Results 4,201-4,220 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Training Programmes: Training Programmes (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Government is committed to upskilling the Irish labour force and has substantially increased State investment in training those in employment in recent years. The attached table details the relevant FÁS expenditure on training those in employment as a share of FÁS total direct costs. FÁS two main programmes under the in-company heading are both the apprenticeship programme and the...

Written Answers — Skill Shortages: Skill Shortages (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The effective implementation of the National Skills Strategy requires an integrated approach jointly led by my own Department, by the Department of Education & Science and that successfully involves all of the key agencies in the education and training sectors. Since the publication of the Strategy progress has been made in several areas. I asked the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs to...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: While the issue of broadband is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, I am informed that broadband take-up continues to grow strongly in Ireland. At the end of June 2007 there were 698,000 broadband subscriptions, which represents an annual increase of 87%. At the end of March this year the European Competitive Telecommunications...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions, while Enterprise Ireland is responsible for indigenous industry in the Mid- west region. Shannon Development's remit includes the provision of property solutions to accommodate the FDI and indigenous sectors in the Mid West region. While I may give general...

Business Regulation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: In response to the business regulation forum recommendation and to progress the agenda of reducing administrative burdens for business, I established the high-level group on business regulation under the chairmanship of the Secretary General of my Department. The high-level group comprises representatives of Departments and agencies, the business sector and a representative of ICTU. The...

Business Regulation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: We will not introduce the standard cost model as employed by the Netherlands, although we have engaged with Dutch authorities and they made representations to the business regulation forum on the application of the model there. One of the key issues is required resources in terms of a base measurement that a standard cost model would entail. We would need a significant cohort of civil...

Business Regulation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: As a backdrop to this, it is worth pointing out that the World Bank's report, Doing Business 2008, ranked Ireland eighth out of 178 in terms of ease of starting and running a business. Only the UK and Denmark are ahead of us in the EU. That said, we acknowledge a clear need to reduce regulation on business and I have already outlined some of the steps we have taken on this, such as the audit...

Industrial Development. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: On the morning of 3 October 2007, I was very disappointed to be informed by way of a conference call with the Irish general manager and the executive vice president of operations of Amgen Inc. that the project had been postponed indefinitely due to a downturn and difficulties within the American market for the company's products. During the week commencing 8 October 2007 various discussions...

Industrial Development. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: On the Deputy's latter queries, those matters will be dealt with in reply to a later question. In order to save time, I will deal with them when the said question is taken. It is important not to play politics with this issue.

Industrial Development. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is an element of playing politics. The Government does not represent Amgen. I do not sit in on meetings at the corporate headquarters of global companies. Those who run such companies, not the Los Angeles Times or any other newspaper, make decisions. The executive vice-president of the company put it very well last week when he asked if I honestly thought that if the management...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The total approved staffing complement for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, ODCE, has already been increased this year from 37 to 41 posts. A further increase of four posts is planned to take place by the end of the year. The recruitment process in this regard is under way. In addition, I understand the director is pursuing with the Garda Commissioner the possibility of...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Have I jumped ahead?

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is certainly the case.

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is never the position in my case.

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Unemployment currently stands at 4.5%. The ESRI projects that it will rise to 5.6% in 2008. It also forecasts that employment will grow by 2.5% — 50,000 — this year and by 0.6% in 2008. The pre-budget outlook is more optimistic in this regard and states employment will grow by 3.5% this year and 1.25% — 26,000 — in 2008. Employment has increased by 259,000 in the three-year period...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The EU-27 average for unemployment is 6.9%. The projections made fall well below this figure, which is important. We must be careful as regards the language we use. We certainly have not thrown in the towel. The economy is robust and performing well in international terms. I have just come from the launch of Enterprise Ireland's new strategic vision for the next three years where it has...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Our unemployment rate is 4.5%.

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Varadkar is taking current figures for the other countries and comparing them with projected forecast figures for next year. I invite the Deputies to look at all previous forecasts for the past ten years. We could do an interesting assessment of how many of them were actually correct.

Departmental Agencies. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The total approved staffing complement for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, ODCE, has already been increased this year from 37 to 41 posts. A further increase of four posts is planned to take place by the end of this year. The recruitment process is under way. In addition, I understand that the director is pursuing with the Garda Commissioner the possibility of...

Departmental Agencies. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is a completely different question from the one tabled. We can reply in detail to the Deputy later in terms of the specifics of that question. The question he tabled is about the funding and resources for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and whether I will make a statement on the matter. I wish to clarify the backdrop to the increase in resources for that office....