Results 121-140 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (7 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am informed by IDA that to date in 2010 there have been 2 visits by potential investors to county Kerry. As part of its strategy to attract inward investment, IDA Ireland introduces a prospective client company to 3 or 4 selected locations/towns which can meet the company's requirements for skills, labour, site and/or building(s), infrastructure, etc. In selecting locations to show...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (7 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Site visits from potential investors normally relate to projects which are mobile and, more often than not, are from overseas. The Enterprise Ireland portfolio of indigenous client companies is, of its nature, not very mobile, and therefore the number of such site visits arranged by the agency only relates to a small number of companies. Enterprise Ireland has not made any site visits to...

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (7 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The amount of moneys owed to private firms by Agencies under the remit of my Department is a day-to-day matter for the Agencies concerned for which I have no function.

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (7 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are no industrial disputes or industrial actions presently being engaged in by staff of my Department.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Each of the enterprise development agencies have a core area of focus which enables them to build a depth of relevant expertise and understanding of the enterprise cohort for which they are responsible, and to focus their own resources to best effect. I am sure the Deputy will agree that it is important to ensure that both the structures for delivery and the programmes being delivered are...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are Twelve EU Directives due to be transposed by my Department. Two of these Directives are currently overdue. Directive 2009/125/EC establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products was due to be transposed on 20 November 2010. However, it is now anticipated that it will be transposed early in the New Year. In addition, my Department is...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (2 Dec 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 — National Recovery Plan: National Recovery Plan (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Recovery Plan sets out the strategy to underpin Ireland's economic recovery with the aim of restoring stability to the public finances, improving Ireland's cost competitiveness, stimulating enterprise growth and job creation. As part of the Plan, the Government has prioritised capital investment for the Enterprise Agencies over the next four years with the provision of €2.2...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Employment Control Framework for my Department and the agencies under its aegis provides for an overall reduction of 123 staff by end 2011 from the numbers serving at end September 2010. These staff reductions will be secured through natural wastage and the non-filling of vacancies.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 34 and 42 together. The new Strategy specifies that the Minister for Trade and Commerce, my colleague, Mr. Billy Kelleher TD, will chair the new Foreign Trade Council. While I have been very closely involved in the development of the Strategy and I will continue to work on pursuing its strategic priorities and targets, it will be Minister Kelleher who...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I last met with Bank of Ireland on 8 September 2010 and AIB on 9 November 2010. At both of these meetings the banks confirmed that they were open for business and that they intend to meet their commitments regarding lending to the SME sector as set out in the 2010 recapitalisation package of 30 March 2010. Under this recapitalisation arrangement, AIB and Bank of Ireland have both committed...

Written Answers — Live Register: Live Register (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Specific activation policies, or measures targeted at the unemployed are the responsibility of my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan TD, through skills provision, employment programmes and work placements. Questions relating to the specific programmes should be addressed to the Tánaiste and her Department. The role of my Department is to ensure...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 125 of 13 October 2010 to Deputy Jack Wall on the issue of job losses in the banking sector and the State support mechanisms in place to assist unemployed persons to return to employment. I met with both BOI and AIB to discuss their restructuring plans in recent months. The recently published Programme for Recovery of the Banking...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have primary responsibility for the delivery of State support to the indigenous micro-enterprise sector i.e. businesses which employ 10 or less workers. In the current economic climate entrepreneurship, and the growth and development of small Irish businesses, is central to economic recovery and it is essential that Irish enterprises continue to be...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 on the progress made issued in April. The Government...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Companies in Ireland are free to establish and organise themselves in the most suitable form to promote and run their businesses, provided that they comply fully with relevant national and EU legislation. The requirements regarding the preparation and publication of the accounts of limited companies and groups are determined by the First, Fourth and Seventh EU Company Law Directives and by...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: "Towards 2016" contains a Government commitment to introduce amending legislation to exclude voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians when engaging in collective bargaining, from the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. The commitment takes into account, inter alia, that there would be negligible negative impacts on the economy or on the level of...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The European Union (Provision of Services) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 533 of 2010) were signed into law by me on 10th November 2010. The Regulations give effect in Ireland to the Services Directive with the exception of the European Communities (Court Orders for the Protection of Consumer Interests) Regulations 2010(S.I. No. 555 of 2010), which, inter alia , transpose Article 42 of the...

Written Answers — National Recovery Plan: National Recovery Plan (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Recovery Plan 2011-2014, published on 24 November 2010, is a strategy for economic recovery with the aim of restoring stability to the public finances, improving Ireland's cost competitiveness, stimulating enterprise growth and job creation. There are two pillars to the strategy for competitiveness, growth and employment a) remove potential structural impediments to...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (2 Dec 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have noted the findings of this report. As regards listed companies (those on the main market of the Irish Stock Exchange), these have, for many years, been subject to the Combined Code on Corporate Governance, the provisions of which applied on a "comply or explain" basis. The Combined Code has recently been reviewed in the UK and revised in light of the financial crisis. The revised...