Results 1,861-1,880 of 50,134 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Regional Development: Regional Development (1 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Following detailed consultations with the board of Shannon Development, other stakeholders and regional interests, I announced a decision on a future mandate for the company. This new mandate envisages an active, focused role for the company, complementary to that of national agencies in line with Government policy on regional development. It is also broadly in line with the company's own...

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Government, at its meeting this morning, approved the text of the competition amendment Bill 2005. This will strengthen the Competition Act. I plan to publish the text as soon as practicable allowing for the fact that the Bill must now be printed. It will repeal the groceries order and amend the Competition Act to prohibit resale price maintenance, unfair discrimination and so-called...

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The resources of the Competition Authority will be increased under next year's Estimates and the cartels division will be expanded. I met the former chairman of the authority late in the summer prior to him securing a new position in Britain. He was entitled to do that and we will go through the normal processes to find a replacement. However, he indicated the need for the authority to...

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The bottom line is the Competition Authority is independent.

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Minister of the day does not engage with the authority in respect of specific investigations and so forth, nor would it be appropriate to do so.

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: We must be careful about how such investigations are progressed. The matter is with the Director of Public Prosecutions. The decision to abolish the groceries order was based on analysis undertaken by departmental officials and clear conclusions that it was an anti-competitive measure, which has no place in the modern economy. That was the motivating factor behind the decision to abolish the...

Job Protection. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Ireland already has a comprehensive body of employment rights legislation which has among its objectives the protection of employees against arbitrary behaviour by employers. It also has wider aims such as provision for the safety and health of workers and the fostering of labour market harmony by promoting policies that minimise conflict and maximise fairness. Specific areas covered by...

Job Protection. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy obviously did not hear my reply. I will repeat the key sentence. "We do not want to see people building competitive advantage based on poor wages, casualisation of labour, low health and safety standards or other poor compliance practices." I have made it clear here on several recent occasions that we do not want to see a reduction in living standards. We see the economic...

Job Protection. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Going right back to the foundation of the party of which I am proud to be a member, it is accepted that we have always had a modern and progressive approach to workers' rights and to the establishment of modern, progressive labour market policies——

Job Protection. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: We will continue to do that. The record will show what we have done. I have been in discussions with the social partners and I share their concerns. The best way to advance the protection of workers is through social partnership. It offers the best opportunity for all concerned to use that forum as a basis for agreeing whatever new measures are required to ensure a greater degree of...

Job Protection. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: We have said this. I said it in the House last week.

Job Protection. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: With all due respect, Sinn Féin will not act as spin doctor for my good self. Let us be very clear about this matter — the Taoiseach was very clear in the House — we are against any reduction in living standards or displacement of workers. That is the bottom line in terms of what has happened.

Industrial Disputes. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Last week I met the management of Irish Ferries and representatives of SIPTU and the ICTU to convey to them the Government's concerns as to the gravity of the situation and the wider implications of the ongoing dispute. I urged all sides to engage in the Labour Relations Commission process with a view to achieving a resolution to the issues in dispute. On 4 December 2005 the national...

Industrial Disputes. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: We must be very clear about this. As the Deputy is aware, the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, has been negotiating in Brussels on the manning directive. A number of other countries also took issue with aspects of the directive at that time. It is not fair to say there was a direct relationship between any of those issues and the action and behaviour of Irish Ferries, nor has the company...

Industrial Disputes. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, will meet the Cypriot Minister for labour and social and affairs next Thursday to discuss issues which the Deputy raised. We are obviously concerned about the impact on exports generally in terms of any reduction in capacity. There are no quick fix solutions to this issue but we are keeping the matter under review.

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Support for employment and investment in individual towns is a day-to-day operational matter for the agencies under my Department. Under the industrial development Acts, I may give general policy directives to IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland but I am precluded from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. I am aware that the...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have already outlined the strategies applied by the agencies to Mallow in particular. I have referred to the FÁS regional office based in Mallow and the Enterprise Ireland involvement. The Government approach to Mallow has been very significant in recent years. When I was Minister for Education and Science, we modernised the second level schooling in Mallow, in particular the Thomas Davis...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. Deputy Howlin asked me what a hub town generates. It generates that degree of investment across Departments. Likewise, regarding the railway link to Mallow, critical to its future economic development, it was announced in the Transport 21 initiative that the track will be modernised and that services will be more frequent. That will be of great significance to...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Howlin asked a question with the view that if he got the answer he wanted, he would have a question about another town next week. On the merry-go-round goes and I will not fall for that particular trap. There would be parliamentary questions on every town in Wexford next week if I were to go down that route.

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The approach is that the Mallow development partnership will work with the State agencies in the preparation of a integrated development strategy. We advise the agencies to adopt that type of progressive and proactive approach. This has been the case in regard to Mallow. Because of its status as a hub town, Mallow has become a key location for the IDA in terms of attracting companies. Kostal,...