Results 47,041-47,060 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Sustaining a strong enterprise environment is key to competitiveness for modern economies. Having enterprise policies that are flexible and evolve with business need is equally important. This ensures that Ireland is a profitable and secure location in which to invest is equally important. A number of important advisory groups such as the Small Business Forum, the Enterprise Strategy Group...

Written Answers — Personal Injuries Assessment Board: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Personal Injuries Assessment Board awards mirror Court Awards, as both refer to a Book of Quantum to determine the appropriate award to be given. Some claimants, as is their right, choose to reject the award and commence litigation proceedings in the hope of receiving greater compensation. I have no proposals to interfere with this right. The PIAB is a new body that has significantly...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am very conscious of the need to ensure that all our training programmes, not just the apprenticeship programmes are kept responsive, competitive and productive in order to ensure that the Irish labour force is capable of meeting the future skills demands of employers. FÁS has the statutory responsibility for the organisation and control of designated apprenticeship by the powers conferred...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004, administered by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, among other things, protects against discrimination on the ground of age in relation to access to employment. However, they also permit an employer to decide on a retirement age in a particular employment to give flexibility to employers and employees, having due regard to the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Temporary Registered Doctors are granted permission from the Garda National Immigration Bureau to live and work in the State for up to 7 years. The changing short-term nature of their work patterns is such that this is the best way to facilitate them working here. For countries that are visa required the doctor must, in support of their application for a visa, be able to provide documentation...

Written Answers — Energy Consumption: Energy Consumption (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: To reduce energy consumption in the Department and to ensure maximum energy efficiency and the minimum carbon footprint in its daily operations, my Department through its Green Team, which was established some years ago, has over the past few years initiated the following actions: Ensured that all lighting in the Department's eight buildings is switched off overnight; Ensured that the Office...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: While job losses are always regrettable, they are a feature of economic development in all countries as various sectors expand and contract in response to market forces. However, I have been assured by the agencies under the remit of my Department that they are actively endeavouring to attract new investment, to encourage the start-up of new businesses, to grow existing businesses and to...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: I have no function in the matter of ordering Dáil Business.

Written Answers — Departmental Travel: Departmental Travel (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Table 1 set out below provides details of international fights taken by staff of my Department on official business on scheduled flights from 1 January 2007 to 20 April 2007. The table shows the final destination for each journey, the number of flights to each destination and the cost involved. My Department's staff have not taken any domestic flights on scheduled aircraft to date in 2007....

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: The role and functions of FÁS are reviewed on an ongoing basis through the formation of its Statements of Strategy. The current FAS Strategy Statement outlines the vision and direction for FAS for the period 2006 to 2009. The Strategy is closely aligned to the policy goals of my Department and was developed in close collaboration with my Department. In addition a comprehensive internal and...

Written Answers — Environmental Support Schemes: Environmental Support Schemes (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Enterprise Ireland (EI) operates two direct financial support schemes that help Irish SMEs to increase awareness of and promote eco-efficiency in their operations. These are the Environmental Management System (EMS) Support Scheme and the Environmentally Superior Products (ESP) Support Scheme. The EMS Support Scheme has been in operation since late 1998 and since then 105 Irish SMEs have been...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: A total of 69,000 persons commenced FÁS training courses in 2006 with roughly 35% of those attending training for employment and 65% attending training that were in employment. In addition, 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 32,300 persons on Community Employment...

Written Answers — Enterprise Planning: Enterprise Planning (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the report "Business Continuity Planning – Responding to an Influenza Pandemic" which I launched at the end of February. I am very supportive of the work being undertaken at central level in the area of emergency planning. One of the key risks being considered at this level is that of an influenza pandemic. An influenza pandemic would have a very...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: The broader responsibility for the promotion of life long learning lies with the Department of Education and Science. My own Department is primarily concerned with the job of enhancing the skills of workers to ensure a more effective labour market and to sustain and enlarge a competitive and productive national economy. In cooperation with the Department of Education and Science we are now...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: There has been no person-hours lost either in my Department or in the Agencies under the aegis of my Department to date in 2007, due to industrial action. There are no pending strike notices in place against my Department or any of the agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Irish employment rights law makes a distinction between a contract of service, which applies to an employer-employee relationship, and a contract for service, which applies in the case of an independent sub-contractor. In effect, employment rights legislation does not apply to independent sub-contractors with the exception of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 and the Equality...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Following is the information requested by the Deputy. Enterprise Ireland— there is currently one vacancy on the Board of Enterprise Ireland which is in the process of being filled. Labour Relations Commission— 6 Rights Commissioners will be appointed before 31 May 2007, 5 under the terms of Towards 2016, and 1 arising from a vacancy. National Competitiveness Council— As 4 members of the...

Written Answers — Energy Consumption: Energy Consumption (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: To minimize the carbon footprint of my Department in its daily operations, the Department through its Green Team, which was established some years ago, has over the past few years initiated the following actions: Ensured that all lighting in the Department's eight buildings is switched off overnight; Ensured that the Office of Public Works, which looks after the replacement of electric light...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Since the beginning of 2007, I, Ministers of State and staff of my Department have made 8 journeys on Government aircraft. The journeys undertaken were as follows: International Flights: Minister Martin Baldonnel-Cork-Paris, 14 January 2007 — EI Trade Mission Baldonnel-Cork-Brussels-Baldonnel, 19 February 2007 — Competitiveness Council Minister Ahern...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Enterprise Development agencies under the aegis of my Department are committed to continuous evaluation and modification of their service delivery models in order to best meet the needs of client companies. As part of the development of the implementation strategy to achieve the targets set out in the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006 — 2013 (SSTI), Enterprise Ireland...