Results 3,101-3,120 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Trade Missions: Trade Missions (14 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: Between 16th to 19th October, 2006, in my capacity as Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, I paid an official visit Canada at the head of an Enterprise Ireland- sponsored Trade Mission. The main purpose of the Trade Mission was to promote Ireland as a source of world-class products and services in Canada, and also to highlight the growing economic links between the two countries....

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (14 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The main purpose of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to provide work experience and training for the long term unemployed and disadvantaged groups (including those with a disability) and thereby enable participants to advance successfully to employment in the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to assist them to...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (14 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department, in common with other civil service Departments and offices, fully implements the Government's policy on the employment of people with a disability. The recruitment of staff to all Government Departments, including my Department, is undertaken by the Public Appointments Service. Provided the qualifying criteria for each particular competition are satisfied, persons with...

Industrial Development. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The National Competitiveness Council, NCC, recently published its Statement on the Costs of Doing Business in Ireland. The publication outlines the key findings of research looking at the cost of doing business at four locations in Ireland — Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick — and comparing these to international centres such as Bangalore, Boston and Copenhagen. The data is for one...

Industrial Development. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: I answered the question by giving a balanced perspective on the issue. Deputy Hogan is overly concentrating on the negative.

Industrial Development. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: We are aware of the energy issue. That is why the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, produced a Green Paper on energy and has brought in a number of initiatives in that area. Our main energy problem is our high dependence on fossil fuels. I am on a Cabinet sub-committee on the issue. We are concerned on an ongoing basis about energy prices and...

Industrial Development. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: It can be explained when one considers our dependence on fossil fuels. That is where the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, moved in last year's budget in terms of incentivising indigenous renewables and alternatives to our fossil fuel dependency. That is ultimately the way forward, as well as the...

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The data in the OECD report refers to foreign direct investment, FDI, inflows and outflows that cover a wide variety of transactions. The flows of FDI associated with companies for which IDA Ireland has responsibility would only form a component of the OECD data. It would be incorrect to take the OECD data in isolation and infer from it that Ireland has become uncompetitive, or is losing...

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: Like everything else in life, the projects built and the jobs created are the ultimate benchmarks or inputs to any database. I referred to the impact of the American Jobs Creation Act 2004. If the Deputy listened carefully to my reply, he will note it stated that a range of inflows and outflows are assessed. However, the bottom line is that 2005 was the best year since 2000 in respect of...

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: Yes. A total of 70 greenfield and expansion projects were sanctioned in 2004, and a further 71 in 2005. This year looks even better. The quality of this year's investments says a great deal about Ireland and its world class manufacturing capability in the field of pharmaceuticals and of bio-pharmaceuticals in particular. For example, the largest biotechnology company in the world, namely,...

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The financial services company Northern Trust will locate in Limerick. Today, Google, the Internet company that is the brand name in terms of Internet activity, decided to locate in Ireland. From my perspective, such high quality investments in what I would describe as the industries of tomorrow are reassuring. Such organisations have made hard decisions. When I visit such companies in...

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Opposition parties did not introduce it.

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: They opposed it. Deputy Rabbitte opposed it.

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: I welcome any constructive suggestions from Deputy Hogan regarding ongoing issues pertaining to foreign direct investment.

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: We are planning very effectively and comprehensively for the future. The research and development strategy is a plan for future industry, jobs and competitiveness. This is why we put so much effort into it. A total of eight Departments were involved in the process, which was chaired by my Department. I chaired a Cabinet sub-committee on science and technology. We see it as critical for...

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: Charlie McCreevy personified the tax cutting agenda in this country, which produced increased revenue flows in respect of corporation tax and capital gains tax.

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: I always remember how Deputy Rabbitte attacked Mr. McCreevy's policies on positive tax reform on that occasion and tried to score some political points off them.

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: It is important to always remember that the Deputies opposite opposed Mr. McCreevy's policies at that time. It is a very positive development that they now attempt to seek credit for them.

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: On the contrary, it is important that Mr. McCreevy——

Economic Competitiveness. (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: With the greatest respect, Mr. McCreevy is making a great contribution to the global enterprise that is the European Union and his impact is already being felt in that jurisdiction.