Results 2,601-2,620 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 146 together. The Groceries Order was in place for many years and was abolished less than 2 months ago. I believe it is much too early at this stage to expect to see any significant impact on the grocery sector. However, I have asked the Competition Authority to monitor the sector and the Authority is currently putting in place a monitoring mechanism to...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has enjoyed substantial economic growth since the 1980s. In particular, the period since the mid-1990s saw a surge in Irish economic growth, as a result of both improved productivity and increased employment. While Ireland's productivity growth as measured by GNP per worker has been strong relative to other countries, between 2000 and 2005 it slowed down significantly. This was in...

Written Answers — Energy Costs: Energy Costs (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 102 together. Escalating energy costs are affecting the cost structure of all sectors of the economy, including households. Global energy markets have seen sustained increases in price levels for the past two years. No consumer, whether industrial, commercial or personal is immune from the impact of higher oil, gas and electricity prices as a result of...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The costs incurred since 1997 on company investigations initiated by or on behalf of my Department currently amount to approximately €11.3 million. This amount does not include the salary costs of civil service staff who worked on a number of these investigations or those legal costs borne by the Vote of the Chief State Solicitor. Costs of some €9.3million were incurred by High Court...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: In its Competitiveness Challenge 2005 (launched in November last year) the National Competitiveness Council emphasised the importance of the strategic direction enterprise policy is now taking. The NCC also suggested a range of policy choices for which my Department would be responsible and others that fall under the remit of other Government Departments. The NCC gave policy advice and...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: We do not currently have precise statistics in relation to the total number of new small and medium sized enterprises established each year. However, during the period 1st May 2005 to 30th April 2006 a total of 17, 707 companies were registered with the Companies Registration Office, which operates under the aegis of my Department. The vast majority of these would have been small or...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 123 together. The first stage in the strategy of ensuring that the regimes that regulate business are proportionate, effective and efficient is to gather evidence as a basis for framing and delivering reform. I set up two complementary bodies to achieve this end, the Business Regulation Forum and the Small Business Forum: Business Regulation Forum The...

Written Answers — Export Markets: Export Markets (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The most recent annual trade figures published by the Central Statistics Office show that the value of Irish exports for 2005 increased by 5% from 2004 and this followed a 2% rise the previous year. This increase of 5% in 2005 continues the upward trend in the value of exports, which, with the exception of the global economic slowdown, which occurred around 2002, has been a feature of our...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department is required to move 250 posts to Carlow under the Government's Decentralisation Programme. In addition, four of the Agencies under the aegis of my Department are due to decentralise as follows: FÁS is to move 383 posts to Birr, Co. Offaly; Enterprise Ireland is to move 292 posts to Shannon; The Health and Safety Authority is to move 110 posts to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, and...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The A07 Consultancy subhead is available for use by any Section of my Department which needs to commission skills, knowledge or expertise not available within the Department in order to help them meet their business goals. Forecasting the amount required for general consultancy for any year is an inexact science, given how difficult it is to forecast the level of demand, as requirements are...

Written Answers — Workplace Fatalities: Workplace Fatalities (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93, 104 and 136 together. The Law Reform Commission, in its report published in October 2005, recommended that as the current law of corporate liability for manslaughter does not provide a clear basis for constructing liability, a new basis, in legislative form, is necessary. To this end the Commission included the draft of a short Bill in its report. The...

Written Answers — Fairtrade Products: Fairtrade Products (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: In my Department, which is spread over 8 separate buildings, there is only a medium sized canteen in Davitt House and a very small canteen in Kildare Street. My Department has no restaurants or cafes. The tea/coffee served in these two canteens is not confined to Fair Trade tea and coffee which, I understand, is also the position in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department....

Written Answers — Company Mergers: Company Mergers (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: Under the Competition Act 2002 responsibility for regulating mergers and takeovers, with the exception of media mergers, was transferred from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment to the Competition Authority with effect from 1st January 2003. Details of all notified mergers since 1st January 2003 are available from the Competition Authority and are published on its website,...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Competition Authority's Report on Competition Issues in the Non Life Insurance Market, which focussed on motor, employers' liability and public liability insurances, published in March 2005, contained 47 recommendations directed at a number of bodies including the Financial Regulator, the Department of Transport and the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland. Two of the recommendations have...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The company in question has experienced a reduced demand for several of the products it manufactures at its facility in Newbridge and it is anticipated that up to 250 positions will be phased out between 2006 and 2007. The training agency FAS will assist the workforce, which is highly skilled, to plan new careers and identify training needs. The agency will also provide training in the range...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: I announced at Report Stage of the Employment Permits Bill 2005, on 3rd May, that I propose to bring forward an amendment to the Bill at Committee Stage in the Seanad on this issue. This will be an enabling provision to permit me as Minister to, by Regulation, either permit access or to continue to restrict access to our labour market by nationals of Romania and Bulgaria.

Written Answers — Postal Services: Postal Services (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The 2006 estimate for postal and telecommunications services in my Department is €974,000. This represents an increase of €24,000 or 2.5% on the 2005 estimate of €950,000. Actual expenditure however in 2005 on postal and telecommunications services exceeded the initial estimate provision for the year by €37,000. This was due to a number of once off payments in 2005 including the...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: Supported Employment is an open labour market programme which is operated on behalf of my Department by FAS. It seeks to facilitate the integration of persons with disabilities into the open labour market by providing supports on the job. A job coach, who assists both the job seeker and the employer, provides the support. Supported Employment identifies existing jobs, matches suitable...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The thirty-five County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) were established in 1993 to provide support to 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 individuals, firms, community groups, provided that the projects have the capacity to achieve commercial viability....

Written Answers — Corporate Enforcement: Corporate Enforcement (17 May 2006)

Micheál Martin: The ODCE currently has about 29 staff who are engaged in corporate enforcement work. The breakdown in the table that follows excludes staff involved on a full-time or part-time basis in company law compliance and ODCE corporate services work. The Director provides information and statistics in his Annual Reports and End-of-Year Statements on the results and work of his Office. These documents...