Results 47,941-47,960 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Debt Collection: Debt Collection (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1115 and 1116 together. The determination of any payments due to creditors of IFI is a matter solely for the liquidator. I understand that the liquidator has made considerable progress in realising the assets of the company and establishing the full extent of its liabilities. At this stage, the assets of the company have all been realised. It is understood...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is committed to the development of County Carlow and is actively promoting Carlow Town for new foreign investment in international services and high value manufacturing activities. IDA's strategy for Carlow is to market the town's strategic location close to Dublin which provides all of the advantages of an urban location along with the additional advantages of a readily available...

Written Answers — An Teanga Ghaeilge: An Teanga Ghaeilge (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Faoi Chairt Chustaiméirí mo Roinne tá sé mar aidhm againn freagra iomlán a thabhairt ar litreacha laistigh de 15 lá oibre. Braithfidh an t-achar a thógfaidh sé litreacha a fhreagairt i nGaeilge i gcomparáid le litreacha a fhreagairt i mBéarla ar an ábhar a bheidh i gceist agus chomh casta is a bheidh na saincheisteanna inti. Sa chás gur ábhar simplí neamhchasta a bheidh i...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Please see table below complete with details of names and addresses of the Board members of INAB and also when their terms of appointment are due to end. Name Appointed Last Re-appointment Term of Appointment to End Dr. Maire Walsh (Chair), Newtown, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. 2006 2010 Mr. Tom Dempsey (ex-Officio), Manager, National Accreditation Board, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place,...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am aware that the Health Services Executive (HSE) is concerned that through its negotiations on the subject of professional fees with representative bodies, such the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU), that it may be in breach of the Competition Act 2002. The HSE's concerns appear to relate to its interpretation and application of the Competition Act, 2002, and in particular Section 4 of that...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The current law on pyramid selling is the Pyramid Selling Act, 1980. The Act defines pyramid schemes and makes it an offence to induce anyone to become a member of such a scheme. This law will, however, be updated significantly by the provisions of the new Consumer Protection Bill, 2007 which will be debated in the Oireachtas over coming weeks. This Bill will establish the new National...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Currently, participants on Community Employment (CE) may remain on the programme for the duration of their Department of Social & Family Affairs (DSFA) exemptions which are typically issued for a period of up to one year. In order to participate on a CE project, those in receipt of a disability linked Social Welfare benefit must obtain a DSFA 'exemption from the rules of behaviour' as...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: While I do not have any direct responsibility for this matter I understand that the question refers to a presentation given by the Consumer Director of the Financial Regulator to its Consumer Panel in November 2005. The presentation featured a table showing Herfindahl-Hirschman indices in key segments in the Banking and Insurance industries. The Herfindahl-Hirschman indices (HHI) are a...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Energy cost competitiveness is a vital aspect of national competitiveness. Global energy markets have seen sustained price increases in recent years and these have led to similar increases to energy users in free market economies. No consumer, whether industrial, commercial or personal is immune from the impact of higher oil, gas and electricity prices as a result of price changes on...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I presume the Deputy is referring to my participation on the recent trade Mission led by An Taoiseach, to the Gulf region — Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — earlier this month. The Gulf region is not, in fact, an area to which Irish jobs relocate, this issue mainly arises in relation to some far eastern countries, principally China. The Government's industrial policy...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department only records the number of valid Work Permit applications made. Some applications are rejected in a pre-screening process, for example, if they are evidently outside the criteria for granting a Work Permit or lack the required documentation and are not captured in the statistics. The number of valid Work Permit applications received was 26,000,...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1138 and 1140 together. According to figures supplied by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland there were a total of 331 job gains and 240 losses in companies supported by the industrial development agencies in Mayo in 2006. A breakdown of these figures is supplied in the following table. In addition there were 110 net job gains in the micro enterprise...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The issues of job losses and gains in Enterprise Ireland supported companies is a day-to-day matter for the agency itself, and not one in which I am directly involved. The Forfás Annual Employment Survey is the indicator used to record jobs gained and lost in Enterprise Ireland in any one year. Provisional Forfás figures for 2006 show that Enterprise Ireland currently works with 120...

Written Answers — : (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: During the period in question, there were five closures / major job loss announcements in agency-assisted companies in Youghal involving over 700 jobs. Earlier this month, a further agency-assisted firm in Fermoy announced its intention to close its operation with the loss of 253 jobs. However, the most recent Live Register figures for Fermoy and Youghal show increases of less than 100...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Since 2002, twenty-five officers in my Department have attended training courses in project management which were funded from the Department's training budget. These courses were organised to enhance the competencies of the officers concerned and stem from discussions with their managers through the annual Performance Management and Development System (PMDS). The training provided enhanced...

Economic Competitiveness. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Central Statistics Office does not publish separate data covering Government and regulator-controlled charges. We checked widely and the only source we can get for the 55.5% net increase is a Fine Gael press release of 14 December which is on the Fine Gael website.

Economic Competitiveness. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I respectfully suggest that website is not the most robust source or reference I check for figures of that kind. The National Competitiveness Council in its report produced the data and the assessment on the cost competitiveness of Irish cities; I did not do it. I clearly excluded Dublin in my reply. I referred to Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford and these are important.

Economic Competitiveness. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Given our regionalisation policy, when an analysis is done independently of Government and of everybody else in this House, it is important to put on record——

Economic Competitiveness. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: ——that, compared to other developed cities across Europe, some of our cities are significantly better in this respect. That is all I was doing and it is important to record that. I agree and have articulated for a long time that we need to become more competitive in our domestic economy. When we took a decision in the retail sector to do that in terms of the removal of the groceries...

Economic Competitiveness. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The track record of the Deputy's party is that people talk a good talk but when it comes to taking on some sheltered sectors of the economy, which is the key to making our domestic sector more competitive, its members pull back and revert to the old electoral political game.