Results 321-340 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My time is up.

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will answer the second question first. I am anxious to reduce costs for businesses, and I acknowledge that local authority rates represent a significant cost. There is a widely held view that while the income and asset values of many small businesses have reduced dramatically, charges have not reduced as significantly as they might have done. I recently spoke to all the city and county...

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am taking everything into consideration and, as I said, I will take this matter to Government in the next two weeks. Ultimately, however, it is a matter for Government to decide.

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have almost completed my preparations in this regard. I want it to be as feasible and open as possible for people to-----

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I apologise to the Leas Cheann-Comhairle for interrupting.

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I knew the Deputy was very anxious to get an answer. I will definitely retain the local input because that is extremely important. The boards would not be as effective without that local input.

Enterprise Support Services (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: That is a matter to be worked out and to be passed by Cabinet. I assure the Deputy that local input will be part and parcel of it.

Departmental Strategy Statements (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 month's...

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The bureaucracy issue is the subject of a later question. I will deal with it in more detail at that point, if that is okay with Deputy Bruton, or I can deal with it now if that is his wish.

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am sorry.

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In terms of what Deputy Bruton stated about the targets that we set ourselves, since I came into this Department at the end of March we have set various strategies in place. We have strategies for jobs, trade and innovation in terms of implementing the task force recommendations. As I see it, we are meeting all of those targets.

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: On top of all of that, we are putting in place implementation policies to drive the projects that we have in place and to ensure that the commitments will be met. I am chairing the implementation group on innovation and the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, is chairing the trade council. Both of us are determined to ensure that the targets we have set ourselves would be reviewed on an...

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will take two issues with Deputy Bruton. We have met our commitment under the Asia strategy. I note that Deputy Bruton took the 2009 figure but forgot to mention that Enterprise Ireland has indicated that this year it will get back 70% of the exports lost. I note that he forgot to mention that there was an 8% increase in services exports up to the third quarter.

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I did not interrupt Deputy Bruton. When we are having a discussion I would like us to allow each other to make our point,-----

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----and Deputy Bruton can interrupt.

Departmental Strategy Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Of course Deputy Bruton forgot to mention that there was a 3% increase in other exports. He forgot to mention that there was a €4 billion increase in the balance of trade, which is 29% up on last year. He forgot to mention-----

Credit Availability (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The provision of credit to our enterprise sector, especially SMEs, should primarily come from a properly functioning banking sector and any additional initiative on the State's part should not relieve the banks from their obligations in this regard. However, the Deputy will be aware that my officials are working with their colleagues in the Department of Finance, the Credit Review Office,...

Credit Availability (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I thank the Deputy for this opportunity to pay tribute to the Minister for Finance for all the initiatives he has taken. I indicated that this matter would be brought to the Cabinet and it was brought to it in July without any fanfare. The decision at Cabinet was that we would be given a mandate to work with the Department of Finance and the Credit Reviewer to examine the possibility of...

Credit Availability (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am glad the Deputy said there are specialist areas because that is our belief. It is also the belief of Forfás, which issued the report. It indicated there were specialist areas where it may not be possible for the businesses concerned to obtain a bank loan and that in such areas the State should step in. We are fairly positive that we can do so in certain circumstances. However, the...

Graduate Support Schemes (13 Oct 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government is pursuing a whole of enterprise approach to employment creation through support for Irish firms and winning foreign direct investment to sustain and expand job opportunities. Many jobs that are being created are providing employment opportunities for our graduates. My Department's agencies are playing, and will continue to play, a key role in this regard. For example, the...