Results 48,981-49,000 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The organisation and direction of FÁS is subject to continuous assessment and review in the annual budgetary process and in FÁS's statement of strategy. The current remit of FÁS is set out in its recently published statement of strategy, Building on our Vision, which identifies the challenges and opportunities it will face between 2006 and 2009. The strategy was developed following a...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: I have been informed that Population and Labour Force Projections 2006-2036, which was published last year by the Central Statistics Office, includes two alternative projections for net inward migration between 2006 and 2011. The first projection, which is based on the continuance of the present rate of strong economic growth, estimates that net annual migration in those years will average...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: Ireland is making good progress in putting in place the required policy framework to develop as a knowledge-based economy. It continues to face the fundamental challenge of moving from an investment-driven economy, which has brought tremendous benefits in terms of jobs and increased living standards over recent decades, to developing an innovation and knowledge-based economy. The Government's...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Finance is responsible for the Government's policy on the employment of people with disabilities in the Civil Service. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is responsible for the Government's policy in the wider public service. The Government's target that 3% of those employed in the Civil Service should be people with disabilities is a matter for the Minister...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: A fundamental review of the role and functions of the county and city enterprise boards in the development of micro-enterprises was conducted on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment by a group of economic consultants, Fitzpatrick Associates in 2004. The review, which was the most comprehensive examination of the role and functions of the enterprise boards since their...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department and the enterprise agencies are acutely aware of the challenges that have emerged as a result of globalisation and increased international competition. However, Ireland's experience of this globalising trend to date has been a largely positive one. Employment in manufacturing has declined in recent years but that has been more than offset by increases in employment in services,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department does not provide direct funding or grants to businesses but provides funding to a number of State agencies, including the county and city enterprise boards, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and FÁS, through which assistance is delivered directly to businesses. The county and city enterprise boards, CEBs, provide support to micro-enterprises with ten employees or fewer....

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Labour Court operates as an industrial relations tribunal, hearing both sides in a trade dispute. It then issues recommendations setting out its opinion on the dispute and the terms on which it considers the dispute should be settled. In line with the voluntary nature of the industrial relations system in this country, Labour Court recommendations for the resolution of trade disputes are...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: Under the industrial development Acts, support for job creation and investment on a regional or local basis comes within the remit of the industrial development agencies and I am precluded from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over another. IDA Ireland is the agency charged with the attraction of foreign investment, FDI, to this...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 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 operate are no exception. Should any oil or fuel company decide to exit the market, I expect that there would be a high level of interest in the business being sold and many suitable prospective bidders. However,...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124, 126, 127, 129, 130 and 132 together. The National Competitiveness Council through its work on competitiveness benchmarking highlights where the economy is strong in competitiveness terms but also warns us of emerging or potential challenges. I give very careful consideration to the council's annual analyses when they are published. These reports provide a...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: Sustaining Ireland's competitiveness continues to be a key priority for the Government. It is monitored in particular through the work and advice of the National Competitiveness Council. The Government's response is manifested in numerous ways, most recently as evidenced by the introduction of a non-inflationary budget for the third consecutive year. This displays the Government's prudent...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (23 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: Provisional figures suggest that job losses in companies supported by the enterprise development agencies which have occurred during the past three years have been offset by job gains. Overall permanent employment in agency supported firms in County Kildare has increased from 15,293 in 2003 to 16,070 in 2005. No data are available to indicate what impact relocation to other economies may have...

Written Answers — Arms Exports: Arms Exports (22 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The export of dual use goods, or goods which have potential civil and military applications, from the European Union is controlled by a European Council regulation that is updated on a regular basis to take account of changes agreed in the international export control regimes in which the member states participate. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as the national licensing...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (22 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The board and academic board of the Open Republic Institute include a number of high profile individuals whom I have met at various events. I have not received representations from, nor had meetings with, individuals acting on behalf of the Open Republic Institute.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (22 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The tabular statement gives the numbers of participants on community employment schemes in Cork city and county and counties Meath and Tipperary in January 2002 and January 2006. Location January 2002 January 2006 Cork City 1,608 1,360 Cork County 886 867 Meath 393 410 Tipperary North Riding 456 410 Tipperary South Riding 767 646

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (21 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: There are no facilities for accepting and processing work permit applications on-line at present. However, there are plans after the Employment Permits Bill has been passed by the Oireachtas to introduce a new work permits management system, which will include a facility for making work permit applications on-line.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (21 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The work permits section of my Department returned a work permit application to the above employer on 7 February 2006 on the basis that the Department believes that a suitable employee from within the enlarged EU can fill the position and that the proposed employee is here on a D visa and as such is precluded from entering full-time employment. In those circumstances, a work permit may not be...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (21 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: According to the quarterly national household survey, the unemployment rate for the west region for the last quarter of 2005 was 4.3%. I also note that the live register recorded a decrease in Ballina from 1,574 to 1,421 over the 12-month period to January 2006. Support for job creation and investment in individual counties and regions is a day-to-day operational matter for the development...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 Mar 2006)

Micheál Martin: The provision of grant assistance for individual companies is a matter for the development agency or body concerned, and not one in which I have a direct function. Enterprise Ireland has primary responsibility for Irish companies in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, which includes telephone and information technology services. Enterprise Ireland supports companies...