Results 19,661-19,680 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

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

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the negotiations on the transatlantic trade and investment partnership, TTIP, is to reduce barriers to trade and investment in order to generate jobs and growth. According to assessments made by the European Commission and other European bodies, a comprehensive TTIP could over time boost the EU's GDP by 0.5% per annum, resulting in 400,000 additional jobs across the EU. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: IDA Data (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since 2011 IDA Ireland has opened three additional offices in overseas locations. During 2013 two additional overseas offices were opened, one in Korea and one in Beijing, with one member of staff in each office. In 2014 an additional office was opened in Texas in the United States. It has two staff members. In 2011 IDA Ireland ceased to have a presence in Taiwan, with activity now being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: IDA Data (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I can report good progress in meeting the 20% target. In 2011, 8% of greenfield investment came from high growth markets, while the figures for 2012 and 2013 were 14% and 16%, respectively. IDA Ireland is confident that it will hit the 20% target this year. There are still a number of investments yet to be considered by the board of IDA Ireland; therefore, the definitive figure for 2014...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: IDA Data (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy knows, when his party was in government, the Export Trade Council was established. One of the initiatives in our programme for Government was to include private sector members in the council. The council meets quarterly and closely reviews progress made across all of the agencies, not just those under the aegis of my Department, including, for example, Bord Bia, Fáilte...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: In 2014 the National Project Team for the National Health Innovation Hub finalised recommendations on the optimum arrangements for establishing the national Hub. These arrangements were arrived at by taking into consideration the experience to date of the (pilot) Demonstrator Project in Cork, and the outcome of an independent evaluation of the Demonstrator Project carried out by consultants...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Development (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Government recognises the need to place a greater emphasis on supporting enterprise growth and job creation at regional level. Employment has increased in all regions - and nationally by 80,000 - since the start of the Action Plan for Jobs process in 2012. Employment in the Midlands region increased by 8,000 since the start of 2012 and the unemployment rate for the Midlands region has...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Development (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am encouraged by the level of interest the House is showing in the delivery of the new Regional Enterprise Strategies which my Department is leading on. As I have mentioned previously, the Government recognises the need to put a greater emphasis on supporting enterprise growth and job creation at regional level. While employment has increased nationally by approximately 80,000 since the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Regional Development (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: As I have outlined previously, the new Regional Enterprise Strategies which my Department is leading on will be underpinned by consultation with the key stakeholders in each region. These stakeholders include public sector bodies, business people, industry representatives, educational institutions and other parties who have a role to play in the economic development of the regions. Over the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I and my Department formally began the process of developing Action Plan for Jobs 2015 in July this year. The next Action Plan will be informed by the work of the National Competitiveness Council but we are also continuing the process of previous years whereby direct input from industry and wider stakeholders is sought and considered. One of the factors that has made the APJ process such a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Consultative Committee on Jobs in the Green Economy was established in 2013 arising from a commitment in Delivering our Green Potential,the Government’s Policy Statement on Growth and Employment in the Green Economy.The Committee was established to help identify emerging opportunities for Ireland in the Green Economy and any enablers or barriers to seizing those opportunities. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Exports Growth (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I understand that the Deputy’s question refers to contract manufacturing. The national accounts show that exports grew by 13.0 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of this year, with goods exports up nearly 16 per cent. This was not matched by proportionate import growth, despite the growth in domestic demand in the same period. As a result net exports increased by 11.0 per...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Agreements (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The last round of negotiations between the EU and the US on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership took place during the week beginning 29 September last, the report of which can be found on the EU Commission’s website at: I understand that the eighth round is scheduled to take place during the week of 2 February 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Ireland’s robust suite of employment rights legislation is underpinned by a proactive labour inspectorate. The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) has a team of inspectors, and in 2013 NERA carried out over 5,500 inspections. Where NERA encounter the sub-contractor model, the question may arise as to whether individuals are employees or self-employed. NERA Inspectors are...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Bodies (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Workplace Relations Bill provides for the establishment of a statutory Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) with a full range of functions formerly carried out by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), including Rights Commissioner Service, the Equality Tribunal, the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA). The Bill will also provide for the Labour...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The importance of innovation and technology to Ireland’s on-going and future economic recovery is well recognised by the Government as being crucial to growth in both our indigenous and FDI sectors. Evidence, from both the EU and internationally, shows that the Government’s strategy of accelerating the economic and societal return on our STI investment is paying off. Globally,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The 2014 Action Plan for Jobs was published last February and builds on the 2012 and 2013 Action Plans. This year’s Plan includes 385 actions for delivery across all Government Departments and 46 agencies. The 385 actions are broken down into quarterly milestones for delivery, and these are reported on every three months. The Quarterly Progress reports are published on my...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Agreements (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership was discussed at the last EU Council of Trade Ministers on 21 November which I attended. The Council was briefed by Commissioner Malmström and took stock of the current state of play. The Council adopted a set of policy conclusions that give clear, unambiguous and reasoned political support for the TTIP negotiations. The conclusions...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The introduction of an Integrated Licence Application Service was a disruptive reform in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 with the delivery of such a service to the retail sector by Q4 2013. A Steering Group, chaired by the Minister for Business and Employment, with membership from the key licensing authorities, including Revenue, Local Authorities, Inland Fisheries, Irish Film Classification...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Foreign Direct Investment has been and continues to be an integral part of Ireland’s economic development strategy. Foreign owned firms contribute substantially to Ireland’s exports, jobs, expenditure in the Irish economy and to Exchequer funds. FDI plays a key role in the development of “new” sectors in Ireland, in enhancing our research, development and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pension Provisions (17 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I understand the Alliance of Retired Public Servants was set up in the recent past to oppose cuts to Pensions. I fully appreciate the concerns of retired and deferred members of pension schemes whose schemes are being restructured, particularly where such restructuring may impact on existing or potential pension benefits. The question of whether it is appropriate that pensioner groups have...