Results 46,361-46,380 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The following table sets out the amount of electricity used in the offices of my Department in Kildare Street for the past three years on a monthly basis. The billing system changed from bi-monthly to monthly in May 2005. The usage figures in the KWH column for the months May 2005 to April 2006 inclusive are estimated average figures. Date KWH â'¬ Jan/Feb 2005 108,782 12,890.62...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Increases for Community Employment participant grants are a matter for my Department and reflect the changes in the budget with respect to increases in Social Welfare payments. The CE participant grant increases are effective from 1st January annually. In January 2008, the rates were increased by €20 per week for participants with an adult dependant, increasing this grant to €353.50. I...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 118 and 119 together. Joint Labour Committees (JLCs): Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are established by order of the Labour Court under Section 35 of the Industrial Relations Act 1946. JLCs discuss and agree terms and conditions to apply to specified workers in certain sectors. When a JLC agrees terms and conditions, it makes proposals to the Labour Court....

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 to 123, inclusive, together. There are many factors that influence a firm's decision to relocate. Firms adjust their plant location and utilisation strategies to address matters such as accessing new markets, moving production nearer to customers, meeting firm or market specific customer relationship issues, accessing technology or other competitive...

Written Answers — Employment Growth: Employment Growth (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Employment growth, i.e. the excess of jobs created over jobs lost, is expected to continue to be positive in 2008, though growing at a slower pace than in previous years. In the Budget Outlook employment is forecast to grow by over 1% (24,000) in 2008. Employment has increased by 247,300 in the three-year period since 2004 and the number of people in employment is now 2,140,900. It is...

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

Micheál Martin: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 4.9% on average in 2007. The euro area measure of inflation, the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), was 2.8% for Ireland in 2007. This was lower than the euro area average for the same period. The Central Bank, in their Quarterly Bulletin published last week, forecast inflation (HICP) to ease further to 2.5% in 2008. Inflation is measured by...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (7 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. CE aims to facilitate unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department has been making good progress in the relocation of the required 250 posts to Carlow under the Government's Decentralisation Programme. 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 Permits Redundancy Payments Section...

Written Answers — Skill Shortages: Skill Shortages (7 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: In an increasingly knowledge-based and global environment, the skills required by a modern economy are progressively becoming more sophisticated. Ensuring that the skills supply and demand are matched requires an ongoing commitment to monitoring current and future skills needs and addressing any gaps through investments in upskilling. To that end the Government has made provision to ensure...

Written Answers — Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (7 Feb 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 level of FDI in Ireland, relative to the size of the economy, is one of the highest in the world. Today, in Ireland, there are over 1,000 IDA supported companies employing in excess of 136,000 people. These include many of the leading companies in...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (6 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Details regarding IDA Ireland supported companies and jobs in County Kerry from January 2002 to December 2007 are outlined in the following table. The number of client companies has declined from 21 in 2002 to 16 in 2007. The total number of closures was 8. This table also outlines the number of jobs lost in the County broken down by year. The recognition under the National Spatial...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (6 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: Details regarding IDA Ireland supported companies and jobs in County Cork from January 2002 to December 2007 are outlined in the following table. The number of client companies has declined from 137 in 2002 to 134 in 2007. The total number of closures was 36. This table also outlines the number of jobs lost in the county broken down by year. The recognition under the National Spatial...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (6 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the recent increase in the price of a range of foods 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 — Work Permits: Work Permits (6 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department has informed me that this application was refused as the immigration status of the applicant precludes him from entering full-time employment. In addition, it would be necessary to show evidence of efforts to recruit an EEA national for the position concerned. An appeal was lodged and the decision was upheld.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (6 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The employment permits section of my Department informs me that no valid application has been received in respect of the above named. However, his immigration status as a student would preclude him from entering full-time employment.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (5 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that an application in respect of the above was refused on the basis that his immigration status precludes him from entering full-time employment. In addition, the position of " Specialist Indian Restaurant Manager", for which he applied, would not fall within the eligible, high skills categories for Green Cards. An appeal was lodged...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 and 401 together. The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy. All "budgets" refer to the actual outturn in the year in question. However, since the bodies concerned are preparing their final accounts for 2007 at this time and, therefore, audited figures would not yet be available, I am not in a position to provide the final...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 to 404, inclusive, together. Although no specific taskforces were established in my Department in the last five years, details relating to groups which might be considered taskforces and which were established under the auspices of my Department, are set out below: 2003 Name of Group The Enterprise Strategy Group The Enterprise Strategy Group published...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Micheál Martin: The following tabular statement outlines the non-property costs relating to decentralisation that have been incurred by my Department since the project was initiated. The expenditure returns relate to the Administration Subheads A2 to A7 inclusive and outlines the spend on a quarter by quarter basis in each year, as outlined in my Department's quarterly return to the Department of Finance. ...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 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...