Results 4,281-4,300 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The budget for FÁS is agreed on the basis of detailed discussions between my Department, FÁS and the Department of Finance in the context of the annual Estimates process. Plans for the funding of FÁS in 2010 will be published in the book of estimates later this month following the Budget. In relation to job initiative schemes in the Tallaght region, this is a day-to-day matter for FÁS...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: As at 1st December there are 129 participants who have started the Work Placement Programme - 92 graduates and 37 non-graduates. Of these starts, 41 are placed in the Public Sector and 88 are placed in the Private Sector. There have been 1,516 graduates and 1,227 non-graduates who have expressed an interest in the programme to date. There are 628 posts available, 393 for graduates and 235...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I have recently announced revised criteria for the Work Placement Programme, which came into effect yesterday 1st December. The revised criteria will enable easier access to the programme for the unemployed and companies. Under Stream 2 which consists of 1,000 places open to all individuals who do not possess a full award at level 7 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications,...

Written Answers — Employment Subsidy Scheme: Employment Subsidy Scheme (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The new eligibility criteria applying to the Second Call of the Employment Subsidy Scheme will be announced shortly. Officials from my Department and from Enterprise Ireland are currently in the process of finalising all of the details of the revised eligibility criteria. I recently issued a Press Release in relation to the Second Call of the Scheme, specifically to inform the public that a...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Dec 2009)

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 aims to facilitate unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Office of Public Works (OPW) has primary responsibility for the procurement of suitable office accommodation for decentralising Business Units of my Department. In consultation with the Department of Finance and the OPW, my Department opened an advance office in Carlow on 30 July 2007 for the staff of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) and the Companies Registration Office...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 120 together. There are many factors which influence a firm's decision to relocate. Firms adjust their plant location and utilisation strategies to address matters such as accessing new markets, moving production nearer to customers, meeting firm or market specific customer relationship issues, accessing technology or other competitive...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The number of re-training and upskilling places to be provided in 2010, will be decided when the budget for FÁS is finalised. The budget for FÁS, as well as for the other Agencies under the aegis of my Department, is agreed on the basis of detailed discussion between my Department, the Department of Finance and the Agency concerned within the annual Estimates process. The number of...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I have set out overleaf the figures as requested by the Deputy. The figures attached relate to applications that have been accepted for processing. The number of applications pending is the number received that have not been processed by year end. Information on applications pending for 2005 was not recorded by the IT system at that time and accordingly is not available. Some applications...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Consumer Price Index as published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for October 2009 highlights that for the tenth month in a row consumer prices were lower than the prices for the corresponding months in 2008. Consumer prices were on average 6.6% lower in October 2009 as compared with prices in October 2008. In so far as the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages is concerned,...

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Unemployment is increasing across the country due to the downturn in the economy and this has impacted on all regions. This situation is unwelcome and the Government is determined to provide those who are unemployed with the necessary support services and training to enable them get back into employment as soon as possible. This is why I have doubled the provision of training and work...

Written Answers — Export Markets: Export Markets (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The last six years have seen many positive trends on Irish Exports. In the period 2003-2008, annual growth in total Irish exports has averaged 5.5%. Over the five years in question our Services exports have risen steadily from €37.1bn or 31.1% of total exports in 2003 to €69.2bn or 44.5% in 2008. Despite the global downturn this year, exports for the first six months of 2009 are...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: In the context of funding the delivery of training and employment programmes, the budget for FÁS, as well as for the other Agencies under the aegis of my Department, is agreed on the basis of detailed discussions between my Department, the Department of Finance and the Agency concerned as part of the annual Estimates process. Funding plans for 2010 will be published in the book of estimates...

Written Answers — Employment Levels: Employment Levels (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The number of people in employment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey or QNHS and published by the Central Statistics Office. In the second quarter of 2009, the most recent quarter for which data is available, employment decreased by 175,400 from Quarter 2 2007 to Quarter 2 2009, while unemployment increased by 161,500 over the same period. The most recent data on...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Restoring our national competitiveness is a key priority of the Smart Economy Document published by the Government in December 2008. The Document in setting out a framework to address the current economic challenges also identified a series of priority action points. Progress has been and continues to be achieved in implementing theses action points. Specifically, in the area of access to...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I have received a number of submissions in relation to VAT rates in the context of the VAT differential between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As is normal in the run-up to any budget I have interactions with the Minister for Finance and other Ministers on all areas of interest including VAT rates. However, policy responsibility for taxation matters, including VAT rests with...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (2 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 to 129, inclusive, together. Funds are allocated to bodies, groups or agencies under the remit of my Department each year under the annual Estimates process. I present my Department's Estimate to the Select Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment and set out the allocations for each Agency operating under the aegis of my Department. The Annual...

Written Answers — Arts Funding: Arts Funding (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: My Department does not make specific funds available to promote artists. An annual grant is provided by Enterprise Ireland to the Crafts Council of Ireland to enable it to carry out its functions in promoting the crafts. The Crafts Council is a company limited by guarantee. It is not regulated or controlled by my Department by virtue of any statutory provision and I have no function in its...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: My Department does not retain, in a readily accessible format, the information requested by the Deputy. The Department has, for instance, a significant number of staff who have irregular work patterns. In addition, over the past 11 years, a large number of staff availed of various forms of special leave, e.g. term time, career breaks and carer's leave. These variables would make the...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (1 Dec 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The weekly training allowance paid to an apprentice who is attending off-the-job training in a FÁS Training Centre, Institute of Technology or College of Further Education is established by reference to the industry sector net pay norm. To establish the net pay norm for a particular sector, FÁS use the following methodology: The gross wage norm notified by the sector in question is reduced...