Results 1,201-1,220 of 50,064 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Enterprise Policy: Enterprise Policy (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: As Minister for enterprise, my objective is to ensure that our economy remains a globally competitive, profitable and secure location for business. I believe we can best help enterprise by putting in place the framework conditions which promote entrepreneurship, encourage innovation and which enable business to be competitive in a global market. When provided with the best supporting...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am aware that the company in question offered its employees an opportunity to take up alternative positions in either its food ingredient operations in Charleville where a major expansion is taking place, or Listowel, County Kerry where demand for workers is also increasing. An out placement consultant was also on site to assist those employees who were not interested in this offer of...

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Askeaton business park is a Shannon Development owned land bank, comprising approximately 227 acres. Responsibility for grant assistance to companies locating at the business park is an operational matter for the relevant development agencies. IDA Ireland is the national agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland and its regions,...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: On 31 May 2005 the work permits section of my Department had a total number of 957 outstanding work permit applications. The number of outstanding applications in respect of the construction industry is currently not available because outstanding applications are not categorised by sector. Between 1 January and 31 December 2004, 10,020 new work permits were issued, of which 1,057 were issued...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The precise powers and remit of the new national consumer agency will be subject to discussions and wide consultations. The consumer strategy group has recommended that the new agency should develop a partnership approach with all interested parties such as Government, business, trade unions, consumer organisations and other regulators including the Irish Financial Services Regulatory...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The potential contribution which third level graduates from outside the European economic area might make in addressing Ireland's identified skills needs is the subject of research and consultations by my Department with Forfás and the expert group on future skills needs. This work will form the basis of a policy paper on skills based migration which will be published by my Department in the...

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by IDA Ireland that, as part of the settlement with the company in question, a sum of €8.9 million was repaid to the agency between 1999 and 2004. From 1999 to 2003, the latest year for which figures are available, IDA Ireland made grant payments to companies in County Donegal of almost €8 million. In addition, the agency has spent nearly €15 million since 1999 on lands...

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The issues arising from the decision to give grant aid to a client company is a day-to-day matter for the agency concerned, and not one in which I am directly involved. I understand that neither Enterprise Ireland nor IDA Ireland has approved any grants nor paid out any grants to the named company.

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The issues arising from the decision to give grant aid to a client company is a day-to-day matter for the agency concerned, and not one in which I am directly involved. I understand that neither Enterprise Ireland nor IDA Ireland, the industrial development agencies under my remit, has approved any grants or paid out any grants to the named companies. I also understand that neither FÁS nor...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (15 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Based on the information available to me, I am satisfied that no person who is disqualified from holding a directorship of a private company is currently a member of any State board under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (15 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The chairperson of the interim board of the National Consumer Agency is Anne Fitzgerald, who is chief executive officer of the Irish Association of Investment Managers and who served as the chairperson of the consumer strategy group. The members are Carmel Foley, the current Director of Consumer Affairs; Alex Schuster, who is a lecturer and barrister attached to the School of Law at Trinity...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (15 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: To the best of my knowledge, the only inquiries initiated by my Department in the period in question relate to the area of company law inquiries. As the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available I will have to revert to the Deputy in the matter and will do so as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: According to the records of my Department, the total expenditure incurred in respect of courier or packaging services centrally in each of the past five years is as follows: Year Amount 2000 £31,422.65 2001 £24,270.71 2002 â'¬31,132.24 2003 â'¬41,290.74 2004 â'¬56,456.61 In the period 2000 to 2001, a sum of...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (16 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The figures for Estimates allocations and expenditure for my Department for the years in question are as follows: Year Estimate Expenditure Amount surrendered â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ 1997 914,925,000 904,595,000 10,330,000 1998 1,025,287,000 973,579,000 51,708,000 1999 1,101,744,000 1,035,147,000 66,597,000 2000 1,060,380,000 1,007,318,000 53,062,000 2001...

Job Creation. (21 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of providing replacement jobs in Mitchelstown, County Cork. I have visited Mitchelstown on a number of occasions since I took up office to assist the town and its hinterland in its economic future and in creating new opportunities for its people by providing jobs in a diverse range of sectors. Enterprise Ireland's principal remit is to assist the...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (21 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 381 together. Following the announcement on 4 May 2005 of the closure of the plant in Dungarvan, I met the Waterford county manager on 10 May 2005. At that meeting, I asked that particular emphasis be put on upskilling the existing workers where necessary and on creating an enterprise culture in the area. I also asked that emphasis be put on developing...

Written Answers — Social Economy Programme: Social Economy Programme (21 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: A review of the social economy programme, SEP, was undertaken by WRC social and economic consultants. The report was published in October 2003 and is available on the websites of my Department, www.entemp.ie, and FÁS, www.fas.ie. On the basis of this report the SEP was the subject of a review at partnership level in the context of the overall review of the employment schemes operated by...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (21 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: My Department does not provide grants for groups to purchase lands for industrial use nor does it provide direct grant aid to businesses or business start-ups. Funding is provided to a number of enterprise agencies including Enterprise Ireland, the 35 county and city enterprise boards, CEB, and Shannon Development which collectively are responsible for the delivery of assistance to indigenous...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (21 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is an autonomous statutory agency set up under the Industrial Development Acts 1986 to 2003. The agency operates in accordance with the provisions of the Acts and under the aegis of my Department. The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio, including the purchase and disposal of property, is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency as part of the statutory...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: As outlined in the answer to the Deputy's previous parliamentary questions, the reduction of 5,000 in staffing levels as announced by the Government in 2002 applies to all sectors of the public service. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and its agencies, including FÁS, are expected to contribute to this reduction. In the case of FÁS, a reduction of 150 over a number of...