Results 1,981-2,000 of 50,134 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: No. I was referring to the issue the Senator raised in the context of the report.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thank Senators Leyden and Coghlan. I have been very consistent since the public announcement of the abolition of the groceries order and at no stage did I say I would be introducing legislation on predatory pricing. Almost from the date of that announcement we have been saying that there is already express prohibition in existing case law with regard to predatory pricing. Senator Coghlan...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: We dealt with this issue on Second Stage. The language used in section 15B(5), as drafted, is consistent with and replicates language used in section 4 of the Competition Act 2000. If this was amended, as suggested by the Senator, in respect of the new provisions, it would introduce inconsistency into the Competition Act. It is considered that it would also, at a minimum, introduce confusion...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I think the Senator dealt with amendment No. 7 and not amendment No. 8. Amendment No. 8 reads: "Section 6(1) of the Competition Act 2002 is amended by substituting 'prohibited under section 4(1), section 15B or Article 81 of the Treaty shall be guilty of an offence.'." For clarification purposes, I will deal with amendments Nos. 6 and 8 which seek to criminalise the misdemeanours or the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: We have definitively come to the view that it would be wrong to go down the criminal route in terms of the range of offences for which we are providing. We looked at this in advance and took advice from the Attorney General, the Parliamentary Counsel and so on and the policy view is that in terms of "hello money" transgressions, advertising transgressions or resale price maintenance, the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I discussed this amendment before I came into the House and sought further legal advice. The Bill provides that the Circuit Court and the High Court are the appropriate courts through which people should seek redress. The threshold for damages in the District Court is very low so I cannot see the advantage of going to that court to seek damages or remedies in the event of someone breaking the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: That is correct.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I stand to be corrected but in the District Court there is an upper limit on damages of €7,000, which is a low threshold given the nature of complaints that could be made in this context. Of course I will reflect on the issues Senator Coghlan raised in the context of the amendments. The Bill will not come before the Dáil until February so there will be an opportunity for reflection. Some...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (14 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thank Senators for their contributions to the debate on this Bill. Yesterday's Second Stage debate was wide ranging in the classic Seanad manner. There was even an exotic intervention with regard to concerns on the demise of bakers in rural France, a matter which we may investigate some day. This legislation is about bringing greater competition to the domestic economy which, according to...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (15 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Kildare centres for the unemployed in Leixlip, Athy and Newbridge are currently funded by FÁS through the community employment programme. The community employment project based in the Leixlip resource centre for the unemployed recommenced on 3 October 2005 for a further 12 month period and has been approved to employ 15 participants and one supervisor. The community employment project...

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern.

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Eireann" and substitute the following: "notes: —the importance of services as a component of GDP and employment in the European Union; —that Ireland is now the 14th largest per capita exporter of services in the world, that our total share of world services has increased markedly from 0.38% in 1993 to 2.2% in 2004; and that both our...

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: It notes the importance of services.

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: It is not. According to the amendment, services are important as a component of GDP and employment in the EU. It is worth noting that Ireland is the 14th largest per capita exporter of services in the world, that its share of world services increased significantly from 0.38% in 1993 to 2.2% in 2004 and that its employment and export growth in high value added internationally traded services...

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: That was not the first indication that there would be change, and to suggest that is somewhat pathetic. There is much rhetoric taking place. In the motion tabled by the Deputies——

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: ——there are some sentiments with which we could agree but overall it lacks balance.

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: It inadequately and inaccurately reflects the position of the Government on a number of important issues and it inadequately reflects what is in the draft directive. That is the reason I tabled the Government amendment. I regret it has been so difficult to have a reasoned and rational discussion around the services directive. There are some legitimate concerns to be raised about it. Using...

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: They have happened without a services directive being in place.

EU Services Directive: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Micheál Martin: Let us move away from the rational approach to trying to lump everything in, in the context of debating the directive. Let us debate the substance of the directive and work towards achieving a consensus and the changes we want to bring about in the directive that best suits the Irish position overall. At the very least what the directive is trying to do is to put a legal framework around the...