Results 45,821-45,840 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department is required to relocate 250 posts to Carlow under the Government's Decentralisation Programme and this is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. In order to accommodate staff who wished to move earlier than the projected building completion date of late 2009, officials of my Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the OPW, as well as decentralising...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (23 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that the issue of a work permit has now been approved in this case.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department's budgetary allocation for 2008 was published in December 2007, in parallel with the presentation to the Dáil by the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance of the 2008 Budget. The allocation made to my Department will finance the programmes which I have prioritised for 2008, as well as funding the running costs of my Department and its agencies. My Department has a structured...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (23 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the concerns expressed by some commentators that the benefits of recent movements in exchange rates between the Euro and Sterling may not be passed on to consumers. I understand that the National Consumer Agency has raised these concerns in bilateral discussions with retailers. In the course of those discussions, retailers have advised that the benefits of recent exchange rate...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (23 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that they have no record of a work permit being applied for in this case.

Written Answers — Research and Development: Research and Development (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (2006-2013) recognises the importance for Ireland in building its international collaborative networks in science and highlights the importance of making investments in a way that produces the greatest benefit to Ireland. Ireland is currently involved in various international programmes and initiatives including the European Seventh...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The total number of new jobs created in multinational client companies of IDA Ireland and Shannon Development in the period 1998 to 2007 is 137,864. The annual breakdown of these figures is set out in tabular statements 1 and 2. This information is taken from the Forfás Annual Employment Survey. Information on jobs numbers is gathered on a confidential basis for statistical purposes only....

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The issue raised by the Deputy relates to Sections 48 and 49 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007. My Department launched a public consultation process in relation to the commencement of these provisions of the Act in the summer of 2007. Although the deadline for receipt of submissions was the 7th September 2007, my Department continued to receive submissions until November, 2007. A total...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The expenditure by the Department on dedicated management training courses in 1997 was £43,942 (€55,806). This amount provided for a variety of courses designed to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Department and covered training provided for all grades. While the range of courses included training in many specialist technical skills and competencies, the overall...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: Details of every bill and Act produced by my Department since 1997 to date in 2008, together with the dates of publication and dates of introduction into either the Seanad or Dáil, are set out in the following tabular statement. The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Bill 1998 came under the remit of the Minister for Public Enterprise (Mary O'Rourke T.D.) but is now the responsibility of...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department or the Offices that come under the aegis of my Department carried out the following advertising campaigns to promote policies or programmes being implemented by my Department in the past five years: National Minimum Wage campaign Work Life Balance campaign NERA Employment Rights campaign. The cost of advertising in publications, broadcast advertising, outdoor advertising and any...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: According to my Department's records there was no funding or financial support given by it to any agency, body, community, religious or other group or organisation, in the United States for each year since 2000 to date in 2008.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (22 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: I currently have no plans to reform the apprenticeship system or to alter the present situation where apprentices are employed by sponsoring firms. The key strength of the system is that it is a demand-driven educational and training programme. It is designed to develop the knowledge, skills and competencies of apprentices and to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. FÁS has the...

Written Answers — Economic Statistics: Economic Statistics (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: In compiling GDP, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has advised that a distinction is not made in the calculations between enterprises of various sizes. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the contribution of SMEs to GDP. However, the following data collated by the CSO from various CSO Surveys relating to 2005 — the latest year for which statistics are available — provide some...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Doha Development Agenda Round of talks in the World Trade Organization was launched in 2001. There is now reason to believe that it could reach a breakthrough within the next two to three months (although by no means certain), but the content of any final agreement is still far from clear. As a result, it is not possible to accurately anticipate the broad national consequences for...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: A State Export Credit Scheme was established under the 1953 Insurance Act, which provided export credit insurance to exporters, to cover against the risk of non-payment for their goods by buyers abroad and to encourage the export of Irish goods and services. The Scheme covered a wide range of risks up to 1991, when the Government decided to phase out State involvement in the provision of...

Written Answers — Departmental Lands: Departmental Lands (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 and 338 together. The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency, as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas and it is not a matter in which the Minister of the day has any involvement. However, IDA Ireland informs me that the Agency holds c. 2.27 hectares of...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: This question refers to two separate cards, the FÁS Construction Skills Certification Scheme Skills card and the FÁS Safe Pass card, neither of which is renewable on a three-year basis. The FÁS Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) skills card is renewable every five years. The CSCS card is used mainly by workers in the areas of plant operation, scaffolding and roofing. Once an...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that they have no record of a work permit being applied for in this case. However, if the above named is resident in the State on the basis of being a spouse of an employment permit holder then he may be eligible to seek employment and apply for a permit under the Spousal/Dependant Permit Scheme. This Scheme was introduced to give...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (17 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: It is current Government policy to issue new employment permits for highly skilled highly paid positions or for non-EEA nationals already legally resident in the State on valid employment permits. Applications in respect of specialized butchers, like all other applications, are considered on a case-by-case basis in line with current policy.