Results 17,881-17,900 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (26 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The circumstances in which the consumer returned the goods to the retailer in this case are not clear from the details supplied by the Deputy. If the consumer had the right to reject the goods and repudiate the contract under the provisions of sections 12 to 15 of the Sale of Goods Act 1893 on the quality and other conditions with which goods must comply, he or she is entitled to a refund of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Service Reform Plan Measures (26 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: In my Department, there have been no instances of where proposals to alter the roll-out of public services were delayed, postponed or abandoned as a result of non-cooperation by trade union representatives.The agencies of my Department are operationally independent and I have asked them to respond to directly to the deputy.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Statements (21 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank all those who contributed to the debate. Very few spoke in favour of the agreement, which is disappointing. We should all have concerns and Deputy Fitzmaurice said we need to protect our defensive interests. There are sectors that are vulnerable to change, agriculture and beef in particular, although the dairy sector sees huge opportunities in this. We have to be very careful...

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Statements (21 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy was not here for the whole debate. There were many such criticisms. In Ireland 187,000 people are employed in multinationals. Most of them set the standards in respect of the quality of the working environment. Most are exacting about the quality of consumer and environmental standards they observe in running their businesses because they recognise that success, and that of any...

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Statements (21 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: There are some restricted documents. The EU is sharing all its proposals openly. The US will not release all of its negotiating position because there are some details on the quotas that might be exchanged that will be an issue for the very end. There is horse-trading at the end of any deal and people will not show their bottom lines at the start. Some things will not be revealed. ...

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Statements (21 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: On a point of information, they voted to allow the modified ISDS to go ahead based on the Commissioner's new proposals.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Statements (21 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: Okay. The agreements are very restricted. Added to this, the European Union and the Commissioner have consulted widely, both with Parliament and member states, and added further protection to copperfasten the full protection of a government’s right to regulate within the agreement, making sure the way in which the arbitration courts work is transparent, ensuring those who are...

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Statements (21 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I am glad to have the opportunity to participate in this debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership because it is an important negotiated trade agreement on which we are embarking. Ireland is a small trading economy and is more dependent on exports than any other economy in the European Union. Our exports of goods and services represent about €200 billion, which is...

Other Questions: IDA Portfolio (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. An adequate supply of office and manufacturing facilities is a key component of successful enterprise development. As part of the regional Action Plan for Jobs 2015, I announced that IDA Ireland would invest €150 million over five years in property solutions designed to allow it to create opportunities to win additional projects for all...

Other Questions: IDA Portfolio (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I agree absolutely that this is important and not only has the Government acted on it through acquisition but planning permission has now been granted for a 40,000 sq. ft. office space in Galway. As the process for delivery will be selected in the coming year, the Government is moving ahead in that regard. However, private property developers should also have confidence given the flow of...

Other Questions: IDA Portfolio (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is absolutely correct that IDA Ireland is seeking to promote actively its property portfolio. It has a significant property portfolio in eight locations across the county. The Department and its agencies are clearly seeking to promote these locations as sources that could provide property solutions for companies that are investing. However, on foot of the Deputy's contribution,...

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy should acknowledge that every country with an unemployment problem develops work experience programmes as part of its response. The OECD has been very strong in advocating that Ireland needs to have a wider range of these sort of programmes that give people a bridge from whatever they did in school or college to the employment environment. Those schemes are continually evaluated...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senator Bacik for introducing the Bill and other Senators for participating in this debate. I have not opposed the Bill because a fresh examination of this issue is timely. I understand the motivation outlined by Senator Bacik and others to protect vulnerable workers. The Bill seeks to establish the rights of self-employed individuals to be represented by a trade union for the...

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: As Minister in the Department with primary responsibility for the promotion of a competitive environment that supports and promotes job creation, my Department and I are acutely aware of the enormous value of work experience in assisting jobseekers in finding employment. Since the inception of the JobBridge national internship scheme, my Department has been a willing participant and sought...

Other Questions: National Internship Scheme Placements (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: It has long been established that a catch-22 for people seeking to enter the labour force is that they do not have experience. The purpose of the JobBridge programme is to bridge that gap. The Department of Social Protection, to which the Deputy should, perhaps, direct his questions, has very clear requirements in respect of the training provided and the value of the experience gained....

Other Questions: Job Losses (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: There will always be companies that lose employment. It is a source of disappointment whenever that happens, but the rate of job losses in Enterprise Ireland and IDA companies is at an historical low. This is encouraging. There is strong employment growth, including in manufacturing. It is a source of great disappointment that Cadbury has needed to indicate that it will reduce the...

Other Questions: Job Losses (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: In any company based in Ireland that has an international footprint, its Irish operation must be competitive with its other operations. This means that companies continually go through processes of restructuring. Enterprise Ireland seeks to support companies in doing that in order to anticipate threats that might be posed. Protecting companies and employment forms a large part of...

Other Questions: Job Losses (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is seeking to distort what I stated. Through Enterprise Ireland, the Government seeks to work with companies to secure quality jobs that will survive in the long term and provide increased living standards for people. Consider the evidence of recent years since the recovery took hold. The number in employment has increased, wages have increased, the Government has been in a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy should understand that what we can influence is the number of jobs that are created. That is the central target we have always set ourselves. It was a target of 100,000 and it is now a 200,000 target. Obviously, projecting the impact that has on the number of unemployed will depend on a number of factors that are less easy for a government to predict exactly because they include...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Job Creation (20 Jan 2016)

Richard Bruton: Let us consider the Irish economy other than in the period when it was overheating. Full employment was in the range of 5% to 6%. That is where we aim to get to by 2020. However, one of our key ambitions is that it will be a sustainable level of full employment and that the economy will not be subject to the buffeting that happened when we were reliant on the construction sector to get to...