Results 46,881-46,900 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Unemployment currently stands at 4.5%. The ESRI projects that it will rise to 5.6% in 2008. It also forecasts that employment will grow by 2.5% — 50,000 — this year and by 0.6% in 2008. The pre-budget outlook is more optimistic in this regard and states employment will grow by 3.5% this year and 1.25% — 26,000 — in 2008. Employment has increased by 259,000 in the three-year period...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The EU-27 average for unemployment is 6.9%. The projections made fall well below this figure, which is important. We must be careful as regards the language we use. We certainly have not thrown in the towel. The economy is robust and performing well in international terms. I have just come from the launch of Enterprise Ireland's new strategic vision for the next three years where it has...

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Our unemployment rate is 4.5%.

Unemployment Levels. (24 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Varadkar is taking current figures for the other countries and comparing them with projected forecast figures for next year. I invite the Deputies to look at all previous forecasts for the past ten years. We could do an interesting assessment of how many of them were actually correct.

Departmental Agencies. (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 this year. The recruitment process is under way. In addition, I understand that the director is pursuing with the Garda Commissioner the possibility of...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department's Annual Output Statement for 2007 has not yet been published on my Department's website. However, I have no objection to publishing the Statement on the website and I have asked my officials to do so immediately. Future Annual Output Statements will be published on my Department's website following their presentation to the Select Committee on Enterprise and Small Business...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has responsibility for immigration matters and immigration stamps. This person would need to have his/her situation regularised with that Department in the first instance. Once this is completed, my Department will consider an application for an employment permit.

Written Answers — Labour Force Skills: Labour Force Skills (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a project of the OECD together with a number of member countries for the development of a new generation of household-based surveys of adult skills in selected domains of measurable ability. Ireland declined to be involved in the OECD's PIAAC due to a number of concerns. These included the high cost of...

Written Answers — Labour Force Skills: Labour Force Skills (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs was established in 1997 to advise the Government on aspects of education and training related to the future skills requirements of the enterprise sector of the Irish economy. The Group is comprised of representatives of business, employees, education, Government departments and State agencies. Its mandate provides that it will act as the central...

Written Answers — Labour Force Skills: Labour Force Skills (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is no skills register for County Kildare maintained under the auspices of my Department or its agencies. Through its Quarterly National Household Survey the CSO collects statistics and information concerning skills and education qualifications at a regional level. However, this information does not give an insight to the skills of the individuals working or living at county level.

Written Answers — Departmental Travel: Departmental Travel (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am advised that frequent flyer schemes operated by the principal airlines flying into and out of Ireland operate on the basis of offering points to the named individual who is travelling and that points are not transferable. Accordingly, my Department allows frequent flyer points accrued by Ministers and civil servants to be retained by the individuals concerned. The approach adopted by...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency and not one in which I have a function. As I have previously stated in my reply on 26th September, for commercial reasons, and in order to protect IDA's negotiating position in relation to any similar properties it is not appropriate for information on the commercial terms agreed...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the Industrial Development Agencies. Data is compiled on an annualized basis and is aggregated at county level. Data in relation to 2007 will not be available until mid 2008. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the years 2005 and 2006 is set out in the attached tabular statement....

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (23 Oct 2007)

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 helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (23 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 individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. I have been informed by IDA Ireland that to date in...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Following the closure of the plant in question, finding alternative employment for the area and the county was a priority for the Industrial Development agencies. In this regard, a major financial services project which will provide 700 jobs was announced for Navan in 2006. This project will be of significant benefit to the whole county. Another financial services company, which announced...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Employment data in respect of companies supported by the Enterprise Agencies is collated by Forfás on an annual basis and accordingly there is no data available for 2007. In 2006 there were 5621 persons in permanent employment in Enterprise Agency assisted firms in Co.Meath; the table outlines the number of jobs created in the years mentioned. In addition to these figures, the Meath County...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio, including the purchase and disposal of property, is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas and not a matter in which I have a function. I have been informed by IDA Ireland that, in 1998, the Agency sold 1.3152 Hectares, on a leasehold basis, to...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department is the Managing Authority for the EQUAL Community Initiative Programme. This Programme is co-funded by the European Social Fund during the period 2000-2007. The Programme seeks to identify and address fundamental forms of discrimination and inequality in the labour market through the development of new and innovative policies and practices initiated by EQUAL Development...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Oct 2007)

Micheál Martin: Excluding the offices and agencies of my Department which have their own budgets, my Department has spent €59,903.85 on paper (of which €53,373.35 was spent on recycled paper) and €52,000.89 on stationery so far in 2007.