Results 46,621-46,640 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (31 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am interpreting the Deputy's question as relating to expenditure on Official Entertainment, for lunches, dinners and receptions hosted for official delegations. The total amount spent by my Department on Official Entertainment in the period 1 November 2006 to 30 October 2007 was €40,432.73. This sum includes expenditure incurred by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (31 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321 and 322 together. Several county and local authorities have taken initiatives to improve the information available on skills in their respective localities. Skills databases have been established in Laois, Meath and Carlow where residents can register their skills and qualifications profile. Similarly both Waterford County Enterprise Board and North Cork...

Written Answers — Small Business Forum: Small Business Forum (31 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The extent of the Government's commitment to the small business sector is already obvious from the substantial changes already implemented in response to the recommendations in the Small Business Forum Report. The measures outlined in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 546 of 26 September 2007 clearly ensure that there is a supportive environment for small business in Ireland. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (31 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the attached tabular statement. All figures quoted refer to 2007 and are in millions of euro. InterTradeIreland, the all-island trade and business development body, is co-sponsored by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and is funded in a ratio of 2:1 (South and North). The above figures assume an exchange...

Written Answers — Departmental Facilities: Departmental Facilities (31 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department has only a small canteen in two of its buildings at Adelaide Road and Kildare Street. These canteens are run by outside caterers (who operate independently of my Department) and who have indicated that all of the beef, pork, and lamb supplied in each canteen is Irish. Raw chicken fillets used by the caterers are Irish. Cooked chicken fillets used by the caterers are from an...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (25 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Green Card applications are considered based on the following criteria: Firstly, Green Cards may be issued for all occupations, other than those which are contrary to public interest, where the annual salary offered is €60,000 or more. Secondly, Green Cards may be issued for positions with a salary range of €30,000 to €59,999 in identified areas of skills shortages in key sectors of...

Written Answers — Competition Authority: Competition Authority (25 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Competition Authority has already examined the issue of waste collection and regulation in Ireland in the context of responding to the Consultation Paper of 3rd August 2006 "Regulation of the Waste Management Sector" issued by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Authority's submission is available on its website at www.tca.ie.

Order of Business (Resumed) (25 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: What about the deal that was made for the Seanad election?

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006 provide for a large number of obligations and offences. These include: offences relating to the employment of foreign nationals except in accordance with an employment permit and forgery, fraudulent alteration or fraudulent use of an employment permit. Under the 2006 Act, data in respect of certain matters may be exchanged between my Department and...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The marketing of the regions for job creation and investment is a day-to-day operational matter for the development agencies and while I may give general policy directives to agencies, I am precluded under the Industrial Development Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. Through its network of overseas offices, IDA...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Personal Injuries Assessment Board was established in April 2004 as part of the Government's insurance reform programme, with the aim of allowing certain classes of personal injury claim, where liability is uncontested, to be settled without the need for the costs associated with litigation. The threat of rising insurance costs at the time posed serious risks to Irish business and the...

Written Answers — Food Prices: Food Prices (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of recent media reports of increases in certain food prices. However, the September 2007 Consumer Price Index as published by the Central Statistics Office shows that annual rate of food inflation is 2%. This compares with an overall rate of inflation of 4.6%. Rising food prices are being experienced right across the world. Such increases are due to a number of different factors...

Written Answers — Departmental Applications: Departmental Applications (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department processes a wide variety of different applications from Employment Agency Licenses to Grants for Trade Union Amalgamations, from Insolvency Payments, Redundancy Lump Sums and Rebates to Export and Import Licenses and from Employment Permits to Applications for the approval of the prospectus for a proposed Business Expansion Scheme (BES), to name but a few. We operate a Customer...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The thirty-five County & City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) are the principal initial point of contact for people seeking support in setting up a new business. Their role is to provide support to micro-enterprise in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs provide both financial and...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The role of the thirty-five County and City Enterprise Boards is to provide a source of support for micro-enterprise in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level. The CEBs can provide a single point of contact at local level for new and established small businesses....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Under the Government's decentralisation programme the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is due to relocate to Arklow, Co. Wicklow. The current NSAI implementation plan anticipates a target date of April 2009 as the completion date for its decentralisation programme; however, this is highly dependent on the resolution of matters at central level concerning the transfer of staff...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Ireland unquestionably faces competitiveness challenges, but to categorise it as becoming uncompetitive would be wrong. Rather the economy's competitive advantages are changing. This reflects the dynamic economy that Ireland is today. The structure of enterprise and the nature of job creation is changing. No modern economy is static and Government policies reflect this. Well balanced,...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: On 26 September 2007, the company in question notified me that it was proposing collective redundancies in order to streamline and improve operating efficiencies. The company employs 200 staff. I understand the redundancies will take place between January / February 2008 and September 2009. However, some 20 jobs will be retained in research and development and engineering / project...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: State support for enterprise and job creation is channelled through the industrial development agencies. While I may give general policy directives to the development agencies, I am precluded, under the Industrial Development Acts, from giving directives regarding industrial undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. Through its range of overseas offices, IDA Ireland is...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: A total of 69,000 persons commenced FÁS training courses in 2006 with roughly 35% of those attending training unemployed and 65% who were in employment. In addition, in 2006, 176,000 persons attended Safe Pass and Construction Skills training and a further 9,000 persons attended Evening Courses. A training element was also included for the total of 32,300 persons who participated on...