Results 4,941-4,960 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that following the introduction of new administrative arrangements in 2007 under the Employment Permits Act, 2006, employment permits are now issued on the basis of different permit types with dedicated staff working in each group. This system has streamlined the work of the section allowing faster times for issuing. Currently, fully...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The increase in unemployment in the construction sector, while unwelcome, must be seen in the context of the major increase in employment over the last number of years, an increase which was particularly strong in the construction sector. The anticipated period of adjustment is now being experienced in new house building. However, overall employment is forecast to continue to grow, albeit...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 67 together. The FÁS budget that has been assigned specifically to programmes for people with a disability was € 73.7 million in 2007. The budget for 2008 is € 77.0 million. The main employer grants and schemes in place are the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant, the Disability Awareness Training Grant and the Employee...

Written Answers — Employment Action Plan: Employment Action Plan (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, the main policy instrument to encourage people off the Live Register is the National Employment Action Plan Preventive Strategy. The Preventive Strategy, which was first introduced in 1998 and rolled out nationwide in subsequent years involves a more systematic engagement with the unemployed. On reaching a three month threshold on the Live Register, each...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 43 together. The implementation of the Good Friday Agreement has resulted in the creation of opportunities for the attraction and development of foreign direct investment to the Border region. I accept that there is a need for Government investment in areas such as Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan if we are to succeed in attracting inward...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (28 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 for all sectors. Employment increased by 67,600 year on year in 2007 (CSO, Quarterly National Household Survey, Quarter 3) and the number of...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: In its first 11 months of operation (February 2007 to end December 2007), a total of 2,974 permits issued under the Green Card Scheme. This figure represents close to one third of total new employment permits issued by the Department in 2007 and represents an increase over the 2,713 permits issued in 2006 under the Work Visa/Work Authorisation Scheme, which the Green Card Scheme replaced. The...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The National Consumer Agency, which was established on a statutory basis on the commencement of the Consumer Protection Act in May 2007, is empowered as part of its mandate to prepare and publish guidelines to traders in relation to matters of consumer welfare and protection and matters related to commercial practices. The Act also entitles the Agency to review or approve Codes of Practice...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: There are currently a total of thirteen Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. 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 — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: In the Commission's December 2007 Report on Ireland's implementation of its National Reform Programme under the Lisbon strategy, the Commission said, and I quote, that: "Ireland has been making very good progress in implementing its National Reform Programme over the 2005-2007 period". Once again, Ireland was amongst a small group of Member States which did not receive any specific...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (28 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. The programme helps unemployed people to progress to the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Since 1997, over 500,000 new jobs were created in Ireland and the number in employment now exceeds 2 million. There was a net gain of 1,115 jobs in agency assisted full time jobs in 2007, including Udaras Na Gaeltachta, with a further 2,200 net jobs created by the CEBs. Looking to the future, two of the Government's main tasks are to ensure that Ireland remains an attractive place to do...

Written Answers — Regulatory Reform: Regulatory Reform (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am assuming that the Deputy's question refers to the reduction in 'administrative burdens' — or so-called 'red tape' — on business. In March 2007, the European Council agreed that "administrative burdens arising from EU legislation should be reduced by 25% by 2012. Taking into account the different starting points and traditions, the European Council invites Member States to set their...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The January 2007 Consumer Price Index as published by the Central Statistics Office shows that although the annual rate of inflation fell to 4.3% in January down from 4.7% in December, the price of food and non alcoholic beverages increased 6.7% in the past 12 months. It is an undisputed fact that rising food prices are being experienced right across the world. These increases have been...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: There is no provision in Irish consumer law which prevents retailers from recording the price of goods in different currencies. The European Communities (Requirement to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002, do, however, oblige retailers to indicate the price in euro on all goods offered for sale. Additionally the Consumer Protection Act 2007 makes it illegal to mislead consumers in...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: As I advised the House in a previous reply to a question on this matter on 7th February, the public consultation process in relation to issues raised by the Deputy which relate to Sections 48 and 49 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, resulted in a significant number of submissions to my Department. Those submissions gave rise to a number of complex matters, requiring careful consideration....

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (28 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 — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I have been advised by the National Consumer Agency that since its establishment on a statutory basis in May 2007, it received 25 sterling price related complaints/queries on goods sold in the State and 12 of these involved currency differential issues in 2007. For the year to date, the Agency has received 8 sterling price related complaints/queries on goods sold in the State and 3 of these...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The visit of His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz to Ireland, between 18th–21st February 2008, resulted from the Taoiseach-led Trade Mission to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in January 2007, in which I participated. Present on the mission were a number of Irish companies operating in the electronics, software and medical sectors. During the visit I met...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (28 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that they have no record of a valid application in this case.