Results 46,141-46,160 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department has not, so far, recruited any IT specialists through an open recruitment process nor seconded IT procurement specialists from the private sector.

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department does not use compulsory purchase orders to acquire land or property in order to facilitate public infrastructure projects and, therefore, the information sought by the Deputy is not relevant to my Department.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I thought I was entitled to at least five minutes. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this motion and the proposed amendment. We have come a long way in terms of how we teach and provide education for children with autism and special needs.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: In 1997, when I was appointed Minister for Education and Science, though it is hard to believe, there was no official recognition by the State of autism as a specific condition that demanded a specific education response. It is incredible but true that before this the special education review did not recognise autism. There was no pupil-teacher ratio for children with autism in mainstream...

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: We have learned a lot over the past ten years; our teacher training colleges now have modules on autism and teachers now have access to autism-specific training. The logistical issues relating to training teachers to properly understand autism are significant but proper integration with the wide range of supports that exists can help in a multidisciplinary approach to a child's development...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department does not collect sector specific information in relation to the electrical contracting sector. I therefore have no particular information in relation to electrical firms.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Standard Based Apprenticeship programme provides for seven phases of training, four on-the-job and three off-the-job. Apprentices are assessed on a structured ongoing basis throughout their apprenticeship. Modular assessments are carried out during the off-the-job training phases. These assessments incorporate course work, standardised practical assessments and theoretical assessments....

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (12 Feb 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. This has required a...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department does not employ any agency workers. However the following agencies, which fall under the auspices of my Department employ some agency workers. Out of a total of 4382 employees, 54.5 employees are agency workers. Agency No. of Employees No. of Agency Workers Enterprise Ireland 831.5 23 Industrial Development Authority 273 5 FAS 2,265.5 7 Health and Safety Authority 186 2...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department's records indicate that, to date, four laptops and three blackberry devices were stolen or lost over the last seven years. I understand that none of these held personal information about members of the public. Of the four laptops reported stolen one was subsequently recovered. While none of the Blackberry devices have been recovered, my Department invoked the facility to...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The loss or otherwise of equipment belonging to the Agencies is a day-to-day operational matter for the agencies concerned and not one for which I have a function. The various agency liaison units across my Department have confirmed that they have no records of an agency reporting the loss or theft from them of any disks, laptops or memory storage devices containing personal information...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (12 Feb 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. The programme helps unemployed people to progress to the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Civil Service Disciplinary Code, which was revised in July 2006 in accordance with the Civil Service Regulation Act 2005, provides for a number of disciplinary actions including dismissal. The provisions of the code apply to all officers other than officers serving in a probationary capacity after entry to the Civil Service. To date no member of staff who has completed their...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Due to the fact that my Department changed its financial management system within the last five years, the information requested by the Deputy is readily available only from the beginning of 2004. The table below sets out the amount paid to staff of my Department and its Offices in respect of travel, subsistence and related payments for each of the years 2004 to 2007 inclusive. The figures...

Written Answers — Trade Missions: Trade Missions (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, accompanied by myself, led an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to South Africa on what was by far the largest trade mission from Ireland to have ever visited that country. The visit also facilitated the Taoiseach's involvement in a range of aid-related activities elsewhere in the region. The mission had a number of objectives, namely to assist Irish companies...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Regarding measures taken to avoid the job losses, I understand that IDA Ireland had discussions with Allergan management in Arklow with a view to having the company invest more heavily in technical process development and in significant process automation. Unfortunately, the decision taken by the company was to move production to a more modern plant in Costa Rica which has spare capacity....

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the situation at the Allergan plant in Arklow. The decision taken by the company to close its facility by the middle of 2009 is very disappointing particularly for the workers and families involved. I am confident that the Industrial Development agencies together with other local interests will make every effort to secure alternative employment for the area. I will, of...

Written Answers — Price Inflation: Price Inflation (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am fully aware that the price of a range of foods has increased in the last number of months. Whilst the December 2007 Consumer Price Index as published by the Central Statistics Office shows that although the annual rate of inflation fell to 4.7% in December down from 5.0% in November, the price of food and non alcoholic beverages increased by 6.3% in the year. Rising food prices are...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 63 together. The last Quarterly National Household Survey on the labour market showed that the pace of employment growth actually accelerated slightly and employment over the year 2007 was up nearly 4%. Last year total employment in the country exceeded 2 million for the first time, an increase of 78,000 on the same quarter in 2006 and net job creation...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Enterprise Development Agencies under the aegis of my Department, Enterprise Ireland, the County Enterprise Boards, and IDA Ireland are responsible for growing indigenous enterprises and attracting and growing foreign direct investment. My Department has put in place a range of strategies, programmes and financial incentives to promote economic and enterprise development that will support...