Results 4,741-4,760 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: In order to ensure optimal coordination in the implementation of the National Skills Strategy in the training sector and to avoid any possible over-lap or duplication my Department established the Upskilling Co-ordination Group last year. This group, which is chaired by my Department, brings together representatives of FÁS, Skillnets, Enterprise Ireland, the County Enterprise Boards and...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Wage Subsidy Scheme provides financial incentives to employers and employees, outside the public sector to encourage the employment of people with disabilities. The scheme was implemented by FÁS, on behalf of the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, in September 2005 on the basis of an initial three year pilot that would be subsequently reviewed within this time frame. The...

Written Answers — Cross-Border Projects: Cross-Border Projects (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am committed to working with my counterparts in Northern Ireland to implement all-island initiatives where there is mutual economic benefit including in the area of labour market and skills. This area of North/South co-operation was identified in the Comprehensive Study on the All-Island Economy, published in 2006, as a means to optimise the skills pool on the island for continued...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the proceedings commenced and convictions under the Employment Permits Act 2003 were as follows: 2003 Proceedings commenced against Employers 83; Convictions: 6 Proceedings commenced against Employees 3; Convictions 2 2004 Proceedings commenced against Employers 42 Convictions:6; Proceedings commenced against Employees...

Written Answers — Personal Injuries Assessment Board: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Personal Injuries Assessment Board was established in April 2004 as part of the Government's insurance reform programme, with the aim of allowing certain classes of personal injury claim, where liability is uncontested, to be settled without the need for the costs associated with litigation. The threat of rising insurance costs at the time posed serious risks to Irish business and the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Payment and repayment of grants are day to day operational matters for the Industrial Development agencies. I do not have any role in day to day operational matters of the agencies. However, in this particular case, I understand from IDA Ireland that the company received approximately €3.7 million in grants since 1989. Discussions will take place between the agency and the company in...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I understand that a restructuring of the manufacturing activities of the company in question will lead to a cessation of production at its biscuit factory in Tallaght by early 2009. The planned restructuring will include an investment programme and the company expects to employ 120 people at that stage in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland has had a number of discussions with the company over the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: There are currently a total of thirteen Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2010. One of these Directives, Directive 2005/56/EC on cross-border mergers of limited liability companies, is currently overdue. It is intended to transpose this Directive by 31 March 2008. Twelve Directives are scheduled to be transposed in 2008 and subsequent years. My Department has received 24...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Consumer Protection (Fixed Payment Notice) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 689 of 2007) came into effect on 13 October 2007. Responsibility for the enforcement of these Regulations is a matter for the National Consumer Agency and I have no direct function in this matter. I am informed that to date authorised officers of the National Consumer Agency have served eight fixed payment notices all...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the 2007 edition of the Consumers in Europe Report recently published by Eurostat. The Report contains facts and figures on a number of different services of general interest to consumers in the European Union including information on price levels in the various member states. The Report does show that household consumption expenditure in Ireland is above the average for the 25...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The establishment of the Office for Disability and Mental Health was announced by the Taoiseach on Wednesday, 30th January, 2008. The office will support the Minister of State for Disability and Mental Health at the Department of Health and Children in exercising his responsibilities in four Government Departments, namely, the Departments of Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: A key objective of the Employment Permits Act 2006 was the strengthening of the protection for migrant workers. In that regard, employment permits are now issued to the employees and a copy sent to the employer. The permit contains a statement of the entitlements of the migrant worker including their remuneration, their right to change employer, and any deductions for board and accommodation,...

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The number of people on the Live Register at the end of years 2005, 2006 and 2007 was 155,833, 155,389 and 170,376 respectively. The increase in numbers on the Live Register in this two period was 14, 543. The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time, seasonal and casual workers entitled to unemployment benefit. Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The following table sets out the amount of electricity used in the offices of my Department in Kildare Street for the past three years on a monthly basis. The billing system changed from bi-monthly to monthly in May 2005. The usage figures in the KWH column for the months May 2005 to April 2006 inclusive are estimated average figures. Date KWH â'¬ Jan/Feb 2005 108,782 12,890.62...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Increases for Community Employment participant grants are a matter for my Department and reflect the changes in the budget with respect to increases in Social Welfare payments. The CE participant grant increases are effective from 1st January annually. In January 2008, the rates were increased by €20 per week for participants with an adult dependant, increasing this grant to €353.50. I...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together. Joint Labour Committees (JLCs): Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are established by order of the Labour Court under Section 35 of the Industrial Relations Act 1946. JLCs discuss and agree terms and conditions to apply to specified workers in certain sectors. When a JLC agrees terms and conditions, it makes proposals to the Labour Court....

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 to 123, inclusive, together. There are many factors that influence a firm's decision to relocate. Firms adjust their plant location and utilisation strategies to address matters such as accessing new markets, moving production nearer to customers, meeting firm or market specific customer relationship issues, accessing technology or other competitive...

Written Answers — Employment Growth: Employment Growth (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Employment growth, i.e. the excess of jobs created over jobs lost, is expected to continue to be positive in 2008, though growing at a slower pace than in previous years. In the Budget Outlook employment is forecast to grow by over 1% (24,000) in 2008. Employment has increased by 247,300 in the three-year period since 2004 and the number of people in employment is now 2,140,900. It is...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 4.9% on average in 2007. The euro area measure of inflation, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 2.8% for Ireland in 2007. This was lower than the euro area average for the same period. The Central Bank, in their Quarterly Bulletin published last week, forecast inflation (HICP) to ease further to 2.5% in 2008. Inflation is measured by...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 Feb 2008)

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 aims to facilitate unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work...