Results 161-180 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Written Answers — EU Presidency: EU Presidency (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: My Department has published two separate programmes setting out the priorities and main activities in the key policy areas dealt with by the two Council of Ministers formations for which the Department takes lead responsibility, namely, the competitiveness council and the employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs council. Both programmes have been widely disseminated, are...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: Significant job creation is continuing to take place in the Dublin area despite the difficult global economic environment. Indeed, Dublin continues to perform better than the rest of the country in terms of job creation. As regards attracting overseas industry, IDA Ireland's strategy for Dublin is to attract and expand major foreign direct investment projects while moving up the value chain....

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: In recent months I met with the Donegal County Development Board and an IBEC north-west delegation to discuss employment in the county. I have arranged for the expert skills group in Forfás to carry out further research on the labour market needs of the region and I expect this to get under way shortly. The key to enhancing employment in Donegal is the development of infrastructure,...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: IDA Ireland is the agency statutorily charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. The agency, through its project divisions and network of overseas offices, is actively marketing County Donegal to overseas investors as a potential location for foreign direct investment. Ultimately, decisions regarding where to locate a project, including which areas to...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: From 1 May 2004, the ten accession countries will be party to the treaties governing the European Communities and their citizens will, in general, enjoy the same rights as current EU citizens. However, this does not apply to provisions for labour market access. In this area, a transitional period was agreed at EU level during which each member state will be able to exercise discretion as to...

Written Answers — Consumer Issues: Consumer Issues (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I am aware of the practice whereby ticket-selling companies charge handling fees in respect of each ticket regardless of the number of tickets purchased in a single transaction. I am not convinced, however, that legislative action to curb this practice would necessarily be in the best interest of the consumer. For example, ticket-selling companies might consider that the present system...

Written Answers — Groceries Order: Groceries Order (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: My review of the Groceries Order is ongoing and I hope to conclude my consideration of the matter in the near future.

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: There are two canteens in my Department and both are contracted out to private enterprise. I have no function regarding any decisions taken by the owners in the running of either business.

Written Answers — Departmental Travel: Departmental Travel (3 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The total amount paid by my Department for car mileage expenses in 2003 was €352,291. In addition, a total of €106,367 was paid in respect of other modes of transport such as taxis, bus or rail.

Consumer Protection. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I am increasingly disturbed by stories of rip-off Ireland and the time has come for some radical new thinking in terms of our approach to consumer issues. My key objectives are to put in place the structures and mechanisms which will promote effective competition in consumer markets, which will encourage the active participation of consumers at all levels of economic, political and social...

Consumer Protection. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: There is no question of a quango. A consumer advisory group involving 33 different personalities was established by my predecessor. Many of the 33 people represent the regulators or the producers. In many other countries, the consumer lobby has grown organically in society. Unfortunately, that has not happened here. The intention is to replicate what happened in insurance with the Motor...

Consumer Protection. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: There is a need to do both. Obviously the role of the director is to enforce the law. She has made some valuable suggestions in the area of more display orders for the medical profession, dentists and doctors. From time to time the Director of Consumer Affairs makes her opinions available to me and obviously we act on them in most cases. The role of that office is to enforce the law and to...

Insurance Industry. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The insurance reform programme that I announced on 25 October 2002 comprises a comprehensive set of inter-related measures designed to improve the functioning of the insurance market. I chair a ministerial committee established to drive the co-ordinated implementation of this reform programme across the relevant Departments and other bodies concerned. Substantial progress is being made on a...

Insurance Industry. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I have concentrated on the implementation of the recommendations which would reduce price, such as the establishment of the PIAB, the introduction by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform of the court and civil liability Bill, which was cleared at Cabinet today, and the introduction of the penalty points system and other road safety measures. We have concentrated on the areas...

Insurance Industry. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I cannot put a figure on it but it should be quite substantial. If the decrease was 11% from 2002 to 2003, I expect it to be greater this year because the impact of the measures implemented is only now coming through. With regard to motor insurance, anecdotal as opposed to hard evidence suggests there are reductions in some cases of 40% to 50%. Nevertheless, while that is the evidence...

Insurance Industry. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The chief executive of the PIAB was appointed and took up her position on 2 February last. The IT system and headquarters have been secured and the chief executive is now in the process of recruiting the staff required to assist her in the task. I met with her only last week and she is anxious to ensure that everything is in order before the board opens for business, given the importance of...

Price Controls. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: The best way of ensuring that markets for any goods or services are delivering value for money to consumers is through increased competition and greater consumer vigilance. That is the objective towards which all our policy interventions in the field of competition and consumer policy are directed. Certainly, I have no plans to return to the days of official price control. Regulatory action...

Price Controls. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I do not envisage a situation where there will be someone from the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs to police the Act outside every pub on New Year's Eve or other times of celebration.

Price Controls. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: It is not sensible. I know of no country where price control works. On the contrary, those that have the most free markets are those where prices are most competitive. Not every pub in Ireland charged €12 for a drink, so people had a choice to go into a place that charged €12 or a place that did not. There is only so much one can do for a consumer. If a facility has decided it can rip...

Price Controls. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Harney: I am not an expert on licensing law but, given that we do not have price controls, if publicans wish to charge a fee of this kind, I presume they are free to do so, although I am not certain of the licensing implications. Licensing relates to a person's suitability to have a licence, police it and enforce the criminal law and opening times. It does not refer to pricing. It is wrong to say...