Results 9,401-9,420 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: In June 2008, Hibernian Insurance announced a restructuring plan that involves moving 580 jobs out of Ireland over the coming three years. These job losses will come about as a result of outsourcing of work to Bangalore, India. I understand that this is part of a greater outsourcing exercise on the part of Aviva, Hibernian's parent company. While I very much regret the decision of...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Through a regional network of 66 offices and 20 training centres, FÁS provides a comprehensive nationwide service of training programmes as well as providing a recruitment service to jobseekers, an advisory resource for industry and support mechanisms for community-based enterprises. Over the past five years my Department has invested more than €125 million euro in capital expenditure...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: In order to meet the challenges of the changing economy there will be greater policy emphasis on activation and training for the unemployed. The budget for FÁS for 2009 was agreed on the basis of detailed discussions between FÁS, my Department and the Department of Finance in the context of the annual Estimates process. A budget of €1,050,488 was allocated to FÁS for 2009. This...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together. Forfás, the national policy and advisory body for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation conducts extensive research into a wide range of areas relating to the enterprise environment in Ireland from energy and human capital policy to infrastructure and tax policy. This research and subsequent outputs are produced with a view...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The position in relation to the factory and a replacement industry is unchanged from that in the reply given to Dail Question No 159 on 4 November, 2008. While the company that vacated the premises was a client of Enterprise Ireland, the remit of the agency does not extend to the acquisition, renovation or construction of industrial facilities.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Industrial Development agencies namely IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, together with the local County Enterprise Board (CEB) are responsible for inward investment and indigenous enterprise development in County Roscommon. In line with the National Spatial Strategy, IDA Ireland actively promotes the town of Roscommon for new investment across a broad range of sectors. In addition,...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are supported by the industrial development agencies. Data are compiled on an annualised basis and are aggregated at county level. Figures for 2008 will not be available until early 2009. The numbers of jobs created and lost by IDA and Enterprise Ireland supported companies in Co Waterford in each year of...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am informed by IDA Ireland that Kostal Ireland GmbH plan a reduction in job numbers in Mallow and a change to working arrangements at their Mallow and Abbeyfeale plants. These steps are deemed necessary by the company to offset a drop in sales demand. Kostal will be terminating the employment of 29 temporary employees in Mallow, closing both the Limerick and Mallow plants for three...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Insofar as my Department is concerned, Budget 2009 announcements included the merging of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. As both bodies were established under statute, it will be necessary to give effect to the newly merged body by way of primary legislation. Whilst I am committed to introducing this legislation as soon as possible, it is not possible at this...

Written Answers — Departmental Grants: Departmental Grants (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are no specific grants available from my Department in relation to sustainable energy. Financial and non-financial assistance may be available through Country Enterprise Boards (CEB) to projects meeting the standard requirements, though such assistance is more generally provided to projects in the manufacturing or internationally traded service sectors. However, any viable business...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: FÁS currently offers three courses specifically aimed at redundant craft workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the downturn in the construction sector. These courses are all related to training in the field of sustainable energy and are at present available at FÁS centres in Dublin and Cork. Each course is for one week's duration and is designed to accommodate 12 students at a...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department's two main training providers with responsibility for the provision of training courses to upskill those in the work force are FÁS and Skillnets. FÁS training centres offer a wide range of evening class programmes for employed persons that allow them to enhance their skills and prepare for progression to higher level roles and occupations. A full list of course titles is...

Written Answers — Polasaí Fiontair: Polasaí Fiontair (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Tá sí mar aidhm ag Straitéis Fiontair an Rialtais forbairt gheilleagair eolas-bhunaithe a chur chun cinn ionas gur féidir leis an tír dul in iomaíocht go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta araon d'infheistíocht dhíreach iasachta agus d'fhorbairt comhlachtaí áitiúla. Tá sé mar chroílár na straitéise seo infheistiú inár ndaoine agus a chinntiú go bhfuil na scileanna acu...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The information requested by the Deputy in so far as my Department is concerned is set out in the table. My Department operates to detailed guidelines when commissioning outside expertise from our consultancy or research budgets. In that regard, the figures provided relate to consultancies as defined in the Department of Finance December 2006 "Guidelines for the Engagement of Consultants...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: It is not possible, from my Department's computerised travel records, to provide details of mileage allowances in the categories specified by the Deputy. Moreover, two different sets of mileage allowances applied in the course of 2007 — one set of allowances applied from 1 January 2007 to 30 June 2007, and a second set applied from 1 July 2007 to 31 December 2007. However, details are...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Concerns in relation to the differential in the prices charged for some goods in this jurisdiction as against the prices charged in Northern Ireland and the UK have been expressed by a number of commentators, not least the National Consumer Agency. These concerns have focused on the recent significant increase in value by the Euro against sterling and the belief that the benefits of this...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are clients of the industrial development agencies. Information is aggregated on an annualized basis at county level. The information is provided by companies on a confidential basis for statistical purposes only. It is not possible to provide information for individual locations throughout the country....

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The following tables show the number of staff employed in my private office and constituency offices. The tables also show: (a) the total of the annual salaries payable to the staff in question, based on their current salary points; (b) the amounts paid in travel and subsistence costs since I took up office as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 7 May 2008; (c)...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department uses off site rental storage facilities for storing Department documents in a number of designated document storage centres. The cost to date in 2008 (up to the end of October) amounts to €229,007 and this includes the costs associated with collection, coding and retrieval services as well as storage costs. The current cost per "banker box" varies from a rate of €0.36 per...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (26 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Comptroller and Auditor General in his report on non-commercial Semi-State bodies, published in May 2008, reviewed the issues raised in one specific FÁS internal audit report. I have discussed this matter with FÁS and have expressed my concerns at the need to secure value for money in public expenditure. I have also requested the C&AG to carry out an investigation into the...