Results 501-520 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Renewed Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to "implement a Code of Practice for doing business in the Grocery Goods sector to develop a fair trading relationship between retailers and their suppliers" and "to review progress of the Code and if necessary to put in place a mandatory code". The Government will give effect to this commitment by including a specific...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Enterprise Ireland activity in County Monaghan is focussed on the creation of new jobs through supporting entrepreneurs in manufacturing and internationally traded services companies, the retention and creation of new jobs in existing companies and in enhancing the innovation capability of Ireland at a national and regional level. With this in mind, Enterprise Ireland is working closely with...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with Section 70(1) of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001, the Company Law Review Group's (CLRG) Work Programme is assigned by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation every two years. I have received the Review Group's Report at the conclusion of its 2008-2009 Work Programme and I am considering its recommendations in the context of the drafting by the Office of the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The "Jobs and Growth 2010" policy statement, which was published in March, brings together the Government's key strategies for growth, economic renewal and the development of a sustainable, internationally trading enterprise base for the creation of jobs. The Strategy focuses on the policies and actions which are being taken in a number of critical areas. It has at its heart policies...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 35 County and City Enterprise Boards provide support to indigenous micro-enterprises in the start-up and expansion phases by both financial and non-financial assistance. In 2009, the CEBs assisted the micro-enterprise sector through the provision of €10.365 million in grant assistance to 1,120 client projects. In addition, the Boards also provided 25,819 client participants with a...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The administrative procedures relating to the establishment of Companies is under the remit of my Department and is the responsibility of the Companies Registration Office (CRO). The CRO processed over 380,000 statutorily required documents in 2009 of which 13,320 were new company registrations. The customer service target deadlines of five, ten and fifteen working days for the three...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: While the takeover of Wyeth by Pfizer was only recently completed, IDA Ireland had maintained close contact with senior Pfizer and Wyeth personnel both in Ireland and in the company's corporate HQ in order to minimise the negative impact any rationalisation decisions could have on the Irish operations. IDA Ireland kept me informed of their discussions. Details of the impact on Pfizer's...

Written Answers — INTERREG Funding: INTERREG Funding (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As a result of discussions that I had with Minister Arlene Foster, my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland have agreed on the need to develop a joint proposal for submission to the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) for funding under the Enterprise Theme of the Interreg IVA Programme, and have asked Invest Northern Ireland (NI) and Enterprise...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Covidien informed IDA on 25th May that they would be seeking redundancies for 160 permanent staff on a voluntary basis and the loss of 40 temporary workers, which will be on a phased timescale, commencing in late June-July. These job losses will bring total headcount down to 400. The company cited increased competition from new, low-cost competitors and a decline in the overall Europe,...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In response to the announcement of redundancies in Quinn Insurance, I established an inter-agency team comprising Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the relevant County Enterprise Boards, FÁS and the Department of Social Protection. The Inter Agency response team held its first meeting in Cavan on Friday 30 April and has met on four other occasions since. Prior to the establishment of the...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department does not provide direct funding or grants to businesses but rather provides funding to a number of State Agencies, including the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) through whom assistance is delivered directly to businesses. Subject to certain eligibility criteria new and developing micro-enterprises may qualify for financial support from the CEBs in the form of Priming,...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I intend, subject to consistency with EU competition law, to give effect to the Government commitment in "Towards 2016" regarding the exemption of certain specified categories of vulnerable workers from competition law in the Bill being prepared to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. Work on the draft heads of this Bill is now at an advanced stage and I intend...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government remains committed to undertaking the review in question. However, work on a number of recommendations of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes concerning the enterprise development agencies is at an advanced stage and it clearly makes sense to complete this work before asking an independent group to commence the review. It will be important in...

Written Answers — Corporate Governance: Corporate Governance (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The consultation paper recently published by the Central Bank and the Financial Regulator relates specifically to financial institutions and insurance undertakings. Responsibility for these sectors is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. For my part, I welcome the publication of the consultation paper. I understand this initiative is part of a wider strategy to update the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently a total of 14 EU Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. One Directive is currently overdue - Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market. This Directive is due to be transposed by the end of June 2010. Full details on the state of play of all current EU Directives due for transposition are maintained on my Department's website,...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Ireland's competitiveness is benchmarked against a number of competitor countries, not just adjoining or EU jurisdictions, by the NCC on an annual basis. Since January 2008, Ireland has regained competitiveness as domestic inflation remains below that of our main trading partners and the euro weakened. We are seeing lower business costs, which is easing pressures on the business sector....

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Ireland's competitiveness, including cost competitiveness, is benchmarked against a number of competitor countries by the NCC on an annual basis. Since January 2008, Ireland has regained competitiveness as domestic inflation remains below that of our main trading partners and the euro weakened. We are seeing lower business costs, which is easing pressures on the business sector. Wage...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The situation regarding vacant posts and contracts expiring in 2010, 2011 and 2012 is being monitored and negotiations are ongoing between my Department and the Department of Finance in relation to staffing levels in the context of agreeing an Employment Control Framework for my Department and its agencies to cover the period up to the end 2012. A breakdown of the locations of the 53 fixed...

Written Answers — Loan Guarantees: Loan Guarantees (16 Jun 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As previously advised to this House, work is underway in my Department on the examination of a possible scheme of Loan Guarantees for the SME sector which could augment lending by banks by addressing particular market failures. This is in line with one of the recommendations contained in the Mazars Review on Bank Lending to SMEs. Enterprise Ireland and Forfás carried out examinations of loan...

Departmental Agencies (16 Jun 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. The Deputy has outlined most of these recommendations in his question. In the time available, it is not possible to address all of the recommendations in the special group's report relating to my Department in detail. However, I am...