Results 8,621-8,640 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The purpose of the strategies and policies being pursued by the Industrial Development agencies in Tallaght is to support enterprise development and provide employment opportunities in the area. The agencies work closely with each other and with local interests thereby using an integrated approach in order to increase the flow of potential investors and promote job creation in Tallaght and...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 150 together. Forecasting employment figures is a difficult business and subject to a variety of unforeseen, often extraneous, variables influencing estimates of that nature. However, I still expect employment growth — being the excess of jobs created over jobs lost — to continue in 2008 and beyond, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years....

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 161 together. The issue of employee representation was considered in the context of the recent Social Partnership talks. In that context, the draft Agreement provides for the establishment of a review process which will consider the legal and other steps which are required to enable the mechanisms which were established under previous agreements to...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are currently a total of nine Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. Three of these Directives are currently overdue. The first of these, Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery health and safety requirements, is expected to be transposed by 3 October 2008. It is intended to transpose the second and third overdue Directives, Directive 2006/46/EC on company reporting and...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Government policy on the Doha Development Round of trade talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is to secure a comprehensive, ambitious and balanced trade agreement. Such an outcome would have been an important fillip to the world economy. It would have delivered tangible gains to Irish exporters, consumers and of course developing countries, especially the least developed countries....

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Consumer Protection (Fixed Payment Notice) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 689 of 2007) came into effect on 13 October 2007. Responsibility for enforcement of these Regulations is a matter for the National Consumer Agency and I have no direct function in the matter. I am informed that to date, twenty-nine notices have been served by Authorised Officers of the National Consumer Agency....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 157 together. Any savings to be made in my Department's Vote for 2009, including reductions in payroll costs, will be determined in the context of the 2009 Budget which will be announced by the Minister for Finance on 14th October. It would be premature for me to comment on the matter in advance of the Budget being presented to the Dáil.

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland has transformed as an economy over recent years, and we are well positioned to continue this transformation over coming years. We will rely increasingly on the performance of the enterprise base, particularly the traded sectors to restore the economy to a growth path. Our competitive advantages which served us well in the past such as our skilled and flexible workforce, favourable...

Written Answers — Product Price Display: Product Price Display (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Price display law is covered by Orders made under 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 Restaurants. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 166 together. In July this year, the Minister for Finance announced that he had asked for a review of State agencies to be carried out to examine whether they could share services, whether it would be appropriate to absorb some of their functions back into their parent Departments, or whether some agencies should be amalgamated or abolished. The...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including those with a disability) 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...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The tables below outline the number of staff by grade in my private and constituency office and in those of each Minister of State within my Department. The cost for 2007 of each such office in terms of salary, overtime and expenses are included together with the projected costs for 2008 to date. Office of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Civil Servants...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I would advise the Deputy that following my meeting with the Chief Executive of the National Consumer Agency on 7th August, I did issue a public statement reaffirming the Government's determination to ensure that Irish consumers get a fair deal on price, on choice and on quality in their weekly shopping basket. In the course of that statement, I also reaffirmed the Government's strong belief...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Last year my Department responded to the Director's request for additional staffing resources by increasing the approved Departmental staff complement from 30 to 38. Approved Garda staff numbers were also increased by one in 2007 bringing the total approved staffing complement of the ODCE to 46 posts. Four of these extra staff were provided to the ODCE in 2007 and the remaining four staff...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department engages with the State enterprise bodies on both operational and policy matters on an ongoing basis, and their expenditure and operations are monitored closely throughout the year. There are strict uniform financial procedures in place to ensure proper governance with regard to the funds that are being drawn down. The annual Estimate process also, involves my Department...

Written Answers — Import Regulations: Import Regulations (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland has an open policy when it comes to international trade. My Department encourages free trade and applies limited restrictions or limitations on imports. Any limitations that are applied are implemented to enable Ireland meet its EU or other international obligations, such as may be agreed by the United Nations. Under the EU Treaty, the Common Commercial Policy (which regulates the EU...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government announced in July last that no further expenditure on the acquisition of accommodation for decentralisation should be sanctioned pending detailed consideration by the Government of reports from the Decentralisation Implementation Group and the Implementation Group of Secretaries General. Without prejudice to the above announcement, my Department is...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 to 172, inclusive, together. Various labour market projections are available. For example, FÁS, in its latest Quarterly Labour Market Commentary, for Quarter 2 2008 has forecast that construction employment will fall by -6.9% (-19,000) this year and by a further -9.2% (-24,000) in 2009. This estimated drop in construction employment of around 43,000...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Following the repeal of the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987 in March 2006, the then Minister requested the Competition Authority to review and monitor developments in the grocery sector in light of the new regulatory environment. In March this year, the Authority presented to me two reports as part of the Grocery Monitor Project. The first report, A Description of the Structure...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I understand from Enterprise Ireland that a new owner who will operate a food production activity at the facility is being sought if possible. All of the Industrial Development agencies are assisting in this process at the request of the company in question. Dialogue regarding prospects for the sale of the site is also taking place. Two companies from Enterprise Ireland's high potential...