Results 47,061-47,080 of 50,917 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: In the period from the beginning of January, 2005 to the end of March, 2007, there have been a total of 7 IDA sponsored visits by overseas investors to Kerry. Details of those visits are set out in the following tabular statement. The visits are arranged as part of the day-to-day operational activities of the agency and there was no ministerial involvement. In the main, itineraries for...

Written Answers — Science and Technology Groups: Science and Technology Groups (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: On 18 June last year, the Government launched a comprehensive Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation to 2013, based on the work of the Cabinet Subcommittee on STI, which I chair, and the Interdepartmental Committee on STI, lead by my Department. I can assure the Deputy that our STI Strategy was developed in consultation with stakeholders in the STI arena, including enterprise and...

Written Answers — Employment for People with Disabilities: Employment for People with Disabilities (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: The National Employment Action Plan Preventive Strategy (NEAP) involves a systematic referral of certain cohorts of registered unemployed persons by the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) to FÁS for assistance. The National Development Plan (2007-2013), Towards 2016, and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005, contain a...

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

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section have set out below the figures as requested above. Country Permits Issued 2004 Permits Refused 2004 Permits Issued 2005 Permits Refused 2005 Permits Issued 2006 Permits Refused 2006 Australia 906 8 926 17 879 30 Canada 269 6 315 9 335 16 New Zealand 550 11 527 9 531 18 U.S.A. 926 19 1,046 30 1,037 26

Written Answers — Skills Strategy: Skills Strategy (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: The recently published National Skills Strategy sets out clear long-term objectives in developing Ireland's human capital through upskilling, training and education for the period to 2020. The Strategy will be essential in ensuring that Ireland's education and training systems are able to meet the future demands of industry in the medium to longer term. One of the key recommendations of the...

Written Answers — Housing Management Companies: Housing Management Companies (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: Residential management companies are generally constituted as companies limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts and are required to comply with the relevant provisions of company law. The operation of such companies under their relevant memorandum and articles of association is a matter for determination by the company members, who generally are the owners of the properties in question....

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137, 138 and 140 together. There are many factors that influence a firm's decision to relocate. Firms adjust their plant location and utilisation strategies to address matters such as accessing new markets, moving production nearer to customers, meeting firm or market specific customer relationship issues, accessing technology or other competitive...

Written Answers — Trade Balance Statistics: Trade Balance Statistics (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: For over ten years, Ireland has had a very significant surplus on its merchandise exports. For example, last year we had a surplus of €28.3bn on exports of €88.7bn. This is an extremely healthy position. In relation to services trade, where data is not as well developed, we had a deficit last year of €8.3bn on services exports of €54bn and that deficit has been declining over the...

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 146 together. Statistics for Merchandise Trade performance in 2006 show that these exports increased by 2% on 2005. Exports from Enterprise Ireland's client base of indigenous companies is expected to show a significantly higher increase. This is a very creditable performance, against a background of a difficult global trading environment, and shows...

Written Answers — Trade Balance Statistics: Trade Balance Statistics (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: In 2006 Ireland's total merchandise imports were valued at €60.4bn. The major categories of such imports were, in descending order, Computers (€10.4bn), Road vehicles (€4bn), Electrical machinery (€3.8bn), Petroleum and related products (€3.7bn), Miscellaneous manufactured articles €3bn), Medicinal and Pharmaceutical products (€2.2bn) and Telecommunications and Sound...

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

Micheál Martin: Officials in the Employment Permits Section of my Department have informed me the number of work permit applications received up to the 20th April 2007 is 7547, the number issued is 4930, the number refused is 554 and the remainder are currently being processed. Employment Permit statistics for the previous four years are contained in the following table. Year Permits Issued Permits Refused...

Written Answers — Skills Strategy: Skills Strategy (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: In an increasingly knowledge-based and globalised environment, the skills required are progressively becoming more sophisticated. The Government has made provision to ensure that we have the best assessment of future skills needs and the policies and training programmes in place to respond to them. Central to this endeavour is the work of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. It has been...

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

Micheál Martin: State support for enterprise and job creation, including embedment and retention, is channelled through the industrial development agencies. While we have been very successful over the past decade in attracting investment and jobs we now face new challenges. We are no longer a low cost country with high levels of unemployment. Ireland is now a less competitive location for what might be...

Written Answers — Enterprise and Job Creation: Enterprise and Job Creation (26 Apr 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 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 assured by the agencies under the remit of my Department...

Departmental Staff. (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: This is a long reply. My advisers and I prepared the Fianna Fáil enterprise policy document entitled Keeping Ireland Working: The Next Steps Forward. Other than the engagement by my advisers, I did not ask any civil servant working in my Department to become involved in the preparation of the document nor did any civil servant of my Department become involved in the preparation of this...

Departmental Staff. (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: I sincerely ask the Deputy to withdraw the allegations. It is pathetic and illustrative of a bankruptcy of ideas that the Deputy must descend to this as is the idea his party leader would raise this matter of a computer glitch. My advisers formulated this document and sent it via electronic mail. If Fine Gael's super-sleuths examined it more closely, they would have seen the initials of...

Departmental Staff. (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: It is unfair and the allegation should be withdrawn. It is like Forrest Gump claiming he found the files on Nixon. It is pathetic and ridiculous. I must take issue with the idea that Deputy Hogan would table a priority question on something he knows to be complete nonsense, and I know from his demeanour that he knows it to be so.

Departmental Staff. (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: I must also take issue with his reference to "previous issues" by which he obviously means the technical briefing an official from the Department attended in the context of the groceries order. The Government corresponded with the Standards in Public Office Commission on this matter. As part of subsequent ongoing correspondence, a letter was sent to the Taoiseach from the Standards in...

Departmental Staff. (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: It was not a full meeting.

Departmental Staff. (26 Apr 2007)

Micheál Martin: I resent very much the implication in Deputy Hogan's question and reject it out of hand. I have absolutely no intention of giving any credence to baseless smear tactics from the Fine Gael Party. This is pathetic and ridiculous.