Results 10,621-10,640 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am far from isolated in the Government.

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Tell me more.

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I totally refute that comment. There is a fabulous team in the Department made up of myself, the Ministers of State, the Secretary General, assistant secretaries and all who support the Department, including Forfás, Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, county enterprise boards, the training agency, FÁS, and a host of other agencies which provide for the needs of business and those who are...

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to consider proposals from all parties and have already taken on board some of the views expressed in the House in regard to activation measures. We are working on those proposals and we hope they will be successful, particularly in the case of the graduate placement programme. Some initial progress has already been achieved in regard to graduate placement in the public and...

Business Regulation. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We are too exuberant.

Business Regulation. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: That is a matter for the Opposition.

Business Regulation. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am enthusiastic.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 66 together. For convenience, I set out below two Tables containing the statistical information sought. Table 1 sets out the number of statutory redundancies for years 2002 to 2008 and details for 2009 which are provisional figures (up to the end of April). These figures show the number of employees who actually qualified for statutory redundancy lump...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I visited the West Coast of the United States for five days in April on a marketing programme organised by IDA Ireland. Immediately following that visit, senior officials of my Department and I visited Washington where we held discussions with the Obama administration. The IDA sponsored programme involved meeting Chairpersons, CEOs and other senior executives of leading companies in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Public Accounts Committee Fourth Interim Report on Special Report 10 of the Comptroller and Auditor General and FÁS 2007 Accounts was published in February 2009. This report contains a number of recommendations relating to my Department, FÁS and the Department of Finance. In keeping with normal procedure, a formal response to the Public Accounts Committee in relation to this report...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am very aware of the impact on Xilinx employees and their families following the company's decision to reduce its workforce in Ireland. The company have announced that there will be 130 redundancies. I understand that the redundancies will take place between June and December this year with 15-20 jobs to be lost by June. In many cases, such company announcements are as a result of global...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am conscious that energy costs for businesses in Ireland are a source of concern, particularly as businesses are attempting to cut costs to remain competitive in the current economic environment. However, in recent months, the trend of energy prices has been downward. In response to this trend, the Commission for Energy Regulation lowered electricity prices for residents and Small and...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the recent initiative by the retailer concerned to change the way in which it sources certain internationally branded products. The Deputy will appreciate that the negotiation of commercial contracts is essentially a matter for the contracting parties themselves and that I have no direct function in relation to such negotiations. Undoubtedly in these...

Written Answers — Enterprise Stabilisation Fund: Enterprise Stabilisation Fund (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: On 14 April 2009, the European Commission approved a scheme for Ireland, under its Temporary Framework on State aid. The Temporary Framework, which was introduced in response to the current economic crisis, gives EU Member States increased flexibility to give assistance to companies in a variety of forms e.g. grants, subsidised loans. The approved scheme is based on the provision in the...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: On 1 January 2006 responsibility for the Social Economy Programme transferred to the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs and it has been re-named as the Community Services Programme. FÁS as an agency of my Department operates Job Initiative (JI). The Job Initiative Programme (JI) was launched in July 1996 and provides full time employment for people who are 35 years of age or...

Written Answers — Corporate Governance: Corporate Governance (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: As I have said in response to a similar question on this matter it is important to recognize that the ISEQ Combined Code on Corporate Governance, which is considered in the Review, is of most direct relevance only to those companies which are listed PLCs. This category of company represents, numerically, an extremely small proportion of the overall total, with some 40 PLCs listed and traded...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We have an open pro-enterprise and pro-business economy. Our manufacturing and services sectors are very successful on global export markets. Indeed, contrary to the impression given by some commentators, Ireland's export performance has been very impressive even during the current economic difficulties. Final data for last year – 2008, showed that Ireland's merchandise exports totalled...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: There are fourteen Agencies operating under the aegis of my Department, each of which is responsible for the delivery and implementation of a range of policies on behalf of my Department. Their purpose is to implement policy in accordance with their mandates, in areas such as enterprise development, science technology and innovation promotion, labour force development, commercial,...

Written Answers — Export Credit Insurance: Export Credit Insurance (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Due to recent difficulties being experienced by some companies seeking Export Credit Insurance, I asked Forfas and Enterprise Ireland, working with my Department, to undertake an analysis of the issue, as outlined in my reply to the earlier Parliamentary Question that was referred to by the Deputy. The preliminary analysis which was conducted was considered by the Cabinet Sub Committee on...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The 35 County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) were set up in 1993 to provide support for micro-enterprises in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs deliver a series of Programmes to underpin this role and they can provide both financial and...