Results 46,381-46,400 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: We are price takers when it comes to buying energy needed to run our economy. We are subject to the same fossil fuel cost pressures experienced in other economies. The Government is very aware that both energy supply and cost is of strategic, competitive importance. Our approach to tackling the issue of supply and cost is clearly set out in the Government's Energy Policy that was published...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government has overall responsibility for guidelines and schemes in relation to local authority charges. In the first five-year period of operation of the Development Contribution Scheme the amount collected in development contributions increased significantly. This reflected, in part, the increasing demand for infrastructure arising from our...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department uses reputable companies to recycle old PCs and other redundant information technology equipment and to provide a certificate of their destruction. Part of this process involves the physical destruction of hard drives. This process is in line with best practice and gives assurance that disposal of ICT equipment will not pose a security risk to the Department or its clients.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is one press officer employed in my Department and there was one in 2002. The employment of press officers in agencies reporting to my Department is a day to day operational matter for those agencies and I have no function in the matter.

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The 15 websites maintained by my Department and offices of my Department, do not have the facility for podcasts to be available for download by members of the public. The Department is satisfied with its current communications tools but will keep under review the advisability of having podcasts, and other modern technological inventions, available for download by members of the public. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The buildings occupied by my Department are managed and maintained by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of the Department. All matters pertaining to the heating and lighting of the Department's buildings are decided upon by the OPW in consultation with the Department. My Department is aware of the need to make the Department's buildings more environmentally friendly and during 2007...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Under the Industrial Development Act of 1986, as amended by the Acts of 1993 and 1995, IDA Ireland has the power to acquire, hold and dispose of land and any other property or any interest therein for the purpose of facilitating an industrial undertaking. Accordingly, the management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency, as part of...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

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 3rd place globally in terms of job creation for our population size. Ireland is 8th in the world in terms of ease of doing business and is in the top five for the strength of our education and...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: During Deputy Phil Hogan's term as spokesman on enterprise, he specialised in graphic descriptions of how the latest announcement of pressures on a company would quickly be followed by dramatic declines in employment throughout the economy. It is already clear that Deputy Varadkar intends following this lead and is working hard to make Deputy Hogan look restrained and constructive in...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Government's position is very clear. We believe that the economy continues to show many signs of strength and all figures show that employment levels are high and rising. However, we have to be extremely vigilant about maintaining our competitiveness. The right policy response does not lend itself to a cheap headline but requires action on a broad range of fronts. These include...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The success of the Irish labour market over the past decade has been unparalleled in the recent history of Europe. At the same time unemployment has more than halved to just over 4% and long-term unemployment has fallen to less than 1.5%. Our employment performance has been particularly impressive since 2003, with labour-intensive sectors to the fore of the economic upturn. The last...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: We also predict an increase in employment again next year. This expansion is especially noticeable in high technology sectors, where we are now able to confidently pitch for international investment in advanced research and development. IBM is not the Government. IBM's recent global location trends report, which is not any departmental statistical analysis, ranks us third overall in jobs...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The paucity of the Opposition's argument reached a new level this evening when Deputy Tom Hayes suggested that the Government was responsible for the bad summer in the UK in terms of the downturn in the market.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: With the greatest respect, that is pushing it a bit far.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: We will do everything we can to support indigenous enterprise. These changes make a real impact on the nature of economic activity and employment in the economy. Our approach to investment gives confidence to investors. Between 1999 and 2007, chemical-pharma sites expanded, with a total investment of €1.3 billion on existing sites. During the same period, there were 16 greenfield...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: I certainly will not. I have allowed six speakers to speak without interruption. The motion's statement in respect of exports is another example of not letting the facts get in the way of an attack. CSO data for the first eight months of this year show that merchandise exports rose by 5% compared to the same eight-month period in 2006. This is impressive, considering that significant...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: In a short debate, it is not possible to address all of areas where action is planned or required. I will highlight a few.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Many of the great advances in our economy and the social progress they have enabled have come from the recognition that the State should play the role of enabler rather than controller. Regulation is an important part of this, where we have to seek a balance between regulation necessary to protect consumers and employees and the light hand required to let those who create employment get on...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: The easiest thing is to knock the public service but the more difficult process is to engage with change.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (4 Dec 2007)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Varadkar has an extraordinarily bleak vision of the public service and is welcome to it. If one compares its work today to that of 20 years ago, one sees vast difference and significant improvements. These continuing efforts have resulted in Ireland being ranked eighth out of 178 countries in terms of ease of doing business and fifth for ease of starting a business. I could not...