Results 4,261-4,280 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: There are currently a total of twelve Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2010. One of these Directives is overdue and the following is the position with regard to implementation progress: Directive 2006/139/EC amending Council Directive as regards restrictions on the marketing and use of arsenic compounds for the adapting of its Annex I to technical progress. The...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006, it is illegal to employ a non-EEA national without an employment permit where one is required. These Acts provide for a large number of obligations and offences including those relating to: The employment of foreign nationals except in accordance with an employment permit Refusal to cooperate with inquiries of An Garda Síochána Forgery,...

Written Answers — Company Law: Company Law (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Company Law Review Group published its General Scheme of the Companies Consolidation and Reform Bill in July 2007. The Government subsequently approved the drafting of a Bill along the lines of the General Scheme and the Office of the Parliamentary Council is at present drafting the legislation. As the Office of the Parliamentary Council has indicated that its work on the Bill is...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Small and Medium Enterprises are generally recognised as firms which employ between 0 and 250 employees. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is the national development agency with primary responsibility for assisting the development of indigenous SMEs in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector. Enterprise Ireland currently works with 138 client companies in County Monaghan, which...

Written Answers — OECD Project: OECD Project (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a project of the OECD together with a number of member countries for the development of a new generation of household-based surveys of adult skills in selected domains of measurable ability. Ireland declined to be involved in the OECD's PIAAC due to a number of concerns. These included the high cost of...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: There were 2,095,400 persons in employment at the end of May 2007. This represents an annual increase of 78,400 or 3.9%. The pre-budget outlook forecasts employment to grow by 70,000 or 3.5% in 2007 and 26,000 or 1.25% in 2008. The ESRI forecasts employment to grow by 50,000 or 2.5% in 2007 as a whole and by 12,000 or 0.6% in 2008. In both cases we are forecasting continued employment...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The issues raised by the Deputy relate to Sections 48 and 49 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007. My Department launched a public consultation in the summer in relation to the commencement of these provisions of the Act. To date almost 50 submissions have been received. I am currently considering the detailed issues raised in the various submissions.

Written Answers — Website Development: Website Development (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The main objective of the BASIS website is to provide a single point of access to public sector information that is relevant to the business community. The content for the BASIS website is currently sourced from the websites of over 50 public sector organisations and is presented in a consistent format, with links back to the appropriate websites. My Department monitors the links on BASIS on...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department has a customer service target of processing all valid employment permit applications within 15 working days. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this target is currently been met in the categories of Green Cards, Medical Permits and Intra-Company Transfers. The current processing time for Work Permits is 16 working days and for Spousal...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Consumer Protection Act 2007 gives the National Consumer Agency specific functions to publish guidelines applicable to traders in relation to matters of consumer welfare and practice and also to review and approve codes of practice submitted to it by businesses or their trade associations. In this regard, I am advised that the Agency has already had some preliminary engagement with a...

Written Answers — Labour Force Upskilling: Labour Force Upskilling (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Government is committed to improving the skills levels of workers. The State's key providers of training continue to offer appropriate and relevant training programmes to all those in the workforce with a particular focus on the low skilled and workers employed in vulnerable employment. FÁS as the National Training and Employment Authority, is currently reviewing the employment trends...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Both FÁS and Enterprise Ireland are taking the necessary steps to expand their role in increasing employer commitment to training, in accordance with the commitment in the Programme for Government. The FÁS budget for the training of the employed has been substantially increased, including that for training and development owner/managers and employees in SMEs. This has allowed FÁS to enter...

Written Answers — Labour Force Upskilling: Labour Force Upskilling (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I have noted with interest the proposal put forward by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for the introduction of paid learning leave to enable workers to up-skill. Earlier this year I asked the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs to examine paid learning leave and wage compensation so as to determine if it would be an appropriate mechanism to stimulate demand and participation for training...

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the proposal he refers to was just one of a number of recommendations made by the Chairman of the Ulster Bank Group on how to deliver the future of the Northern Ireland economy. The Comprehensive Study on the All-Island Economy published last year, examined the joint marketing of the island for Foreign Direct Investment. That Study concluded that the package...

Written Answers — National Consumer Agency: National Consumer Agency (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The National Consumer Agency which was established as a statutory entity on the 1st May was given a significantly expanded remit with specific functions in areas such as consumer advocacy, research, information, education and awareness and enforcement. Notwithstanding that the Agency has only been statutorily established for a number of months, it has already undertaken a significant amount...

Written Answers — Consumer Information: Consumer Information (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Price display law is covered by Orders made under Section 19 of the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 and under the European Communities (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002, Statutory Instrument No. 639 of 2002. The various Price Display Orders made under the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 cover Drinks Display in Licensed Premises, Hairdressing Services, Petrol and Diesel and...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The level of foreign direct investment in Ireland, relative to the size of the economy, is one of the highest in the world. Today, more than 1,000 overseas companies have substantial international operations in Ireland. These include many of the leading companies in Information & Communications Technologies, Life Sciences, Globally Traded Businesses and Financial Services. There are strong...

Written Answers — Consumer Rights: Consumer Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The commitment to introduce on-the-spot fines for breaches of consumer legislation has been met by the Consumer Protection (Fixed Payment Notice) Regulations 2007 which came into effect on 13 October 2007. The Regulations permit an authorised officer of the National Consumer Agency to serve a fixed payment notice in respect of breaches of the European Communities (Requirements to Indicate...

Written Answers — Labour Force Upskilling: Labour Force Upskilling (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The commitment contained in the Programme for Government reflects the National Development Plan's intention to invest €2.8 billion in the upskilling of the workforce over the next six years. This includes the training for people in employment, upskilling those affected or likely to be affected by industrial restructuring including those in the manufacturing sector, improving and enlarging...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department has informed me that an application for a Work Permit was refused and the applicant notified accordingly. An appeal of this decision was subsequently lodged and this is currently under consideration. It is anticipated that a decision will issue in the next 7 days.