Results 3,801-3,820 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Government's strategy to support businesses, improve competitiveness and sustain employment is aimed at a return to export-led growth. In order to move towards a lower cost environment, a number of issues are being tackled together. These include incomes policy, government controlled prices and costs, regulatory burden and the level of competition in our economy. The Government is...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My Department consulted with a wide range of bodies prior to 2010 Budget including FÁS, some unemployment groups and community groups. Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. CE helps...

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Last February I established the Mid West Region Task Force, to consider and make recommendations concerning the implications the economic downturn was having on the region. The rising unemployment rate in the region is one of the key issues the Task Force is examining. I have received the Task Force's Interim Report and last week I made a detailed Statement to the House on how the Government...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As with all recommendations of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes relevant to my Department, I am examining the relevant recommendations and evaluating the potential impact on the provision of services to enterprise and on my efforts to protect and promote employment. Since the recommendations impact on the responsibilities of several Government...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: My colleague the Minister for Agriculture is directly involved in the discussions regarding the various initiatives proposed in the Commission's Communication and I, and my officials, are working with his Department in developing Ireland's position regarding these proposals. As the Deputy may be aware, the EU Commission's Communication of October 2009 on "A better functioning food supply...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The proposal for a Consumer Rights Directive was published in October 2008 and brings together in updated and consolidated form four existing Directives on doorstep selling, distance sales, consumer sales and guarantees, and unfair contract terms. Unlike the Directives it is intended to replace, the proposal has been drafted on a full harmonisation basis and, if adopted on this basis, would...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS has been reviewing options regarding Community Employment and Job Initiative on an ongoing basis for making better use of the resources available in order to achieve the best outcomes for the maximum number of clients. In Budget 2010 a number of savings were identified, mainly in the area of training allowances that are linked to...

Written Answers — Prompt Payments System: Prompt Payments System (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: On foot of the Government Decision of 19 May 2009 regarding the reduction of payment periods by Government Departments to 15 days, Departments are required to report quarterly to my Department on their performance in meeting this target. The first returns by Departments covered the period 15 June to 30 September 2009. The information supplied has been collated by my Department and published...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: In the Review of Towards 2016 the Government committed to introducing amending legislation to exclude voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians from the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. This commitment takes into account, inter alia, that there would be negligible negative impacts on the economy or on the level of competition, and, having regard to...

Written Answers — Job Initiative Programme: Job Initiative Programme (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: As stated in previous replies to the Deputy, responsibility for the Social Economy Programme transferred to the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs on 1 January 2006 and it has been re-named as the Community Services Programme. FÁS as an agency of my Department operates Job Initiative (JI). The Job Initiative Programme (JI) was launched in July 1996 and provides full time...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Circular 28/2009 issued by the Department of Finance on 22 December 2009 applies to all general civil service grades in my Department. In accordance with paragraphs 9 and 10 of the Circular, the reductions for the grades of Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary comprise a reduction in the salary scale and the termination of the scheme of performance-related awards previously payable to...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland has consistently been regarded amongst the most competitive economies in the world for supporting enterprise. Reports such as the 'IBM Global Location Trends Annual Report 2009' that was published in October of last year ranked Ireland 1st for attracting FDI on a per capita basis. They listed our key strengths in services and R&D as the reason for topping the list. Similarly, the...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: On 21 January 2010 I appointed a new Board of FÁS, drawing on a wide range of experience from both the private and public sector. Members of the Board are as follows: Michael Dempsey, (Chair), Former Senior Director, Bristol Myers Squibb Tony Dempsey, Former Principal, Enniscorthy Vocational College Martin Hogan, Innovation Manager, Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology Sean...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 136 and 151 together. The Labour Market Activation Fund announced in the Budget 2010 is intended to provide additional effective training and education opportunities to the unemployed. It will specifically target the low skilled and those suffering from structural unemployment in the manufacturing, construction and retail sectors, and will seek to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The 2010 Estimates which were published in parallel with the Budget on 9 December 2009 make provision for Gross Exchequer funding of €1,590,526 million for my Department this year. In addition, a sum of €426.431 million is being provided from the National Training Fund, giving my Department a total budget of €2,016,957 million for 2010. Many programmes and agencies under my...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The High Level Action Group on Green Enterprise was launched on 21 May 2009 and the Group continued to meet until 21 September 2009. The group also held a number of consultation sessions with interested parties over the Summer. The Report was finalised in October 2009 and submitted to Government on 3 November 2009. I published the Report on 2 December 2009 and launched it together with the...

Written Answers — Job Statistics: Job Statistics (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: The number of jobs lost in the manufacturing sector in each year from 1999 to 2008 is as follows: 1999 – 17,352; 2000 – 16,542; 2001 – 24,667; 2002 – 24,539; 2003 – 21,360; 2004 – 17,878; 2005 – 15,609; 2006 – 15,718; 2007 – 16,870; 2008 – 21,388. The number of jobs created in the same period through foreign direct investment is as follows: 1999 – 21,064; 2000 –...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: A consultancy review of the operation of the pilot phase of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, that was commissioned by my Department, recommended that the scheme be placed on a permanent footing subject to a number of reforms being made to enhance its future operation, and improve take-up by both employers and people with disabilities. These reforms are being implemented on an on-going basis and...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Feb 2010)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 175 together. There are currently a total of 15 EU Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. The following table provides details of the current position in relation to each Directive currently awaiting transposition within my Department, the date of adoption of each Directive, whether transposition will be by way of Primary or...