Results 4,521-4,540 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Varadkar did not quote this and has quoted very little of what I have quoted.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: From another perspective, we cannot have high productivity and consequently incomes without a serious commitment to innovation. Clever innovation and innovation based on our research base will drive our success in demanding markets. According to the fourth Community innovation survey, Ireland performs above the EU 15 average. This further underlines the continuing competitive attributes of...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt Deputy O'Donnell.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Without high-level research we cannot hope to be a success in the future. We have been world class at exploiting new ideas but we must also become world class in generating those ideas. This is why we have prioritised research and development policy consistently during our time in office. This has never been a substantial item on the Opposition's agenda and it has required major resources...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I thought I would receive an early warning in respect of my time.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I was heckled to a large degree.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Inflation is a concern and we must work to reduce the level at which it stands. However, people must face reality regarding the origins of inflation. It is important to distinguish between external factors, which are beyond domestic policy control, and internal factors. Externally, the main cause is higher mortgage interest payments due to ECB interest rate increases. Excluding mortgage...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: On the European measure of comparable inflation rates, inflation measured 2.7% last year. The Central Bank and Financial Services Authority expects the figure for this year to be approximately 2.8% this year but to decline to the euro area average next year. Nevertheless, cost pressures are a concern. The Government has not increased indirect taxes in three successive budgets in order to...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I will conclude by saying that the responsible fiscal policies we have pursued have enabled us to deliver the most competitive tax regime in Europe. In this we have been opposed every year by Fine Gael, which continues the policy of attacking general increases while demanding countless specific increases. Lower taxes, higher social supports and a falling debt burden are what we have...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: We are not saying that.

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 330 and 331 together. The Forfás Annual Employment Survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the Industrial Development Agencies. Data is compiled on an annualised basis and is aggregated at county level only. Data in relation to 2007 will not be available until mid 2008. The number of jobs created in IDA supported companies in each...

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 333 together. The Forfás Annual Employment Survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the Industrial Development Agencies. Data is compiled on an annualised basis and is aggregated at county level only. Data in relation to 2007 will not be available until mid 2008. The number of jobs created in Enterprise Ireland supported...

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

Micheál Martin: The establishment of the thirty-five County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) pre-dated the development of the National Spatial Strategy. The CEBs were set up in 1993 to provide support for micro-enterprises in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at locallevel. As the...

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

Micheál Martin: The establishment of the thirty-five County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) pre-dated the development of the National Spatial Strategy. The CEBs were set up in 1993 to provide support for micro-enterprises in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level. As the...

Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department published our Annual Report for 2006 in April this year. The Report is available on my Department's website at www.entemp.ie.

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 and 339 together. The opening hours of my Department are 9.15 am to 5.30 pm on Mondays to Thursdays inclusive and 9.15 am to 5.15 pm on Fridays. The phone lines of my Department are open during the same periods and remain open for a further 15 minutes each evening. The phone lines and the Department do not close for lunch. Within the Department itself...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The following is the information requested by the Deputy: Name of Form Can form be downloaded? Can form be completed on-line? Complaint Form under our Quality Customer Service Charter Yes Yes The Freedom of Information Request Form Yes Yes The National Employment Rights Authority of my Department (NERA) has only one form on which clients can set out matters that they want investigated....

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The issue of the opening hours for the public offices and telephone lines of the Agencies and Bodies is a day to day administration matter for the Agencies and Bodies concerned and is an area in which I have no function.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 344 together. Under the Industrial Development Acts, IDA Ireland was established as an autonomous agency with responsibility for the attraction and development of foreign direct investment in this country. In exercising its statutory functions there are many day-to-day operational matters undertaken by the Agency in which the Minister of the day has...