Results 4,021-4,040 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Enterprise Policy: Enterprise Policy (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The new Programme for Government sets out this Government's priorities in all key policy areas for the coming years. Implementation of the commitments in the Programme will be a major element informing my Department's new Strategy Statement for 2008-2010. Some of the main priorities for me, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are as follows: Working to enhance competitiveness...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: There has been no person-hours lost either in my Department or in the Agencies under the aegis of my Department to date in 2007, due to industrial action. There are no pending strike notices in place against my Department or any of the agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Competition Authority: Competition Authority (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Competition Authority is the independent statutory agency responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State. Its mandate and functions are set out in the Competition Act 2002, as amended. The 2002 Act consolidated, reformed and modernised previous legislation relating to competition policy and merger control. In essence the Act: increased the penalties for serious cartel...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Research and innovation, in both product and process development, are critical to success in the increasingly global marketplace. The Enterprise Development agencies under the aegis of my Department encourage the establishment of sustained levels of R&D activity through a variety of R&D schemes offered from Innovation Vouchers to Innovation Management training to project and large-scale R&D...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004, administered by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, among other things, protects against discrimination on the ground of age in relation to access to employment. However, they also permit an employer to decide on a retirement age in a particular employment to give flexibility to employers and employees, having due regard to the...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: 8,162 persons completed training (throughput) through FÁS Training Services courses to the end of May 2007, of whom 5,341 (65%) were unemployed persons on skills training; 2,060 (25%) were employed apprentices and 761 (9%) were other employed persons attending sponsored up-skilling courses. A further 9,779 were in training at the end of May, of whom 6,243 (64%) were unemployed and 3,225...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Enterprise Ireland (EI) operates two direct financial support schemes that help Irish SMEs to increase awareness of and promote eco-efficiency in their operations. These are the Environmental Management System (EMS) Support Scheme and the Environmentally Superior Products (ESP) Support Scheme. The EMS Support Scheme has been in operation since late 1998 and since then 105 Irish SMEs have...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: A wide variety of different trade activities is undertaken by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of, and in conjunction with, my Department. This includes Outward Trade Missions, Inward Missions organised on behalf of buyers and business partners, participation in Trade Fairs and other marketing activities on behalf of its client companies. The latter make a financial contribution towards their...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: At the end of May 2007 there were 6,081 cases with the PIAB in the 90-day "consent to process" period i.e. PIAB has received a claim and has issued formal notice to the responding party and is awaiting consent to process from that party. There were a further 5,403 cases in the nine-month statutory assessment process, where the responding party has indicated that liability is not contested...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Industrial Development agencies continue to promote the greater Cork area for industrial development. In terms of new foreign investment, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, information and communications technology and internationally traded services are among the area's strongest performers in recent years. Last year, new projects were announced for the region which will result in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: 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 (EI) is to move 300 posts to Shannon; The Health and Safety Authority is to move 110 posts to Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny; and The National Standards Authority of Ireland is to move 132 posts to Arklow, Co. Wicklow My Department continues to...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is ongoing co-operation between my Department and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland on enterprise issues. Both Departments co-sponsor InterTradeIreland, the all-island trade and business development body established under the Good Friday Agreement. Since 1999, InterTradeIreland has shown the benefits of all-island business collaboration and it is...

Written Answers — Fair Trade Products: Fair Trade Products (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department has only two small canteens and in the past year both canteens have introduced Fair Trade products. My Department encourages the use of Fair Trade products and in one of the canteens, only Fair Trade tea and coffee is on sale and a large poster advertising Fair Trade products is displayed for all staff to see. As regards the agencies under the control of my Department, the...

Written Answers — Third Level Qualifications: Third Level Qualifications (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Education and Science has primary responsibility for the higher education sector, from which the PhDs will graduate. However, the target of doubling the number of PhDs is at the heart of the Government's Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006-13 and a number of Departments and Agencies are contributing to the delivery of that goal, including my own Department,...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: There has not been a negative impact on the work of my Department and the Agencies under the aegis of my Department arising from the Government's Public Service Staffing Reduction Programme. All services carried out by my Department and Agencies have been maintained to the highest standard.

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Over the last ten years, Ireland has experienced exceptional growth which has seen our economy almost double in size. The construction sector has played, and continues to play, a very significant role in this success. The sector, which remains the largest industry in the Irish economy, is likely to continue to be strategic to our economic growth. Recent projections from the Central...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Table 1 provides details of international fights taken by staff of my Department on official business on scheduled flights from 1 January 2007 to 30 June 2007. The table shows the final destination for each journey, the number of flights to each destination and the cost involved, based on provisional accounts to the end of June. My Department's staff have not taken any domestic flights on...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The pillars underpinning the development of a comprehensive employment strategy under the Sectoral Plan for people with disabilities of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are: Enhancing the effectiveness of vocational training and employment programmes Further developing supports to the employment of people with disabilities Developing and advancing actions under the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Under the Treaties of Accession between the EU and Romania and Bulgaria, Phase 1 of the Transitional Arrangements comes to an end on 31 December, 2008. During this Phase, Member States are permitted to continue to require nationals of both countries to hold employment permits in order to access the labour market. As I announced on 24 October last, the Government availed of this option,...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together. The meeting last month in Potsdam, Germany, of the so-called Group of 4 (the G4) of the USA, the EU (represented by the European Commission), Brazil and India, was the latest in a series of such meetings. Unfortunately, as Deputy Higgins points out, it was not possible at that meeting for the G4 to reach convergence. From the EU's...