Results 1,561-1,580 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: White Paper on Enterprise Policy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (8 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: In a nutshell, is there now a capability programme to ensure that the entire network, which now will be dealing with companies with up to 50 employees, has the capacity? The underlying fear is that you are asking people to do a big step up in what they were doing and whether there a matching development programme of the reach, scope and range of service they can offer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: White Paper on Enterprise Policy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (8 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: Sorry, we ran on a bit. Poor aul Deputy Stanton is squeezed out.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: White Paper on Enterprise Policy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (8 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: Last week, the issue of skills shortages came up. The Department has sort of a split responsibility here. It has responsibility in respect of work permits and that regime and it is the key to the take up of apprenticeships, even though it is not delivering them. I would be interested to hear the Department’s strategy. The big cry from small business was that they cannot get the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: White Paper on Enterprise Policy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (8 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: The multinationals traditionally have not been great patrons of the apprenticeship programmes. The change in these programmes is designed to bring them in. To judge from the numbers, there has not been a major increase in this regard. There is the danger that people will see the work permit as an easier route than investing in the longer term. For the bigger strategy of full employment...

Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (7 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: This Bill is essential. I do not share the belief of some that we should try to delay its passage. The officials from the Department and from the CRU were convincing when they briefed us. The terms of an environmental impact assessment that would otherwise have taken 12 months to create are being modified. This will be shortened so that an EPA licence can be granted. There will still be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Inland Fisheries Ireland: Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (7 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Minister for attending. Have the issues that gave rise to the differences at board level been resolved or are we still in a process of identifying their resolution? Are we clear on what the governance will be at this point? That was investigated in the past and I heard Senator Kyne say there was a problem for the board implementing it because it was not quorate to meet and...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (7 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 254. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has received complaints that the BIK regime now in place is resulting in people undertaking greater mileage to reduce their tax exposure; if he has evaluated the features which cause this behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11529/23]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Business Supports (7 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 123. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has evaluated the financial status of small businesses in the post-Covid period; the extent to which data from the Revenue Commissioners indicate a difficulty in meeting payments; if he can shed light on the reasons for the low take-up of the business energy cost supports offered by the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (7 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 368. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will indicate the projected intake into each of the primary schools in the Clongriffin, Baldoyle and Howth planning area in September 2023; the way this compares to the projected demographic demand for such places in the area; and if she plans to promote the creation of additional places for the area. [10991/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 13. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will indicate the latest data on modal shares on key routes into Dublin city and how they compare with the pre-Covid time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9532/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 52. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has specific initiatives in place to facilitate vehicle sharing platforms; and the role he envisages they can play in a more sustainable transport strategy. [9531/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Procurement Contracts (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 104. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has established a benchmark within public bodies for the proportion of their procurement that is acquired under green procurement frameworks; and the targets that are being set for adoption in the years ahead. [10543/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: 131. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the NDP monitoring is showing that projects are being delivered on schedule; and if population growth requires any revisions to the plan. [10542/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: I congratulate the Minister. I see from the latest report on the climate plan that his Department has delivered 87% of its targets, which puts it the highest of the Departments that are actively engaged in climate mitigation. However, we are here to scrutinise progress rather than just congratulate the Minister. A few targets have been held up and some of them are fairly important. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: There is then one on restoring 60 ha of blanket bog and the land map. There was another one on publishing measures to restore a further 116 ha of blanket bog. What is the significance of these delays? The central context for this whether the Minister believes we are on track to hit the 2025 target, which is down to 20 tonnes from agriculture. Perhaps I will come back to land use after...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: I apologise. I am very restricted on time. In a nutshell, can we get back on track on these delayed ones? Are we still on track to deliver the 2025 target? Then I want to ask another question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: Turning to wider interests, how far has the Department progressed in putting together a circular strategy for the whole food sector that would look at food waste, packaging and all of the other elements? It is a commitment in the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act. Where is the Department on carbon farming? That is the most significant way of creating an income stream for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: Does it take much of the confrontation out of the debate about agriculture and environmental impact because an income stream would come from both?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Minister. I have three questions. First, can he shed any light on the vexed question of rewetting organic soil? The committee had hearings where at least one person presenting said that across 400,000 ha., 10 million tonnes of carbon emissions were generated. It is a relatively small part of our land base but it is generating a massive proportion of our emissions, properly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Mar 2023)

Richard Bruton: There are small-scale pilots doing this already. It would be a good signal if those were substantially expanded without waiting for the perfect model from Europe.