Results 3,181-3,200 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The issue raised by the Deputy is a complex and cross-cutting one and accordingly, in the first instance, requires detailed examination by a number of Government Departments, and in particular by reference to Ireland's obligations under EU Treaties as regards the granting of priority access to our labour market by EU nationals.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: On the 13th September 2006 Enterprise Ireland (EI) signed the lease for a single site Dublin office in the East Point Business Park. The agency plans to have completed the move to the new office by the end of December 2007. Currently, Enterprise Ireland occupies four office locations in Dublin, primarily as a result of the amalgamation of various state agencies over a number of years into a...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The food processing sector is Ireland's single largest indigenous industry. It plays a critical role in the continued growth and success of the Irish economy, contributing an annual output in excess of €18 billion, and direct employment of 54,000. Job losses have been experienced in the food sector in recent times due to a variety of circumstances, including the availability of lower cost...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The administration and evaluation of Enterprise Ireland's productivity improvement fund is a day to day matter for the agency itself, and not one in which I am directly involved. The productivity improvement fund (PIF) was launched in May 2005. The initiative is primarily aimed at encouraging client companies, of both Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development, to undertake investments in...

Written Answers — Fair Trade Products: Fair Trade Products (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department's offices are spread over 8 separate buildings, none of which have cafeterias or restaurants. My Department has only a medium sized canteen in Davitt House and a very small canteen in Kildare Street. As already indicated in replies to recent questions on this matter, the tea, coffee, sugar and other products served in those two canteens are not confined to Fair Trade products....

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The data supplied by the Work Permits Section of my Department shows that the number of permits being issued has reduced, in particular due to EU Enlargement in May 2004. This is in line with the obligation contained in the Accession Treaty to give preference to nationals from the EEA when filling job vacancies, including both new and renewal permits. The total number of work permits issued...

Written Answers — Live Register: Live Register (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The report 'Measuring the Global Gender Gap' is the first attempt by the World Economic Forum to assess the size of the gender gap by measuring equality under five critical areas. I understand that the sources used to carry out this assessment are based on data that is at least two years old. The overall ranking given to Ireland is 16th place out of 58 countries. While economic...

Written Answers — Regulation of Small Businesses: Regulation of Small Businesses (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Business Regulation Forum was established by me in November 2005 and has met ten times to date. Its Terms of Reference are to advise the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on any changes necessary to ensure that existing or proposed regulations, impacting on business, meet the criteria set out in the White Paper "Regulating Better". The Forum has initiated a number of...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Personal Injuries Assessment Board has received thirty six thousand cases since it was established. I understand from the PIAB that six thousand of these were settled up-front from the outset, nine thousand cases were settled between the parties during the PIAB process, over five thousand assessments have been made, and an estimated four thousand cases are heading into litigation,...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The retail sector forms a key part of the Irish economy both in terms of the people it employs directly and the jobs it provides in the associated manufacturing, supply and distribution sectors. The retail sector is very important to the Irish consumer and, indeed, the consumer is vital to the retail sector. This Government sees competition as the life-blood of a vibrant economy and we are...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The issue of job creation is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies and relevant County Enterprise Boards, and not one in which I have a direct role. IDA Ireland informs me that it continues to market South County Dublin, including Tallaght and its environs, as a potential location for new foreign direct investment (FDI), in order to secure new investment and...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The tabular statement shows the number of new full time jobs created in enterprise agency assisted companies by broad economic sector over the period 1999 to 2005, as well as the number of job losses (full time) over the same period. In addition the statement also shows the most recent CSO data showing total numbers in employment at Quarter 2 of each year by sector. Comparable data for the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: My belief in the long-term sustainability of high wage or salary employment is based on the realities of recent economic growth and employment expansion. Ireland's success has been based not only on attracting highly skilled, high value-added and well-paid jobs and investment, but in retaining them. Currently we have both a competitive and comparative advantage in attracting foreign...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The following table sets out the position in relation to full-time job gains and job losses, in agency assisted firms in County Kildare over the period 2001-2005. It is not possible to provide details of the skill levels attached to either the job losses or gains. Over the past five years, IDA Ireland's focused strategy for Kildare has been to promote the county as part of an integrated east...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Work Permits Section of my Department has informed me that the following are the figures for permits approved and rejected for the past five years to date. Total Received Approved Rejected 2001 36,751 36,017 734 2002 40,923 39,853 1,070 2003 48,562 46,943 1,619 2004 34,491 33,206 1,285 2005 26,419 26,289 1,130 2006 to date 22,626 21,502 1,124

Written Answers — Skill Shortages: Skill Shortages (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs has been monitoring future skills requirements since 1997 and much has been done in the interim to ensure awareness of, and responses to, identified skills needs at all levels. To ensure that we have the skills to meet future demand in the medium to longer term, I have asked the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs to report on the most likely...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (15 Nov 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 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 — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: The latest data from the Central Statistics Office (QNHS) indicate that there were an additional 88,000 people in employment in Quarter 2 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. Data in respect of agency-assisted enterprises are compiled by Forfás on a once yearly basis and therefore the latest data available are for 2005. In that year 26,553 new full-time jobs were created in enterprise...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: Competitiveness is a remarkably broad policy area constantly under review and consideration both in my Department and across the Departments of my Government colleagues. Several activities are directed at identifying and improving our competitiveness. Recently the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) published its Annual Competitiveness Report (ACR) with its presentation of international...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (15 Nov 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. The National Competitiveness Council recently published a Statement on the Costs of Doing Business in Ireland. The Statement outlines the key findings of research assessing the cost of doing business at four locations in Ireland — Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. These locations are compared with international centres in both...