Results 2,981-3,000 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Commercialisation Fund, established in 2003, is operated by Enterprise Ireland. In the first instance, the Board of the agency is responsible for decisions on grants awarded and for monitoring the success of the Fund. The number of project approvals under the Fund were 73 in 2003, 92 in 2004 and 141 in 2005. The corresponding funding approved was €14.6m, €14.8m and €22.5m,...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: From enquiries made with the Office of the Attorney General, it is not possible at this stage to give a precise date as to when the legal advice in this case will be forthcoming. Claims for statutory redundancy rebate amounting to over €4 million have been received in my department from the company. If it is found that this rebate is due to the company, then it will be paid out of the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I have to inform the Deputy that there is no data relating to the productivity of indigenous firms in the Quarterly National Household Survey produced by the Central Statistics Office.

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The basic criteria under which the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have been operating since their inception in 1993, and under which funding is available, is based primarily on factors such as the sector of the economy in which an enterprise is operating or intends to operate and the size or proposed size of the enterprise. CEBs can assist, through either financial or non-financial...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Companies Registration Office is the repository for all companies registered in Ireland. There are currently 168,817 companies on the Register with a total directorship of 434,617. The Register does not indicate the percentage of registered companies having a female chief executive or chairperson. The 2005 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor indicated that there is a healthy interest among...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The promotion of Tralee and the North Kerry area for new investment and jobs is an operational matter for IDA Ireland and Shannon Development as part of their statutory responsibilities and not a matter in which I have a direct function. While I may give general policy directives to the Agencies I am precluded from giving directives relating to individual undertakings or to give preference to...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The July 2006 report which I commissioned from Forfás on the changing nature of the Irish manufacturing sector illustrates the complex performance of this sector in recent years. While CSO data indicates that both manufacturing output and merchandise export levels increased significantly between 2000 and 2005 (by 28.2% and 31.8% in volume terms respectively), the total number of persons...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 160 and 178 together. I am aware that food prices have been fluctuating during the course of 2006. For example, recent CSO figures show that the prices of products previously covered by the Groceries Order fell by 0.5% in the five-month period from April to August. This is in contrast with a 0.3% increase in prices, for the same products, in the...

Written Answers — Energy Policy: Energy Policy (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department has a particular interest in the impact of energy policy on the competitiveness of the enterprise sector, consumers and security of supply. In the longer term I am also interested in the role which energy research in science, technology and innovation can play in helping to grow the economy in a sustainable manner. Together with the Development Agencies, my Department will...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to takes Questions Nos. 29 and 69 together. International indicators of competitiveness are produced by a number of international organisations. Many of these are based on a combination of survey and statistical data and they give us broad pointers to competitiveness and where we stand vis a vis other countries. In 2004 the World Economic Forum placed Ireland 26th in its...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The number of requests under the Freedom of Information Acts received by my Department in each year from 2002 to 2005 was 204, 153, 62 and 86 respectively. The number of requests received in the first nine months of 2006 was 63. The amount of money received in up-front request fees for each year between 2003 and 2005 was €285, €585 and €750 respectively. Up-front fees did not apply in...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Neither my Department nor the bodies under its aegis have primary responsibility for the delivery of English language instruction. My Department does not have any plans to provide subsidies towards English language instruction. However, as part of its responsibilities for training, FÁS is currently in the process of developing training materials to assist migrant workers who have language...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Finding alternative employment for the workers in question is a priority for the State Development agencies and, last week, myself and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources met with a representative group from Ballivor, including some former workers, and outlined ongoing developments and stressed the priority efforts being made in Ballivor. The Industrial Training...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The liquidation of IFI is still ongoing. However, I understand that the liquidator has made considerable progress in realising the assets of the company and establishing the full extent of its liabilities. At this stage, the assets of the company have all been realised. It is understood that all claims from secured and preferential creditors have been paid at this stage, while a second...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: On 31 August, 2006, I announced the creation of 1,000 jobs by the company in question to support its international development. Up to 700 of these jobs will be located at a new facility in Navan, Co. Meath and the remainder will be created at the company's existing Irish operations in Cavan and Blanchardstown. The overall investment is being supported by Enterprise Ireland and is line with...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 100 together. I have provided funding of more than €30m to the County and City Enterprise Boards this year. This represents an increase of nearly 8% on the allocation provided in 2005. In addition to the Exchequer funding provided, the CEBs have an increasing flow of funds available to them from repayments of refundable grants provided in earlier...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 76 and 84 together. The EU Commission's report of 26 September 2006 stated that Bulgaria and Romania will be in a position to join the EU on 1st January 2007, provided that these countries address a number of outstanding issues. The Council of EU Foreign Ministers will decide at their meeting on 16 October whether accession should go ahead on 1st January...

Written Answers — Science and Technology Strategy: Science and Technology Strategy (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Government's Strategy for STI 2006-13 was launched by the Taoiseach and myself on 18 June this year, together with my Ministerial colleagues from the Departments of Finance, Health, Education and Agriculture, indicative of the whole of government approach to STI issues which underpins this Strategy. The Strategy is a product of the work of the eight-member Interdepartmental Committee on...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: In relation to the 172 jobs in question, I would like the parties concerned to renew their negotiations in order to reach an agreement which would prevent the loss of the jobs. I have spoken on a ongoing basis to both sides in an effort to facilitate a resolution of the issue. The Industrial Development agencies are continuing to promote Cork for employment opportunities. The strategy of...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The recent rise in prices for manufacturing industry imported inputs is partly caused by increasing oil prices. The increasing price of oil, of course, must be paid for by manufacturers the world over, so this does not place Ireland at a particular competitiveness disadvantage. The issue of cost competitiveness and the health of manufacturing depends on a much wider array of issues, from the...