Results 46,301-46,320 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (13 Feb 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 — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department is required to relocate a minimum of 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...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: FÁS International Consulting Limited (FICL) was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of FÁS in 1988 in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Services Act. Its purpose was to promote and carry out training and consultancy work in human resource development and related areas for the overseas market. The Articles of Association were registered on 22 September 1988. No equity was...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) was established in 1985 to accredit calibration and testing laboratories. INAB was subsequently established as a Committee of Forfás under Section 10 of the Industrial Development act, 1993 as amended by Section 46 of the Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland) Act. 1998. The Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) is the sole national...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Nítrigin Éireann Teoranta (NET) was established in 1961 to manufacture nitrogenous fertiliser. Since 1987 on the formation of Irish Fertilizer Industries Limited (IFI), a joint venture with ICI, NET acted as a holding company. More recently NET's primary role since the liquidation of IFI in 2002 had been to monitor the progress of that liquidation in the context of NET's claims on the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Skillnets Limited was established in 1999 to encourage and support enterprise-led training, to enhance the capacity and employability of workers, to contribute to increased productivity and profitability and to assist in developing a more competitive business environment. Under a Mandate and Funding Agreement agreed with my Department, Skillnets Limited operates the Training Networks Program....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Government established the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) in 1997 to provide advice on Ireland's future skills requirements and make recommendations as to how those needs could be met. The mandate of the EGFSN was formalised in 2001. The EGFSN is an independent advisory body appointed by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in consultation with the Minister for...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (13 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 — Job Creation: Job Creation (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 255 and 256 together. 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...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by Enterprise Ireland that the company in question has not returned any grant aid to the agency. Discussions are ongoing but have been complicated by a fire at the Glanbia plant in Edenderry last year and the current proposed management buy out of the Glanbia Pork Division. Notwithstanding this, I understand that progress is being made in the negotiations and it is expected...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Payment and repayment of grants are day-to-day operational matters for the Industrial Development agencies. While I do not have any role in the day-to-day operations of the agencies, I understand from Enterprise Ireland that in this particular case the company received approximately €370,000 in grant aid over the past ten years. There is no contingent liability on this grant aid according...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (13 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Enterprise Development Agencies under the aegis of my Department, Enterprise Ireland, the County Enterprise Boards, IDA Ireland and Shannon Development are responsible for growing indigenous enterprises and attracting and growing foreign direct investment. Shannon Development's role is in the mid-west region, including North Tipperary, includes the provision of tailored property solution...

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...