Results 46,901-46,920 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: There is ongoing co-operation between my Department and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland on enterprise issues. Both Departments co-sponsor InterTradeIreland, the all-island trade and business development body established under the Good Friday Agreement. Since 1999, InterTradeIreland has shown the benefits of all-island business collaboration and it is...

Written Answers — Fair Trade Products: Fair Trade Products (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department has only two small canteens and in the past year both canteens have introduced Fair Trade products. My Department encourages the use of Fair Trade products and in one of the canteens, only Fair Trade tea and coffee is on sale and a large poster advertising Fair Trade products is displayed for all staff to see. As regards the agencies under the control of my Department, the...

Written Answers — Third Level Qualifications: Third Level Qualifications (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Minister for Education and Science has primary responsibility for the higher education sector, from which the PhDs will graduate. However, the target of doubling the number of PhDs is at the heart of the Government's Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006-13 and a number of Departments and Agencies are contributing to the delivery of that goal, including my own Department,...

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

Micheál Martin: There has not been a negative impact on the work of my Department and the Agencies under the aegis of my Department arising from the Government's Public Service Staffing Reduction Programme. All services carried out by my Department and Agencies have been maintained to the highest standard.

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Over the last ten years, Ireland has experienced exceptional growth which has seen our economy almost double in size. The construction sector has played, and continues to play, a very significant role in this success. The sector, which remains the largest industry in the Irish economy, is likely to continue to be strategic to our economic growth. Recent projections from the Central...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Table 1 provides details of international fights taken by staff of my Department on official business on scheduled flights from 1 January 2007 to 30 June 2007. The table shows the final destination for each journey, the number of flights to each destination and the cost involved, based on provisional accounts to the end of June. My Department's staff have not taken any domestic flights on...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The pillars underpinning the development of a comprehensive employment strategy under the Sectoral Plan for people with disabilities of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are: Enhancing the effectiveness of vocational training and employment programmes Further developing supports to the employment of people with disabilities Developing and advancing actions under the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Under the Treaties of Accession between the EU and Romania and Bulgaria, Phase 1 of the Transitional Arrangements comes to an end on 31 December, 2008. During this Phase, Member States are permitted to continue to require nationals of both countries to hold employment permits in order to access the labour market. As I announced on 24 October last, the Government availed of this option,...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together. The meeting last month in Potsdam, Germany, of the so-called Group of 4 (the G4) of the USA, the EU (represented by the European Commission), Brazil and India, was the latest in a series of such meetings. Unfortunately, as Deputy Higgins points out, it was not possible at that meeting for the G4 to reach convergence. From the EU's...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together. On 23 April, 2007, I was informed of the situation in the company in question by Enterprise Ireland. The company is moving its manufacturing operation to China in 2008. It will, however, maintain a sales and marketing centre in Ireland which will employ ten people. I understand that over the coming months, the company will be discussing...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The full-time job losses, job gains and net gains/losses in Agency assisted enterprises in Co. Kildare for years 2002 to 2006 inclusive are outlined in the following table. According to the most recent Quarterly National Household Survey, the total labour force in the Mid East Region, of which Kildare is a part, grew from 206,300 in May 2003 to 244,300 in 2007. The corresponding figures for...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: Manufacturing is an important and integral part of the economy, directly employing almost 250,000 people. During 2005 the sector spent €25bn on Irish labour, material and services and contributed almost 30% of corporation tax receipts. Over the last two decades however there has been a structural shift in the economic composition of developed economies. In the OECD countries, this has...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The employments Permits Section of my Department have informed me that the following are the figures for permits applied, approved and rejected in the first six months of 2006 and the first six months of 2007. Applications Received Permits Issued Permits Refused 2006 Jan-June 14,487 12,378 531 2007 Jan-June 13,289 8,966 863

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

Micheál Martin: Factors affecting the competitiveness of dynamic market economies are constantly changing. Ireland has prospered by being closely connected with global markets and using the opportunities of globalisation and the EU Single Market to create employment and build a broad based enterprise economy. Markets and companies adjust to aspects of competitiveness that are specific to their sector. Some...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department has been making good progress in regard to the relocation of 250 posts to Carlow under the Government's Decentralisation Programme. The following business units/Offices of my Department have been selected as part of the Decentralisation Programme and will be relocated in the new decentralised office: Companies Registration Office/Registry of Friendly Societies National...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Community Employment budget for 2007 is €355.5m and has been provided with a view to maintaining overall numbers on schemes at 2006 levels (circa 22,200 nationally). Following a review of FÁS employment schemes, I announced that, with effect from 10th November, 2004 funding would be provided for participants on the Job Initiative Scheme to continue to have their contracts renewed.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together. Employment figures in Enterprise Agency assisted firms are collated on an annual basis. The latest figure available for total full-time job losses is 21,090 in 2006; 27,017 full-time jobs were created in the same year. While any factory closures or job losses are to be regretted they must be viewed in the context of an historically...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: When the company in question announced the closure of its Naas facility last December, the reasons that were cited for the closure were a reduction in market demand, intense cost pressure from automotive manufacturers, competitive pressures and the euro/dollar exchange rate. The company decided it had no option but to retrench its global European mirror production into one company site in...

Job Creation. (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: The industrial development agencies work closely with local interests in Mallow for the purpose of advancing the attractiveness of Mallow as a location for both indigenous industry and foreign direct investment. In this regard, Enterprise Ireland was involved with the Mallow development partnership and contributed to a commissioned plan on an integrated development strategy for the town...

Job Creation. (4 Jul 2007)

Micheál Martin: First, I replied to the question tabled. It asked whether my attention was drawn to the enterprise element of the special local area plan for Mallow. The answer is yes. My Department has been party to it, as have the enterprise agencies. The question continued by asking whether I had sought assurances or commitments from Greencore. When I met representatives from the company more than a...