Results 10,641-10,660 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

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

Mary Coughlan: The total number of people on the Live Register for April 2009 was 384,448, an increase of 188,850 or 96.6% in the 12-month period. Last month's Live Register figures shows that the month on month increase continues to slow, with 13,000 people signing on the Live Register compared with 36,500 in January. In addition, despite the increase in the Live Register figures for April it should also...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 127 together. I am aware of the concerns that have been expressed in relation to the possible impact of certain recent changes in the supply chain in the retail sector. The changes essentially relate to the decision by the retailer concerned to alter the nature of its contracts with certain international suppliers. The retailer concerned has stated...

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

Mary Coughlan: Competitiveness has a number of dimensions and is a very broad policy area. The National Competitiveness Council Annual Report for 2008 (published January 2009) Volume 1 – Benchmarking Ireland's Progress – gives an overview of Ireland's competitiveness compared to a wide range of competing economies using over 140 indicators taken from a number of competitiveness monitoring sources....

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 108 together. The Social Partnership Agreement 'Towards 2016' committed to greater co-ordination between organisations concerned with employment rights compliance, with a view to realising the considerable potential for synergy that exists in this area. In particular, the Agreement provided that authorised officers of the National Employment Rights...

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

Mary Coughlan: The 2009 Revised Estimates for Public Services was published by the Department of Finance on 23 April 2009. The total allocation to my Department in the Revised Estimates is €1.938 billion gross, made up of €1.557 billion in Exchequer funding and €381 million from the National Training Fund. A further €18.3 million is available to my Department from the carry over of unspent capital...

Written Answers — Innovation Fund Ireland: Innovation Fund Ireland (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Discussions are continuing between officials of my Department, other Government Departments, Enterprise Ireland, the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) and the various parties whose cooperation and participation will be required before this Fund becomes operational. The Innovation Fund Ireland concept is a Department of An Taoiseach initiative and Enterprise Ireland and the NTMA have...

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

Mary Coughlan: Provision of monies by the Development agencies under the aegis of my Department towards job creation throughout the country is a day to day operational matter for the agencies. I do not have any role in the day to day operational matters of these agencies. Notwithstanding this, the agencies are aware that balanced regional development is the aim of the Government. Over the years, every...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 141 together. I recently visited the West Coast of the United States from 13th to 18th April 2009 on a marketing programme organized by IDA Ireland. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment to Ireland. The primary objective of my visit was to market Ireland as an ideal business location for...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: As the State's Training and Employment Authority, FÁS is charged with the sole responsibility for the overall management of the Community Employment (CE) programme on a national basis. Launched in 1994, the main objective of CE can be summarised as providing project-based work experience and personalised training for long-term unemployed and socially excluded persons in order to progress...

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

Mary Coughlan: My colleague Minister Eamonn O'Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has responsibility for the Local Area Partnerships and the LEADER programme. LEADER is the EU Community Initiative for Rural Development that provides approved Local Action Groups with public funding (EU and National) to implement multi-sectoral business plans for the development of their own areas.

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

Mary Coughlan: The Government's Framework for Economic Renewal (Building Ireland's Smart Economy) incorporates a wide variety of actions to address the current economic challenges and also to focus on a return to sustainable economic growth. The Cabinet Committee for Economic Renewal is driving implementation and co-ordination of the overall framework, and was specifically set up for this purpose. Across...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Directive 2008/104/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on Temporary Agency Work was adopted, on 19 November 2008. Under the terms of this directive there is a three-year period in which Member States will be required to transpose the Directive into national legislation i.e. by 5 December 2011. I invited the Social Partners to discussions with my Department, with the aim of...

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

Mary Coughlan: It is not possible to accurately predict the number of vacancies expected to arise in my Department by the end of 2009, which will remain unfilled as a result of the circular issued by the Department of Finance on 27 March 2009, which placed a moratorium on the filling of vacancies in the Public Service. The only area where predictions can be made relate to those staff who will retire in...

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

Mary Coughlan: I understand the Deputy is referring to legislative measures in the context of regulating the relationship between suppliers in the food sector and retailers. While the purpose of such legislation is to control the business relationship, I am aware of concerns that an in-balance in the relationship could have a negative impact on the Irish food sector and on workers in the sector. In...

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

Mary Coughlan: The accuracy of forecasts, nationally and internationally, remain uncertain due to the rapidly changing economic environment. It is however the case that there has been a significant downturn in construction related activity since the beginning of 2008. The number of people in employment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey and published by the Central Statistics Office on...

Written Answers — Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The proposed tax changes outlined by the U.S. Administration on 4 May were proposals and not detailed draft legislation so it is not possible to definitively state what the effect will be for U.S. foreign direct investment in Ireland. However, the stated intention of the Obama Administration is to target tax havens. Ireland is not a tax haven, nor is it considered as such by the U.S....

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Deputies will be aware that the evolution of trade union and industrial relations law in Ireland has been influenced by the provisions of our Constitution. The relevant provision is Article 40.6.1° (iii), in which "the State guarantees liberty for the exercise of.... the right of the citizens to form associations and unions". This guarantee, usually referred to as the freedom of association,...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Health and Safety Authority is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated statutory provisions. There have been 10 workplace deaths reported to the Authority to date in 2009 (as at 13.05.09). The numbers of workplace deaths reported to the Authority for the years 2002-2008 are as follows – 57 in 2008; 67 in 2007;...

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

Mary Coughlan: There is currently a Budget provision of over €500 million for capital investment in enterprise. This is a clear statement of our priorities on the jobs front and the investment will be aimed at the most productive sectors of our economy in relation to both indigenous industry and foreign direct investment. Assistance also needs to be available to companies that are basically viable but...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 99 together. In 2008, the National Employment Rights Authority, (NERA) conducted nearly twice as many workplace inspections, as the 2007 level - almost 28,000 workplace inspections in 2008 as against just fewer than 14,500 in 2007. This increased level of inspection activity is of course reflective of the greater level of Inspectorate resources...