Results 3,021-3,040 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and by...

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

Micheál Martin: Responsibility for the development of property solutions for enterprise promotion in the Mid West Region lies with Shannon Development. IDA Ireland is the national agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions (including Co. Limerick), while Shannon Development is responsible for indigenous industry in the Mid-West region...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I met the Director for Corporate Enforcement on 17 May 2006 to discuss his request for additional staff resources. I indicated to him that I was generally disposed to his case. I outlined the very tight parameters that exist under the Public Service staffing programme. I have raised the matter with the Minister for Finance and my officials are currently engaging more fully on the matter with...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I had a very productive meeting with my Northern Ireland counterpart, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Maria Eagle M.P., on 1 June at InterTrade Ireland's offices in Newry. The Chairman and Chief Executive of InterTrade Ireland briefed Minister Eagle and I on the Body's programmes and activities and its overall strategy to enhance the development of the all-island economy....

Written Answers — Small Business Forum: Small Business Forum (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: When I published the report of the Small Business Forum earlier this year, I indicated that I was accepting, in general, the report's recommendations in so far as they related to my own areas of responsibility and that I would be pursuing the implementation of the other recommendations with my colleagues in Government who had responsibility for the relevant areas. In so far as the...

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168, 169 and 175 together. The reasons for companies to relocate activities from Ireland are many and varied, and include relocation to be closer to customers or other competitive considerations. I believe that firms must be free to allocate resources and production to where the returns are highest. It is not in our interest to obstruct what is in the best...

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

Micheál Martin: Each of the enterprise development agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards has a role to play in the promotion of investment and job creation in the country. For a number of years now IDA Ireland has been very successful in marketing Ireland to overseas investors and we continue to win a disproportionately high share of mobile global investments. The level...

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

Micheál Martin: My colleague the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr. Noel Dempsey T.D., has policy responsibility for energy related matters, including the alternative fuel industry. The Government is firmly committed to the development of bio-energy generally in Ireland and a number of initiatives are already in place to promote the biofuels sector. To this end, a Ministerial...

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

Micheál Martin: Ireland can no longer compete long-term in commoditised markets against low cost economies. This is demonstrated by the decline in the number of firms and persons employed in the Textiles, Leather and Electrical machinery sectors over the past five years. Competitiveness in commoditised, low value added sectors such as these is largely based on low-wage and non-wage costs. The rising cost...

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

Micheál Martin: The table sets out the position in relation to job gains and job losses, in relation to full-time manufacturing jobs, in agency assisted firms in Co. Kildare over the period 2001-2005. Over the past 5 years, IDA Ireland's focused strategy for Kildare has been to promote the county as part of an integrated East Region with access to a population base of 1.5 million people. IDA Ireland's...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The budget for FÁS is agreed on the basis of detailed discussions between FÁS, my Department and the Department of Finance in the context of the annual Estimates process. My Department has allocated a total of €985.175 million to FÁS in the 2006 Estimate. This is an increase of approximately 8% on the amount spent by FÁS in 2005. This budget is allocated by FÁS to the specific approved...

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

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas, including Waterford, for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency, I am precluded under the Acts from giving...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: In so far as the question relates to company law inquiries, I would refer the Deputy to the tables below which set out summary details of all company law investigations, for which my Department has had responsibility, since 1997. Sixteen investigations into company law matters were initiated by my predecessor in the period since 1997. In three cases, the High Court appointed, on an...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 121 together. I should point out that responsibility for the poultry sector rests with the Minister for Agriculture and Food. However, I have been in contact with the Minister in regard to the future of the company in question. My Ministerial colleague met with a group representing the producers that supply live chickens to the company on 3 October...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (12 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together. The number of job losses in 2005 in Donegal, for IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland supported companies, totals 578, the majority of which were in the textile sector. It should also be noted that 648 jobs were created in IDA and EI supported companies in 2005. 2006 figures are not yet available. A breakdown of sectoral employment for...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (12 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (17 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 413 together. The Employment Permits Act 2006 explicitly grants the Minister the power to refuse an application for an employment permit if a permit has been granted to that worker within the previous twelve months. This allows me as Minister to exercise my discretion to balance the rights of the employer who will have gone through an amount of effort...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (17 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 to 408, inclusive, together. The information requested falls within the statutory remit of Enterprise Ireland, an agency under the aegis of my Department. I have asked the agency to collate the information and when it is completed forward it on to you.

Written Answers — Employment Statistics: Employment Statistics (17 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by the Central Statistics Office that the exact information as requested by the Deputy is not available. Statistics on employment and unemployment are compiled, at a regional level, from the Quarterly National Household Survey. There are eight regions in the State; Border, Midland, West, Dublin, Mid-East, Mid-West, South-East and South-West. Sub-regional statistics, of the...

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

Micheál Martin: 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 international competitiveness league a rise of four places on...