Results 48,241-48,260 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (25 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. The Forfás Annual Employment Survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the Industrial Development Agencies. It is important to remember that job creation and job losses are features of...

Written Answers — Community Enterprise: Community Enterprise (25 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The allocation of funding under the Community Enterprise Centre scheme is a matter for Enterprise Ireland, the agency charged with the administration of the scheme, and not one in which I am directly involved. Under the 2006 Community Enterprise Centre scheme, applicants in the BMW region could apply for funding up to a maximum of 50% of eligible expenditure, or €400,000, whichever was the...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (25 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has decided that the Headquarters of Enterprise Ireland (EI), including 300 posts, will relocate to Shannon as part of the Decentralisation programme. In addition, the Board of Enterprise Ireland has decided, based on sound business reasons, to bring all Dublin based staff, currently based in 4 separate locations, together into one Dublin location....

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The overall expenditure up to the 31st December 2005 under the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme (EHRD-OP) was €11,995,982,000. Of this amount, €3,496,347,000 was spent in the BMW Region and €8,499,640,000 in the S&E Region. The European Social Fund (ESF) expenditure in the Programme reached €718,531,000 by the end of 2005, with €276,127,000 spent in...

Written Answers — Industrial Development Property: Industrial Development Property (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is day-to-day operational matter for the agency and not a matter in which I have a function. In view of the Deputy's interest, I have made enquiries and I have been informed by IDA Ireland that it does not have an advance factory facility in Blacksparks Industrial Estate, Athy. However, IDA did construct a building at Woodstock...

Written Answers — Industrial Development Property: Industrial Development Property (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is day-to-day operational matter for the agency and not a matter in which I have a function. In view of the Deputy's interest I have made enquiries in the matter. I have been informed by IDA Ireland that the lands in question, which are located in Kildare Town, Monasterevin and Castledermot, are being marketed on an ongoing basis...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The 35 County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) were established nationally in 1993 to provide support for small businesses with 10 employees or fewer. Their function is to develop indigenous enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity at local level. The CEBs support the development of micro-enterprises through the provision of both financial and non-financial assistance....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Enterprise Ireland (EI) working closely with the Office of Public Works (OPW) has identified, but not yet acquired, a preferred site for the construction of a new HQ building in Shannon. The preferred site is a 13-acre site owned by Shannon Development. In co-operation with Shannon Development and the OPW, the site was valued and a feasibility study carried out. The site occupies a prime...

Written Answers — Competitiveness and Innovation Programme: Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: While I am not aware of the programme or proposals for a new type of company under the general title mentioned by the Deputy, I assume he has in mind the range of initiatives proposed under the Commission's Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme 2007-2013 which includes a module for early stage financing for SMEs. The programme overall will operate under the auspices of the...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473, 479, 481, 483, 485, 487, 489, 491, 493, 495 and 497 together. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. The Forfás Annual Employment Survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the Industrial Development Agencies. Data is compiled on an...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 480, 482, 484, 486, 488, 490, 492, 494, 496 and 498 together. The issue of job creation at county level is a day to day operational matter for Enterprise Ireland (EI). Employment figures are published for the previous year on a cumulative basis at the beginning of the following year, therefore the latest figures available are for 2005. According to the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development Property: Industrial Development Property (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The support of a client company by an enterprise development agency is an operational matter for the agency concerned and not one in which I have a direct function. While agencies may, from time to time, comment on a client's past performance they cannot comment on the future plans, if any, of a client.

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Unemployment is measured through the Quarterly National Household Survey as published by the Central Statistics Office. The Survey does not provide data on specific towns and is available on a regional basis only. The most recent data, published in September 2006, shows that the unemployment rate for the South-East region, which includes Wexford, stands at 5%, a decrease of 0.6% over the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development Property: Industrial Development Property (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the State Agency with responsibility for marketing Ireland, including individual areas, as a location for foreign direct investment and Enterprise Ireland is the State Agency with responsibility for developing indigenous industries. As part of their operational responsibilities under the Development Acts IDA Ireland has in place a property portfolio to foster and encourage...

Written Answers — Petrol Station Closures: Petrol Station Closures (24 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Consumers benefit from competition in the market and the Government is committed to fostering competition in all sectors of the economy. The national markets in which oil companies and petrol stations operate are no exception. I am aware of instances where petrol filling stations have been sold for alternative use indeed this practice is not just confined to petrol filling stations and one...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (19 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The average search and retrieval fee charged in respect of Freedom of Information requests made to my Department between 2002 and 2005 was €63.77, €57.99, €40.25 and €45.83 respectively, averaged over all cases where a search and retrieval fee was charged. The equivalent figure for the first nine months of 2006 was €64.67. The median search and retrieval fee in respect of each of...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (19 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware the Employment Permits Act 2006 provides for the following three options as regards access to the Irish labour market for nationals of Bulgaria and Romania on their accession to the EU on 1st January 2007. These are: (i) continue to require work permits with the current requirement for a labour market test to establish that the positions cannot be filled from within...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (19 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The number of persons employed by my Department recorded as having a disability is currently 44, which represents 4.27% of the current total staff number. My Department therefore exceeds the 3% target for the employment of people with disabilities required of all Government Departments. My Department is committed to developing the careers of its staff with disabilities, a commitment which is...