Results 45,901-45,920 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: There has been no expenditure by myself or my Department on helicopter travel in the period 2002 to date.

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: Economic migration is a challenging debate for us. I have brought in a green card system to facilitate the attraction of high-skilled persons with their families to this society. Only approximately 1,000 were facilitated last year since the scheme was introduced. However, I am conscious it is not a popular message to send out. If we are serious about competitiveness, we must heed what...

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: There is a company developing something for the hair as well but the conservative within me is loath to chance it.

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Varadkar mentioned Allergan. What happened in Arklow is extremely disappointing for the workers and all concerned. We will work hard to replace that and get in alternative employment. It has a different operation in Mayo. Mayo is the sole manufacturing site for botox in the world. When I say botox, people should not think only of the face, etc. Botox is a remarkable drug which has...

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: It is an outstanding tribute to the management and staff there. Our challenge is to get an increased level of that type of activity in Ireland so that those locations become the key ones for global companies and that we retain our position. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, is working actively on the broadband issue. We have made extraordinary...

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "—commends the Government on the successful management of the economy which has placed Ireland in the top 4 of the 27 EU Member States in terms of job creation and the second most competitive economy in the European Jobs and Growth Monitor; notes that exports continue to grow, inward investment...

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: With respect, those are the facts. The number of jobs created in the last three years is very significant. We have moved from a workforce of one million, 12 years ago, to more than two million now. Yet all the debate and the rhetoric would suggest none of that happened and that it was all a mirage. We need some reality and perspective. I certainly accept reasoned debate as regards the...

Unemployment Rate: Motion (2 Apr 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am glad to note that the Ceann Comhairle is heading that way.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (13 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: 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 open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (13 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: Since the abolition of the Groceries Order, the Consumer Price Index shows that the price of alcohol decreased initially by 4.1% during the period March 2006 to December 2006. During this period the price of spirits decreased by 8.1%, wine and cider by 3.3% and beer by 1.3%. Since December 2006, CSO price statistics use that month as a base. The previous base was December 2001. Between...

Written Answers — Regional Development: Regional Development (12 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: Following a Government decision in 2005, I established an interdepartmental Group on Donegal. This Group, which was chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, focused on the progress being made or planned on infrastructure developments, which would assist in improving the attractiveness of County Donegal as a location for enterprise development. In July 2006, I launched the report...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (12 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: Donegal is a target location for the IDA with the County now competing for a different type of business to labour intensive manufacturing, which IDA so successfully won over the past four decades. The overseas investor is now seeking locations for more advanced manufacturing or office based solutions, to a great extent depending on high skill and high value work. While this has required a...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that an application was received in the section on behalf of the above. This application was refused on the grounds that the proposed employee's permission to remain in the State had expired. This application was refused and the decision was upheld on appeal.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that work permit holders are advised that they should submit applications for renewal at least 12 weeks prior to the expiry of an existing permit. In this case, application for renewal was made only ten days prior to the expiry of the previous work permit and as a consequence, the new permit issued some time after the previous permit...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am not aware of any specific complaints against supermarkets abusing their position in their dealings with suppliers. All complaints of anti-competitive practices should be referred to the Competition Authority as the independent statutory agency responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State and I urge any supplier who considers that he or she is being treated in an...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: The attached tabular statements set out the number of full time job gains in enterprise agency and County Enterprise Board assisted firms in Counties Laois, Offaly and Westmeath for each of the years between 2003 and 2007 (Agency data is collected on an annual basis; and therefore no data is available for 2008). In total throughout these counties, the enterprise agencies created 4,844 new...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency, I am precluded under the Industrial Development Acts from giving...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: 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 open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: Progress in relation to Shannon Development's E-Towns project is a day-to-day operational matter for the Company and is not a matter in which I have a direct role. I understand from Shannon Development that when the E-Towns concept was originally launched by them, five towns in the Shannon Region were identified as potential pilot locations for the project. Cappamore, Co. Limerick was...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (11 Mar 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that they have not received any valid application for the above. All applications, when received, are treated on a case by case basis and subject to the employer/employee meeting all the requirements for an employment permit. Further information is available on my website at www.entemp.ie.