Results 19,781-19,800 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2014: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Thank you, Acting Chairman. I will keep my opening statement brief to allow time to respond to issues raised by Senators. The central challenge we have as a nation is to address the employment situation. The crash saw the wiping out of some 20% of all jobs in the private sector in the space of three and a half years. It was an extraordinary degree of attrition which put the country on its...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications (3 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: My Department publishes quarterly reports on the progress of Microfinance Ireland (MFI) on the Department’s website . The 2014 3rdquarter progress report on MFI showing a detailed analysis for period ending 30thSeptember is available on my Department’s website. Details on gender breakdown are contained within these quarterly reports.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Development (3 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I have been informed by IDA Ireland that it has not made any announcement relating to restructuring its regions. IDA Ireland’s Midlands Region comprises of Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, Laois and Offaly and is a strong cluster in the medical technology and life sciences sectors. The Midlands is home to key IDA Ireland client companies such as Abbott, Covidien, Integra, GeneMedix,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services Expenditure (3 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Details of the amount of grant aid paid by the LEO to client companies at the end of October 2014, the number of training programmes run and the number of attendees is set out in the table below. The Deputy is asked to note that this table reflects only part of the Local Enterprise Office activity to the end of October 2014. In many cases payments are on hold pending completion by the LEO...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices Establishment (3 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) were established on 15 April last under the CEB (Dissolution) Act 2014 to give effect to the Government Decision to reform the system for delivery of State supports to micro and small enterprises. The LEOs became the First-Stop-Shop providing guidance and support to new entrepreneurs and existing micro and small business owners.As part of the reform, the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Responsibilities (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Minister of State assigned to my Department, with responsibility for the small and medium enterprise sector is Mr. Ged Nash T.D., Minister for Business and Employment. Along with a range of functions relevant to his responsibilities in the area of small business and employment, Minister Nash acts as Ireland’s EU Small and Medium Enterprise Envoy.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Statistics (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: In November 2014 over 20,000 people travelled from across the globe to attend the Dublin Web Summit where over 300 speakers took part across multiple stages, workshops and roundtables. This was Europe’s largest Tech Conference and was a significant event from the perspective of the enterprise development agencies under the aegis of my Department IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. Many...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Ireland Staff (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The current Enterprise Ireland whole time equivalent staff number is 725 which includes overseas staff who are excluded from the Voluntary Leaving Programme (VLP). The Irish based whole time equivalent staff number is currently 633 and the maximum number of exits under the Voluntary Leaving Programme is 55. Assuming the maximum potential number of staff leave under the VLP this would...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The scope of the EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate with the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) includes investment protection and investor state dispute settlement (ISDS). The mandate was adopted by the EU Council of Ministers on 14 June, 2013. The text of the mandate is available on the EU Council’s website. . Paragraphs 22 and 23 of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: CSO Quarterly Accounts (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: It is not correct to state that the number of average hours worked has decreased. According to the CSO Quarterly Earnings and Labour Costs release of 25th November 2014, average weekly paid hours increased by 0.3% over the Quarter and by 0.6% over the year. There was a fall in average weekly earnings of -1.9 % over the Quarter and by -0.8 % over the year. Across the economic sectors,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Retail Sector (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: As gift cards and vouchers are offered by thousands of businesses, large and small, it is difficult to make a precise estimate of the value of the market for gift cards and vouchers. I am aware that, in a statement issued in November 2013, the Deputy put the annual value of the gift card industry at €250 million, but I do not know the basis for this estimate. The figure is clearly...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Process (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Companies Bill 2012 completed Report and Final Stages in the Seanad on 30 September 2014. “Report Back” to the Dáil on the Seanad amendments is expected in mid-December. The Bill is expected to be enacted by the end of 2014 with commencement from the 1st June 2015. The main changes contained in the Companies Bill, 2012 are: - The private company limited by shares...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Community Enterprise Centres (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: I understand from Enterprise Ireland that since the launch of the first Community Enterprise Centre scheme in 1989, Enterprise Ireland has approved €64 million for the development of Community Enterprise Centres in towns and villages across the country. There are currently 117 such centres across the country.   In addition, Enterprise Ireland provided funding of €2 million...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Appointments to State Boards (2 Dec 2014)

Richard Bruton: Since January 2014, I have made 29 appointments to the Boards of Agencies under my Department’s remit. Of these 16 were within my discretion. A further 5 appointments were re-appointments and a further 8 were allocated under legislation to social partners, nominees of prescribed bodies and appointments on an Ex Officio basis and were not appropriate, therefore, for public...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Agreements (27 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States and the Republic of Colombia and the Republic of Peru, is an Agreement within the meaning of Article 29.5.2 of the Constitution. Ratification by Ireland is therefore subject to prior approval of Dáil Éireann. It is my intention to seek the necessary approval of Dáil Éireann before the end of this year.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Retention (27 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: A series of actions are being implemented by local and national agencies to source an alternative employer and find alternative employment for those impacted by the MBNA announcement. An inter-agency group, led by Enterprise Ireland, has been formed and its membership includes representatives of all the relevant State players. This Group is providing a coordinated approach to the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (27 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: In my response of the 23rdof September 2014 to the Deputy, I pointed out that if he wishes to make available information that suggests circumstances of possible wrongful behaviour relating to companies or company directors he should contact the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. As the Director of Corporate Enforcement is a statutory independent officer it is not possible for...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Farm Safety (26 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: There have been eleven child fatalities involving children under seven years old over the past ten years, 2004-2014. Of this total, tractors were involved in the fatalities of five of these children under seven years old. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national statutory body with responsibility for enforcing occupational safety and health law and promoting and encouraging...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (26 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is the statutory body responsible for enforcing consumer protection legislation in Ireland and is statutorily independent in the performance of those duties. I, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, have no direct responsibility in this regard. As the issue raised by the Deputy may have consumer protection implications, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Meetings (26 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Management Board of my Department is a management advisory body established to ensure my Department is managed as a corporate entity. This envisages the Board taking a central role in the formulation of strategy, in the development and monitoring of the business planning process, deciding resource allocation and ensuring that issues of a key policy, strategic and management nature are...