Results 19,861-19,880 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (19 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The competence for the EU's common commercial policy lies with the European Union. The EU Commission negotiates on behalf of the EU on matters falling within the common commercial policy on the basis of specific mandates from the EU Council of Ministers. The mandate to negotiate with the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) was adopted by the EU Council...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Ministerial Transport (19 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: I attach below for the Deputy’s information details of transport costs in respect of the Ministers and Ministers of State appointed to my Department for the years 2010 - 2013. The costs detailed below cover the salary and related remuneration costs paid to Ministers’ Drivers (inclusive of Employers PRSI, Public Holiday Pay and Extra Attendance Payments) and the mileage and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 216 together. In view of the maximum harmonisation nature of Directive 2005/29/EC on Unfair Commercial Practices, it would not be possible to introduce legislative provisions regulating the expiry date or other terms and conditions of gift vouchers within the framework of unfair commercial practices law as given effect in the Consumer Protection Act...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: I am aware that of the matter raised by the Deputy, and I welcome reported progress overnight. I have brought the situation to the attention of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) and they remain available to provide the workers with any clarifications they might require on their employment rights. NERA is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: My officials are currently undertaking a review of MFI and have been actively engaged in discussions with stakeholders, representative organisations, the various banks, the credit union movement, Microfinance Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office on the review as committed to in Section 22 of the Microenterprise Loan Fund Act 2012 over the last 3 months. A range of topics have been raised...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund Expenditure (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: Microfinance Ireland (MFI) is a private company with a Board of Directors who have ultimate responsibility for the performance and governance of MFI. The issues raised by the Deputy are matters for the Board to consider and implement as they see fit. The Microenterprise Loan Fund Scheme (SI 343 of 2012) allows for moratoriums and rescheduling of loans, and does not set a limit on repayment...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Directives (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The issues raised in the programme in question relate primarily to the manner in which EU rules governing the posting of workers operate in practice. In this respect the Deputy may be aware that in May of this year the EU’s Council of Ministers adopted a new Directive designed to better enforce the EU rules on the posting of workers and so provide more robust safeguards to protect the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Staff Rehiring (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: I can advise the Deputy that there are two staff who were formerly employed in the public sector and who have been engaged by me as civilian drivers. Their appointments commenced in 2011 and are coterminous with my period in office.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Schemes (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: I presume the Deputy is seeking information in relation to the broad range of supports that are available to micro enterprises. The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop-shop front line service assisting in delivering business growth and jobs for the micro-enterprise sector. They pull together all the players – other Government Departments and Agencies - to support...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Law (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: As the law stands, companies cannot be represented in court by their directors, but must engage separate legal representation. This follows from the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Battle v Irish Art Promotion Centre[1968 IR252]. The rule in the Battle case was endorsed in 2013 by the Supreme Court in "In the Matter of Applications for Orders in Relation to Costs in Intended...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (18 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The text of the EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate with the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is available on the EU Council’s website at . Paragraph 25 of the mandate sets out the parameters of the negotiating mandate in so far as sanitary and phytosanitary measures are concerned. Negotiations started in July, 2013, and since then,...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Services Provision (13 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop-shop front line service assisting in delivering business growth and jobs for the micro-enterprise sector. They pull together all the players – other Government Departments and Agencies - to support everyone with a good business idea and strengthen the enterprise sector in the local area. The LEOs are the first port of call in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Action Plan for Jobs (13 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The objective of the Action Plan for Jobs is to create a positive environment to support business start-ups and growth, drive exports and facilitate job creation and retention by the enterprise sector. The Action Plan has set a target of having 100,000 more people at work by 2016, with the longer term objective of having 2 million people in employment by 2020. The focus of the APJ is to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (11 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: Trade arrangements between Ireland and the United States are governed by the EU’s Common Commercial Policy under Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The rules and requirements with the United States are set at EU level. The arrangements that are currently in place, including the tariffs that apply, can be found on the EU Commission’s website at .

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Exports Data (11 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: Details of the number and value of dual-use export licences issued by my Department in 2013 are provided in the following table. - 2013 2013 Type of Licence Number Value €000 Individual Dual-Use 754 324,192 Global Dual-Use 13 2,060,050 Total 767 2,384,242 It should be noted that the values provided above represent the maximum value which can be exported under the export licences...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Foreign Direct Investment (11 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: Details of the numbers of jobs created and lost in companies supported by the enterprise development agencies are tracked by the Forfás Annual Employment Survey. Data is gathered on an annual basis and aggregated at county level. Details in respect of individual companies are not provided as companies supply information to the Survey on a confidential basis for statistical purposes...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Company Data (11 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The following table sets out the number of applications to incorporate a company that were received by the Companies Registration Office for the period 29 September 2014 to 31 October 2014 and also the number of companies registered during that period. Number of companies for week beginning Received Registered 29th September 365 258 6th October 316 352 13th October 321 437 20th October...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (11 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) offers huge potential to increase economic growth through trade and investment. Taking away trade barriers and making markets more open, as we have done in other trade negotiations, brings increased competition, lower prices and more opportunities for our exporting sector. The stimulus effect of TTIP on jobs, while difficult to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (11 Nov 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 is available on the EU Council’s website at . I believe that ISDS is a valid mechanism. But I also believe that the experience of ISDS...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (11 Nov 2014)

Richard Bruton: The scope of the mandate, which includes the agriculture sector, covers market access, regulatory and non-tariff barriers, and rules. One of the clearly stated objectives in the mandate is sustainable development, which encompasses the respect of international environmental and labour agreements and standards while promoting high levels of protection for the environment, labour and...