Results 281-300 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: International benchmarking statistics reveal that Ireland imposes a relatively low burden of regulation on business. The Forfás Annual Competitiveness Report 2010 states that Ireland's regulatory environment is one of the least restrictive in the OECD in relation to product market regulation, the time taken to comply with tax payments is one of the lowest in the OECD across all categories...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The work to reduce red tape in Ireland is being progressed on two fronts. The High Level Group on Business Regulation works to fast-track simplifications to specific red tape issues identified by business; and an Inter-Departmental Group of officials from all Departments, having regulation affecting business, coordinates the measurement and reduction of administrative burdens in a systematic...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Section 45 of the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003 dealing with directors' compliance statements was not commenced in the light of concerns expressed about the associated administrative burdens. In 2005, the then Minister for Trade and Commerce asked the Company Law Review Group to consider the matter. The Review Group recommended a revised text which was published as part of...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The strategy pursued by my Department is an integral part of the whole-of-government framework for economic recovery and growth adopted in 2008. We are focused on employment creation through support for Irish firms – large and small – and winning foreign direct investment, to sustain and expand job opportunities and boost our economic output. And they are achieving results. Last...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposal for a Consumer Rights Directive was published in October 2008 and has been drafted on a full harmonisation basis which, if retained, would preclude member states from going beyond its protections in national legislation. Though some provisions of the proposed Directive would strengthen consumer rights in Ireland, others would potentially have a less positive effect. Concerns...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Consumer protection law obliges traders offering a product for sale to indicate the selling price and, where appropriate, the unit price of that product and to ensure that the indication of the selling price and of the unit price is clearly visible. Complaints in relation to products being offered for sale where the price or unit price is not clearly visible should be brought to the attention...

Written Answers — Foreign Trade Council: Foreign Trade Council (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104, 106 and 122 together. Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy, a Strategy and Action Plan for Irish Trade, Tourism and Investment to 2015, is an integrated strategy that is global in scope and covers both existing and new high growth potential markets. It has set a number of ambitious targets to be achieved by 2015 i.e. to create 150,000 new jobs...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the 5th November, 2009, Tytex, a Danish owned company, announced its decision to workers to close its operation in Youghal, Co Cork with the loss of 75 jobs. Following the announcement, FÁS contacted the company and has since been heavily engaged in providing its full range of services to the workers being made redundant. This has included 11 days on-site by FÁS and one-to-one...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2005, IDA Ireland identified a site of approximately 54 hectares of land in Carrigtwohill East as suitable for development and acquired it. Amgen subsequently entered into contracts to purchase the entire holding from IDA and, in 2006, applied for Planning Permission for a Bulk Manufacturing facility and associated works. Site ground works commenced in late 2006. The terms of the...

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since the introduction at the end of 2008 of the moratorium on the filling of public service vacancies, its impact on the staffing of my Department and all of its offices and agencies has been closely monitored in order to minimise its impact on the delivery of public services. As for other offices and agencies, this has included frequent discussion between my Department and IDA and between...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Regulation of the insurance industry is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance, and is an area in which I have no direct role. I am aware of an arrangement whereby insurance companies actively recommend certain approved repairers to their policyholders with the approved repairers selected on the basis that they meet various qualitative standards and, in return, are guaranteed a...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with Section 70(1) of the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001, the Company Law Review Group's (CLRG) Work Programme is assigned by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation every two years. I have received the Review Group's Report at the conclusion of its 2008-2009 Work Programme and I am considering its recommendations in the context of the drafting by the Office of the...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Access to bank credit for businesses, particularly SMEs, has been central to Government Initiatives in addressing the crisis in the banking sector. Both the 2009 and 2010 Bank Recapitalisation arrangements provided specific commitments from the recapitalised banks to assist SMEs. Under the 2010 Bank Recapitalisation arrangement, AIB and Bank of Ireland have both committed to making available...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Enterprise Ireland has been in regular contact with Cadbury Ireland since Kraft Foods acquired Cadbury plc in February this year. Following a very positive meeting in May this year when I met senior Kraft Foods executives, Enterprise Ireland has been in ongoing discussions with Cadbury Ireland in relation to the planned investment programme, the redundancy programme and the Kraft/Cadbury...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the four year period 2006 to 2009 inclusive, there have been a total number of 494 foreign direct investment projects won by IDA Ireland. The attached tabular statement shows the number of projects won in each of those years. One of the high level targets set out in IDA's strategy "Horizon 2020"is that 640 investments will be won in the period 2010 to 2014. Ireland continues to attract...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is evident from international research that providing suitable property solutions for sale or rent to newly-establishing industrial projects is often a key element in the attraction and facilitation of such projects. In Ireland it has since the late 1950s been an integral part of industrial policy that the State, through the industrial development agencies, will have available land that...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 117 together. In keeping with the commitment contained in the Renewed Programme for Government , the Government earlier this year reviewed the progress achieved by a number of Government Departments in relation to a list of Competition Authority recommendations which had been prioritised based on their impact on competitiveness. A Government Statement...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The enterprise development agencies under my Department's remit have, as a matter of course, collaborated extensively on an on-going basis through a range of formal and informal mechanisms. However, in 2009, my Department established a High Level Group comprising representatives of each agency to identify areas for further collaboration. In addition to involving my own Department's...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently a total of 13 EU Directives due to be transposed by my Department. One of these Directives is currently overdue: Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal market. This Directive will be signed into law by me very shortly. My Department has received 27 Reasoned Opinions from the European Commission relating to Directives since 2002. These issues have all been...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since I became Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, in March last I have undertaken one marketing trip organised by IDA for the purposes of attracting foreign direct Investment (FDI) to this country, to the US in April 2010, and I am due to undertake another such visit to the US in the last week of October. During these visits, I meet and have discussions with Chairmen, CEOs and...