financial assistance to a project...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The role of the County and City Enterprise Boards is to support the micro-enterprise sector (business not employing more than 10 people) in the start-up and expansion phases, to develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate entrepreneurship at local level. Subject to eligibility criteria new and developing micro-enterprises may qualify for financial support from the CEBs in...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: One aspect of the changes in responsibilities announced by An Taoiseach last March concerning my Department and the Department of Education and Skills was to streamline under one Department of State support for those who are seeking to re-skill and ready themselves to re-enter the jobs market. The overarching aims of all the changes made in March at Department level, as An Taoiseach told...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's Annual Output Statement for 2010 sets out High Level Goals for each of my Department's Key Programme Areas, along with the Strategic Impact Indicators against which the Goals will be measured. These indicators serve as a measure of the outcomes of investment in the Programme Areas in question and of progress in achieving key Government objectives, such as increasing...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The following reviews were planned and completed between 1st January 2005 and 8th July 2010: 1. Expenditure Review of Science & Technology spending (completed in 2006), 2. Expenditure Review of Science Foundation Ireland (completed in 2008), and 3. Expenditure Review of the FÁS Competency Development Programme (Completed in July 2010). In addition, two Reviews are planned to commence this...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made a number of recommendations addressed directly to my Department. I have outlined to the House on a number of occasion – most recently on 29 June in response to a written question from Deputy John McGuinness – my Department's position on each of the recommendations. Nonetheless, I appreciate that...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the annual Estimates process is coordinated by the Department of Finance. The Minister for Finance presents the Estimates for Public Services each year in conjunction with his annual Budget. As far as 2011 is concerned, the Minister for Finance has previously indicated that a €3 billion adjustment in public expenditure will be required next year to continue the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The age profile of staff in my Department is set out in the following table. Under 50 50 - 60 Over 60 724 333 58 Of the 57 staff who retired in my Department since the embargo commenced in April 2009, 9 have been replaced through the redeployment of existing resources. Within the overall number of retirements since the embargo, 28 staff opted for voluntary retirement under the recent...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is currently organised into six Divisions, which broadly reflect distinct functional units. However there is also a substantial degree of co-operation and interaction between these Divisions. Table 2 outlines the current number of staff at each grade within each Division of my Department. This structure will change during the month of July as a result of the retirement of an...

Written Answers — Departmental Accommodation: Departmental Accommodation (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the time available I am unable to provide the Deputy with the information sought. The information is currently being compiled by my Department in relation to the Department itself and also in relation to the Offices of the Department and I will be in contact with the Deputy again when that exercise has been completed. I will not be in a position to provide the information requested by the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand from Enterprise Ireland that the agency does not capture projected employment on each individual project in each individual year of the project's duration. The agency has informed me that overall its client companies have created over 52,600 jobs since 2006, with 7443 jobs in 2009, 13975 in 2008, 15969 in 2007 and 15234 in 2006. However, Enterprise Ireland has also informed me...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Employment figures in relation to jobs supported by the industrial development agencies - IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development - are compiled on an annual basis, in the Forfás Annual Employment Survey. The most up to date statistics detail jobs gained and lost up until 2009. Quarterly data is not available. As the information is compiled on an annualised basis, the...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since their establishment the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have had primary responsibility for the delivery of State support to the indigenous micro-enterprise sector i.e. businesses which employ 10 or less workers. The CEBs, through both financial and non-financial assistance, support the sector in the start-up and expansion phases and stimulate enterprise potential at local...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since their establishment the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have had primary responsibility for the delivery of State support to the indigenous micro-enterprise sector i.e. businesses which employ 10 or less workers. The CEBs, through both financial and non-financial assistance, support the sector in the start-up and expansion phases and stimulate enterprise potential at local...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (8 Jul 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Figures in respect of numbers employed in firms assisted by the industrial development agencies -IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development - are compiled annually in the Forfás Annual Employment Survey, the most up to date of which are the 2009 figures. As the information is compiled on an annualised basis, the figures in respect of 2010 will not be available until 2011....