Results 521-540 of 50,064 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Senior officials from my Department are members of the tax strategy group, TSG, which is an interdepartmental committee chaired by the Department of Finance. The terms of reference of the TSG include the examination and development of proposals for measures in the areas of taxation, PRSI and levies, for the budget and Finance Bill. As the Deputy will be aware, much of the discussion prior to...

Written Answers — Consumer Issues: Consumer Issues (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The work of the consumer strategy group is ongoing and has involved a number of initiatives. The website www.irishconsumer.ie has been established. A public consultation on consumer issues was held and individual consumers, representative organisations, businesses and any other interested parties were invited to contact the group with views and submissions by 9 July. The group produced a...

Written Answers — Enterprise Policy: Enterprise Policy (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 113, 114, 129, 142 and 147 together. As I previously advised the House, the Government considered the report of the enterprise strategy group in advance of its publication on 7 July last. In view of its extensive recommendations and their impact on a range of Departments other than my own, the Government decided to establish a high level committee to...

Written Answers — Enterprise Policy: Enterprise Policy (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The small business operational programme, or SBOP, which ran from 1995 to 1999 was Ireland's response to the EU's SME initiative. The initiative was aimed to stimulate small and medium-sized industrial or service enterprises, especially in less developed regions such as Ireland, to adapt to the Single Market and to ensure they could become internationally competitive. The SME initiative was...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: As Deputies are aware, the Minister for Finance is responsible for tax policy and has made clear that the Government is fully committed to maintaining the 12.5% corporation tax rate which became effective for all trading income from 1 January 2003. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland's long-standing policy of low corporation tax has been a fundamentally important element in the attraction and...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: As the Minister responsible for the requirement for motor insurance and in the light of his broader responsibility for road safety, my colleague, the Minister for Transport, will take over from my Department the lead role in policy and legislation on the availability and cost of motor insurance and related interdepartmental co-ordination. This will involve developing and implementing any...

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 131 and 134 together. As the House will be aware from similar questions asked previously, there have been a number of developments which will impact on the mid-west region and the roles of the respective State agencies operating there. The most significant of these developments are the proposed relocation as part of the Government's decentralisation...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Currently, I have no plans to restructure or reorganise FÁS. The structure, organisation and direction of FÁS was set out in its statement of strategy 2002-05. In broad terms, the statement provides for a shift in strategic focus away from dealing with the consequences of unemployment towards mobilising labour supply and providing training for both employed and unemployed alike. I recently...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: A total of 31 directives remain to be implemented, including ten for which the deadline for implementation in full or in part has passed. Details of the directives including, in so far as it has been decided, the proposed transposition instruments are available on my Department's website at www.entemp.ie/trade/eudirectives/index.htm. The website also contains information on directives in...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The Forfás employment survey tracks employment levels in agency assisted companies on an annual basis. The life cycle of companies influences the ebb and flow of employment and relocation is just one factor in the many enterprise related issues that determines employment levels. It is not possible to determine the employment change arising from just one aspect affecting the enterprise...

Written Answers — Employment Action Plan: Employment Action Plan (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the national employment action plan which is produced annually by my Department. The plan is Ireland's response to the European employment strategy, or EES. The strategy is the process used to implement the employment objectives of the Lisbon Agenda. The employment guidelines which flow from the EES have set three overarching objectives. These are full...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: My Department no longer regulates insurance companies as this responsibility has passed to the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, IFSRA, under the aegis of my colleague, the Minister for Finance, who has overall responsibility for policy and legislation on the provision of financial services in Ireland. The Minister for Transport has taken over the lead role in policy and...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 140 together. Support for job creation and investment on a regional or local basis is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies. The agencies promote actively all areas for new investment and jobs on an ongoing basis. IDA Ireland markets individual areas as locations for additional foreign direct investment through its...

Written Answers — Construction Sector: Construction Sector (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Employment in the construction sector, which includes the house-building sector, increased by 7.6%, or 14,600, in the 12-month period to end May 2004. In the period 1997-2003, employment in the sector increased by approximately 65%. A number of reports have been produced commenting on the future of the construction sector. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 146 together. The preparatory stages of the employment permits Bill have taken longer than expected due to the change in labour market circumstances and the need to achieve greater clarity and simplicity than the original draft provided for. I expect to publish the Bill during the current Dáil term. The Minister of State with responsibility for labour...

Written Answers — Workplace Absenteeism: Workplace Absenteeism (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: While I share concern about the cost to business of absenteeism, I have no direct function in the matter.

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: In determining the allocations for individual city and county enterprise boards in 2004, my Department adopted a systematic approach to ensure the maximum degree of objectivity and equity of treatment. This approach involved the provision of funding calculated on the basis of a standard allocation to each board as well as an additional allocation determined mainly by population but which also...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, including its regions and areas. In 2003, a total of 32 green field and expansion job creation projects were announced by IDA Ireland. These projects have a projected total job content of nearly 5,600 and were achieved against a background where there were fewer companies...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The number of redundancies notified to my Department in the years specified were 13,316 in 2000, 19,977 in 2001, 25,358 in 2002, 27,702 in 2003 and 20,127 to the end of October, 2004. The corresponding figure to the end of October 2003, was 22,509 which means an 10.6% decrease in the number of redundancies notified to my Department so far this year. It is not possible to project what the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Support for job creation and retention in individual counties is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, including its regions and areas. The agency is actively promoting Tralee for new investment and jobs on an ongoing basis. IDA Ireland is...