Results 221-240 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The Garda Síochána is responsible for investigating complaints of illegal employment of migrant workers and the details supplied have been referred to the Garda National Immigration Bureau for investigation. Migrant workers could be permitted to work without work permits in any of the following circumstances: persons who are EEA citizens — the EEA consists of the EU together with Norway,...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The specific information supplied by the Deputy will be investigated by my Department as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The investigation in question is being conducted by an authorised officer appointed by me under section 19 of the Companies Act 1990, which provides that the Minister or an authorised officer appointed by the Minister may require the production of books or documents of a company or other body corporate carrying on business in the State, if the Minister is of the opinion that there are...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: In recent months, I have met with delegations from IBEC north-west and from the Donegal County Development Board to discuss employment and related issues in the northwest. As a result, I have arranged for the expert skills group in Forfas to carry out research on the labour market needs of the region. The Government and the State development agencies are committed to ensuring balanced...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The numbers of work permits issued in the 12 months up to the end of January 2004 are 21,585 new permits, 560 group permits and 25,327 renewals. Detailed statistics on work permits are available on the work permits page of my Department's website. www.entemp.ie

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I am not in a position to provide the Deputy with information on public liability insurance costs. The CSO, however, publishes monthly indices of costs for motor insurance. These statistics show that there was an increase of 36.7 index points, or 52.8%, in motor insurance between December 1998 and December 2002. I am pleased that there was a reduction of 11.7 index points, or 11%, in motor...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: Following the announcement in September last of closure of the Schneider plant, IDA Ireland circulated a profile of the facility to its network of overseas offices to market the facility but has not been successful in attracting a replacement project. It is understood that interest has been expressed in acquiring the facility for non-manufacturing purposes but agreement has not yet been reached.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: It has been obvious for some time that our economy is undergoing fundamental change and this process has been taking place in both the manufacturing and services sectors. We have become a modern enterprise and service oriented economy. It is fair to say that our strength and competitive advantages, especially compared with low wage economies has inexorably changed. Ireland has now moved into...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The past 12 months have been difficult for our enterprise sector, particularly from an employment perspective. We have one of the most open economies in the world and trends in world trade, global business investment and consumer decisions will directly influence trends in Irish economic growth, company development and job prospects more so than in other developed economies. The fact that the...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: A total of €837 million has been provided by my Department to FÁS in 2004. Of this, €366 million is allocated to employment programmes, €307 million to training and integration supports and €22.7 million for capital expenditure. The allocation to employment programmes includes an amount of €351 million, which will support up to 25,000 places across the three major employment...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I regret very much recent job losses in County Kerry including the Sports Socks Company's plants in Cahirciveen and Tralee, and Rosenbluth in Killarney, and I am conscious of the adverse effects on the workers and their families. Finding alternative employment for the workers affected is a priority for FÁS and the State development agencies. FÁS is making available its full range of support...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: My Department spent a total of €185,692 on media advertising for 2002, of which €141,340 was spent on advertising in the national papers and €6,535 was spent on advertising in provincial papers. The remainder of €37,817 was spent on such areas as statutory advertising, the Department's entry in the Eircom phone book as well as photography and exhibition materials. In addition, a...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: During the past seven years, my Department has entered into a very significant number of contracts and procurements in order to fulfil its administrative functions. Ensuring that any list of contracts and procurements entered into by the Department since 1997 is comprehensive and exhaustive. Establishing whether or not overruns occurred, and the nature of such overruns, will require a very...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: Arising from recommendations from the Comptroller and Auditor General's office, my Department records details of all consultancy type projects since 2000 on an interdepartmental consultancy database. The attached schedule sets out details of all such consultancies in respect of the years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 as transcribed from the database. It also includes similar details in respect of...

Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The area of late payment in commercial transactions comes within the area of responsibility of my Department. The European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2002 (SI 388 of 2002) came into operation on 7 August 2002. Under the regulations, sections 4 to 11 of the Prompt Payment of Accounts Act 1997 were repealed. It is the regulations, rather than the Prompt...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: In August 2002, FLS Industries announced its intention to dispose of its aerospace business as part of a disposal of non-core businesses. It is understood that the sale of FLS Aerospace (including FLS, Dublin) has not yet been completed and is subject to the approval of various regulatory authorities. IDA Ireland is closely monitoring developments and has sought an early meeting with SR...

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I no longer have responsibility for insurance undertakings. From 1 May 2003, the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, IFSRA, is responsible for practically all of the financial services industry, including the registration and supervision of insurance undertakings and the services provided by them. I do not have the information that the Deputy is requesting in relation to the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The most recent inflation figures from the consumer price index show an inflation rate of 1.8% in January 2004. This is significantly lower than the 5.1% rate of increase recorded in February 2003. The reduction in the rate of inflation, is encouraging and is in keeping with the objective set in the partnership programme, Sustaining Progress. The goal of Sustaining Progress is to create a...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: Work permits are not issued in respect of certain ineligible job categories. These include low skilled clerical, administrative and general operative jobs where workers should be readily available in Ireland and the wider EEA, in sectors such as retail, transport, hotel and catering, construction etc and for child minding in domestic circumstances. Full details are available from my...

Written Answers — Competition Authority: Competition Authority (17 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The Competition Authority is an independent statutory body with a specific role to enforce Irish competition law, something it is charged with doing primarily to protect and benefit the consumer. I am aware that the authority is undertaking, on its own initiative, a study of competition in the provision of banking services in the State. It is empowered to do this under section 30(1)(a) of the...