Results 19,641-19,660 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (18 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The total public relation costs incurred by my Department and its Offices in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 are as follows:- Year 2011 2012 2013 Expenditure to date in 2014 Total PR Costs Incurred €18,770 €5,268 €79,663* €3,136 * €76,480 was incurred to provide the Department with Press and Media Relations Services for the Irish Presidency of the...

Other Questions: Consumer Protection (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Consumer detriment is a measure of the loss experienced by consumers where they have cause to complain about a product or service. The study referred to by the Deputy examines the number and range of problems across the whole economy, as well as in specific sectors. It is the first time a study of this size and scope has been conducted in Ireland. This is an important benchmark study which...

Other Questions: Consumer Protection (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: We have a consultation paper on proposed legislation to consolidate and update consumer laws. We have received some responses which we will examine. This will assist us in developing new legislation. We need to continue to focus relevant information on consumers. It is encouraging that 80% of consumers inquire about services or products and shop around. We have, therefore, a more...

Other Questions: Consumer Protection (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: There are two EU directives which have been adopted and will improve the ability of those who buy on the Internet to take a complaint across all 28 member states in a uniform way. That legislation is in train and will be transposed in Ireland. Increasingly, people are migrating to the Internet as a way of trading. This legislation, accordingly, is designed to keep track with this. It will...

Other Questions: Science Foundation Ireland Remit (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I know that Deputy Naughten is a scientist and that, if I am not mistaken, he has done seminal work on science in education.

Other Questions: Science Foundation Ireland Remit (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I do not accept the premise of the Deputy's question. We are not turning our back on basic research, rather we are insisting that basic research be oriented towards our strengths. The remit of Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, since its establishment has been to fund oriented basic research in strategic areas concerned with the future development and competitiveness of industry and...

Other Questions: Science Foundation Ireland Remit (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I do not accept that all of our eggs are in one basket. There are many other avenues through which funding is provided, including the Irish Research Council, the Department of Education and Skills and Horizon 2020, through which €1.25 billion can be drawn down. Deputy Naughten cited the example of Connacht Rugby. We must look at areas in which Ireland can perform well. We have...

Other Questions: Science Foundation Ireland Remit (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: In terms of the impact of our research spending across all of the measures, including spin-outs, licences, publications and so on, we are doing extremely well. In comparison with other countries, we are top in terms of the impact per euro we spend. We are exceeding performance in those areas. Key to all of this at the end of the day is employment. We want to ensure that the impact of our...

Other Questions: Industrial Development (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Absolutely. Only this week the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, announced the competitive start programme, which is designed to support new enterprise in the regions. This programme is one of the vehicles we use. Enterprise is very strong in Wexford. The fact that employment has increased by 21,300 in the past two years is indicative of a very strong performance....

Other Questions: Industrial Development (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since the first quarter of 2012. The recovery has been building. During 2011, the decline in employment levels continued. However, 2012 was the first year in which the position stabilised. In 2013 and 2014, there has been a significant increase in employment. CSO statistics indicate that the south east has done the best of all the regions in the intervening period. The south east is...

Other Questions: Job Losses (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I share the Deputy's concern about the loss of any job but particularly the loss of a job in a town such as Carrick-on-Shannon in which MBNA had been such a major employer. A series of actions are being implemented by local and national bodies to source an alternative employer and find alternative employment for those impacted on by the MBNA redundancies which, unfortunately. took effect on...

Other Questions: Job Losses (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: There are a number both on the Enterprise Ireland side and the IDA Ireland side. These are still active and the leads are still very much alive. Many of them hinge on the key requirement of winning an additional contract. As the Deputy knows, when MBNA withdrew, it did not leave behind a body of work that a new investor could simply take up as its starting point. That is undoubtedly a...

Other Questions: Job Losses (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: That is not accurate. IDA Ireland was very active with Bank of America in the process of seeking a buyer. Clearly, that issue was pursued, both nationally and internationally. As the Deputy knows, they succeeded in finding a buyer for the domestic book but not for the UK book. From the MBNA's point of view, declining volumes of activity and its very substantial site in Chester resulted in...

Other Questions: Job Losses (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I accept that. One of the avenues we are exploring is to see if there are companies with established businesses that are in an expansion phase and would consider this a suitable location to complement to what they are already doing at other locations such as Dublin. We are actively pursuing that issue.

Other Questions: Industrial Development (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: While I cannot remember the date, of course, I have established a south-east action plan in the intervening period. As the following reply will indicate, considerable work has gone into that plan. The aim of An Action Plan for Jobs is to help enterprises to create employment in all regions of the country. If we are to do this successfully, it is important that each region build on its...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: First, the EU has made provision that such hearings will not be in private and the individuals involved will not choose the arbitrators. The choice of arbitrator will be by the two sides - the European Union and the US, if the US is involved. On the question of why such protections are necessary, the EU is seeking to set up investment agreements with many countries, including China, Korea...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Trade Agreements (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy may have listened to debates in the European Parliament, but it does not sound like he learned anything from them, because the mandate specifically excludes all those social protection areas. Countries will have the right to pursue public policy objectives in all these areas under a model such as that set out with Canada. The Canada agreement has an investor protection mechanism,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Market Issues (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The house price issue will have to be directed to another Minister, but I can deal with the issue the Deputy inquired about on the commercial property sector. The Central Bank noted that 2013 saw the largest investment in commercial property since 2007, at €1.8 billion, with 60% in the office market, and that investment activity has remained strong into 2014. The growth in demand for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Market Issues (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Deputy. That is the reason the Government published Construction 2020, which is the strategy for renewing the construction sector. It contains a detailed programme of work, including 75 time-bound actions across the issues the Deputy raised. They cover housing, the planning process, the availability of financing, monitoring and regulating the sector, and ensuring that we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Market Issues (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: If, as the Deputy says, there are cases in which the national minimum wage is not being paid, NERA will investigate. There are other cases that the Deputy has brought to my attention, which relate to the terms of employment. I understand the scope section of the Department of Social Protection is investigating them. The law in that regard is well established. With regard to registered...