Results 46,261-46,280 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: There have been no reported instances in my Department where personal data has been compromised since the date in question. My Department is registered with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner for the purpose of the Data Protection Acts. My Department is very conscious of its obligations under the Data Protection Acts, and of the need to promote awareness among staff of these...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Irish team that participated in the WorldSkills competition in Japan was comprised of competitors, judges/experts, team leaders, technical support personnel and WorldSkills Council (Ireland) members. All but four of the team travelled standard economy class. Four Council members travelled business class. Two of these did so in one direction only. This travel at business class was in...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 671 to 673, inclusive, together. Skillnets, which is a private company in which the social partners are shareholders, operates the Training Networks Programme on foot of a Funding Agreement and mandate from my Department. Under this Agreement, Skillnets is responsible for decisions on disbursements of funds provided from the National Training Fund, subject to...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: 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 I have a function. For reasons of client confidentiality IDA Ireland does not comment on agreements, which it reaches with individual client companies. In the circumstances, I...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677 and 678 together. On 3 December, 2007, I announced that Enterprise Ireland was to invest €4m to support the company's €11.4m research and development and growth strategy. The overall investment is expected to create 111 high level jobs, 70 of which will be in research and development. The agency's investment will be paid at agreed milestones over a...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 679 and 680 together. Payment and repayment of grants are day to day operational matters for the Industrial Development agencies. I do not have any role in day to day operational matters of the agencies. However, in this particular case, I have asked Enterprise Ireland to get in touch directly with the Deputy. There is no involvement for IDA Ireland.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (30 Jan 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 a work...

Written Answers — Barriers to Trade: Barriers to Trade (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: Directive 98/34/EC obliges all EU Member States to notify the European Commission of any technical rule, regulation or legislation that may affect trade within the EU. The Directive provides a pre-adoption screening procedure for all draft technical rules, regulations and standards relating to products. The United Kingdom has notified the European Commission of a draft microgeneration scheme...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The administration of individual cases, such as this, is a day-to-day matter for FÁS as part of their responsibility under the Labour Services Act 1987. I am referring the matter to the Director General of FÁS with a request that he reply directly to you.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: In order to further the implementation of the National Skills Strategy and the upskilling of those in employment, funding for the FÁS One Step Up programme has been increased in 2008. The FÁS Board has not yet approved the detailed FÁS budget for 2008. FÁS' 2007 Services to Business funding was €8 million for the Dublin region and €1.5 million for the north-east region.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are clients of the industrial development agencies. Information is aggregated at county level. The number of new jobs created in IDA supported companies in each county during 2007 is set out in the following tabular statement. Also included in the table are the population figures for each county sourced...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: Set out below is the number of Green Cards issued each month in 2007. Month Number January 0 February 3 March 129 April 268 May 315 June 324 July 446 August 430 September 325 October 271 November 259 December 202 Green Card arrangements allow the employee to apply for immediate family reunification and will normally allow a pathway to long-term residency after two years....

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that spousal/ dependant applications can be approved for part-time employment, providing that the job offer is for at least the minimum wage and a fully completed application is submitted.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department has informed me that the current waiting time for a spousal/dependant work permit is 14 working days in the case of a fully completed and valid application. The number of applications currently on hand is approximately 168.

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: As the House has already been advised in reply 17967/04, my Department was not a party to the allegations of fraud made in this case. As previously confirmed to the Deputy, my Department was advised by the organisation concerned that the Garda Fraud Squad had been alerted to suspected irregularities. Following an investigation with which my Department cooperated, a file was referred to the...

Written Answers — Site Investigations: Site Investigations (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Secretary General of my Department has held meetings with his counterparts in the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government, the OPW and the County Manager to identify the needs of Departments and State bodies insofar as the ISPAT site is concerned. Considerable progress has been made in addressing a range of development issues associated with the former ISPAT site at...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The percentage of persons employed by my Department in 2006 who disclosed that they have a disability, was 2.9% of the total staff number. The disability census for 2007 is currently being carried out. As the Public Appointments Service carries out the recruitment from outside the Civil Service for all Government Departments, including my own, my Department does not have any such details...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 696 together. Department Decentralisation: Under the Government's Decentralisation Programme my Department is required to relocate 250 posts to Carlow. The following business units/Offices of my Department are earmarked for decentralisation: Companies Registration Office/Registry of Friendly Societies; National Employment Rights Authority (NERA); Work...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (30 Jan 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on job gains and losses in companies that are clients of the industrial development agencies. Information is aggregated at county level. The number of new jobs created in IDA supported companies in Limerick and the Mid West, Dublin, Cork, Galway and Waterford during 2007 is set out in the following tabular statement. Information on job numbers is...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Jan 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...