Results 46,861-46,880 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Job Creation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: As late as August, the company said it was going ahead with the project and was making no deviation from its plans. There is no mystery. Companies make decisions. In some instances they communicate those decisions to IDA Ireland and in others they do not. In my experience, when one is alerted to a company closure one is alerted very late in the day and the company always insists on first...

Work Permits. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Under the Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006, it is illegal to employ a non-EEA national without an employment permit where one is required. These Acts provide for a large number of obligations and offences including those relating to the employment of foreign nationals except in accordance with an employment permit; refusal to co-operate with inquiries of the Garda Síochána; forgery,...

Work Permits. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I will check that matter for the Deputy. The situation has changed somewhat. The Employment Permits Act 2003 provided for no enforcement body other than the Garda Síochána. The 2006 Act provides that "the Minister may appoint, in writing, such and so many of his or her officers to be authorised officers for the purposes of all or any of the provisions of the Act or the Act of 2003". My...

Work Permits. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is a useful suggestion that I would not rule out and that we could pursue because it could be built into the compliance model. I have taken a fairly hard line with regard to some employers. One of the easiest things to say to employers is that if they are found guilty of flouting employment and labour law, they need not bother to reapply for a work permit. That would be a very simple...

Legislative Programme. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The legislative priorities for my Department are formulated in the context of the implementation of the programme for Government. The following are my current legislative priorities for the Thirtieth Dáil. The Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007 has been published. The purpose of this Bill is to regularise the position in Ireland as regards the lending of copyright works...

Legislative Programme. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is merit in what the Deputy has said and it is constructive. While the Parliamentary Counsel can begin drafting the Bill, it would do no harm to set up a committee to devise a general scheme. I will discuss this with the Whips. The committee dealing with enterprise would normally have enough on its agenda, but I will initiate discussions with the spokespersons to see what the best...

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is the way we want to keep it.

Decentralisation Programme. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 97 together. Under the Government's decentralisation programme, FÁS is due to transfer its head office including some 383 posts to Birr, County Offaly, by 2009. FÁS currently has 20 staff members based in Birr who are working out of offices located within the Birr Technology Centre. It is anticipated that 40 staff will be located in Birr by the end...

Decentralisation Programme. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: A further 67 staff, in addition to the 40 staff expected to be in place by the end of the year, have expressed an interest of re-locating to Birr. This is made up of 23 existing staff and 44 new entrants recruited on the basis of relocation. On the planning application, I do not know the timeframe within which it will be lodged though it is due to happen in due course. FÁS is currently...

Decentralisation Programme. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: FÁS is a large organisation. It is clear that we have had difficulties in respect of the decentralisation of agencies which has not gone as smoothly as the relocation of departmental civil servants. For example, the centre in Carlow is now open and some 200 staff will shortly relocate there. This relocation and the relocation of the Health and Safety Authority, which is temporarily...

Business Regulation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: In response to the business regulation forum recommendation and to progress the agenda of reducing administrative burdens for business, I established the high-level group on business regulation under the chairmanship of the Secretary General of my Department. The high-level group comprises representatives of Departments and agencies, the business sector and a representative of ICTU. The...

Business Regulation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: We will not introduce the standard cost model as employed by the Netherlands, although we have engaged with Dutch authorities and they made representations to the business regulation forum on the application of the model there. One of the key issues is required resources in terms of a base measurement that a standard cost model would entail. We would need a significant cohort of civil...

Business Regulation. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: As a backdrop to this, it is worth pointing out that the World Bank's report, Doing Business 2008, ranked Ireland eighth out of 178 in terms of ease of starting and running a business. Only the UK and Denmark are ahead of us in the EU. That said, we acknowledge a clear need to reduce regulation on business and I have already outlined some of the steps we have taken on this, such as the audit...

Industrial Development. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: On the morning of 3 October 2007, I was very disappointed to be informed by way of a conference call with the Irish general manager and the executive vice president of operations of Amgen Inc. that the project had been postponed indefinitely due to a downturn and difficulties within the American market for the company's products. During the week commencing 8 October 2007 various discussions...

Industrial Development. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: On the Deputy's latter queries, those matters will be dealt with in reply to a later question. In order to save time, I will deal with them when the said question is taken. It is important not to play politics with this issue.

Industrial Development. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is an element of playing politics. The Government does not represent Amgen. I do not sit in on meetings at the corporate headquarters of global companies. Those who run such companies, not the Los Angeles Times or any other newspaper, make decisions. The executive vice-president of the company put it very well last week when he asked if I honestly thought that if the management...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The total approved staffing complement for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, ODCE, has already been increased this year from 37 to 41 posts. A further increase of four posts is planned to take place by the end of the year. The recruitment process in this regard is under way. In addition, I understand the director is pursuing with the Garda Commissioner the possibility of...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Have I jumped ahead?

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is certainly the case.

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: That is never the position in my case.