Results 1,261-1,280 of 50,134 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the State agency charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment into Ireland. On Tipperary town, IDA Ireland, in conjunction with South Tipperary County Council, is currently in the process of upgrading the business park at Knockenrawley. This includes a new access road to the site, extensive landscaping, services, utilities and public lighting. Additional works are...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The average annual direct costs per participant, which comprise wages, training, materials and supervision provision, for community employment, CE, and job initiative, JI, schemes from 1997 to date are outlined in the following table. Training costs are shown separately. With the exception of the 2005 figure, all amounts are based on year end figures. Average annual direct costs for...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Shannon Development estimates the cost of maintenance of vacant industrial premises by reference to the amount of annual service charges forgone. As the system of service charges was only introduced in 2001, the agency is unable to provide figures for 2000. The agency has also informed me that systems in place for recording the costs in respect of industrial property only facilitate a...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I recently met the board of Shannon Development to discuss proposals it has made on a future mandate for the company. I have also received the views of a number of other stakeholders on the future of the company. I expect to be in a position to communicate formally with the company regarding a revised mandate shortly.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: How small was it?

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Was that a charge to get in?

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Can the Senator clarify that?

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Why would the person do that?

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thank Senators for their contributions to this debate so far. I thank Senator Leyden for moving the motion and Senator Hanafin for seconding it. I also thank Senators Coghlan and John Paul Phelan for their contributions. It is interesting that a congratulatory motion has evoked such a negative response. Some people are fed up of the overly condemnatory motions which have been part and...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: One could argue about the futility of such motions. All Senators should welcome the opportunity the motion before the House has given them to discuss consumer issues. Before I speak about the details of the proposed consumer agency, I would like to introduce a sense of perspective to this debate. Senator John Paul Phelan spoke about the "abject failure of the Government". The bottom line is...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: This country's unemployment rate has decreased to 4.2%, based on the number of people on the live register. That is action, not procrastination. It is not the case that we have been waiting for reports — we have been taking action. There are more people in work than ever before in the history of the State.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: We need to introduce a sense of perspective to this debate. I acknowledge that wages have increased, as Senator Coghlan said, as we have moved into a high-value economy. We have signed up to social partnership, about which various people have different views. I know that Fine Gael has big problems with social partnership — it opposed benchmarking, for example.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: It did not want public servants to get any reasonable pay increases.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: That is fair enough. Fine Gael is entitled to its position on such matters, but it cannot play both sides of the fence, as it is increasingly attempting to do. Its key point relates to charges. I would be the first to acknowledge that difficulties are being caused by high electricity, utilities and energy charges. Such costs are out of line with those being charged in our competitors abroad,...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Senator should hang on a second.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have seen no evidence in the past 12 months——

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: ——of any effort——

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: ——to try to maintain commercial rates at the current level.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Fine Gael-controlled local authorities have made no attempt to do that.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: They have not introduced a development charge, or whatever one likes to call it. One can talk about macro-policy all one likes, but I know from my experience as a former member of a local authority that the instinct of certain parties on local authorities — I refer to parties with which Senator Phelan's party is anxious to coalesce — has always been to increase expenditure. They have...