Results 47,321-47,340 of 51,015 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The CSO release on County Incomes and Regional GDP notes that county estimates should be treated with caution because the underlying data are not always sufficiently robust. Also while the Live Register provides data on a county basis it is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers as well as seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseekers Allowance or Benefit. ...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: Details of travel and subsistence expenses incurred for the calendar year 2006 by persons employed in my ministerial office in the positions referred to by the Deputy are provided in Table 1 below. Details of travel and subsistence expenses incurred for the calendar year 2006 by persons employed in the positions referred to by the Deputy in the offices of the Ministers of State attached to my...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (6 Mar 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 under the Industrial Development Acts, I am precluded 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...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: There are three Civil Servants assigned to my Constituency Office. They are all based in my Office at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. The officers concerned are all Clerical Officers. The Clerical Officer salary scale ranges from €22,766 to €36,913 per annum. The total salary cost of my constituency office for 2006 was €165,180.91. This...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: Nationals of Romania and Bulgaria may only come to Ireland to be employed by an employer if they are the subject of an employment permit application. For the first two months of this year, 11 new employment permits were issued in respect of Romanian nationals, and 2 new employment permits in respect of Bulgarian nationals. I understand that the Department of Social and Family Affairs issued...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Competition Authority is the independent statutory agency responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State. Its mandate and functions are set out in the Competition Act 2002, as amended. The 2002 Act consolidated, reformed and modernised previous legislation relating to competition policy and merger control. In essence the Act: increased the penalties for serious cartel...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: A total of 827 staff in my Department are located in offices rented by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The expenditure in rent is a matter for the OPW. Following the completion of the Decentralisation Programme in 2009, the accommodation needs of the Department will be reviewed in conjunction with the OPW. The position regarding the agencies is as follows: Irish Auditing and Accounting...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The salary scales for grades in the established public service are, of course, a matter of public information. The post of Chief Scientific Adviser is not part of the established public service, it is a non-permanent, independent, advisory position, reporting to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on STI, with the appointment made on a contractual basis, in this case for five years. However, having...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: There was no industrial action in my Department or its agencies except for that in FÁS. A number of work stoppages were undertaken by SIPTU members in FÁS in relation to the inclusion of a relocation clause in promotion contracts in the context of the decentralisation of FÁS Head Office to Birr. These included two 2 hour stoppages, one 4 hour stoppage and one full day stoppage. The...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: State support for enterprise and job creation is channelled through the industrial development agencies. IDA Ireland has responsibility for marketing Ireland and its regions to overseas investors and Enterprise Ireland is concentrating on developing the indigenous sector. While I may give general policy directives to the agencies under the Industrial Development Acts, I am precluded from...

Written Answers — Work Life Balance Initiatives: Work Life Balance Initiatives (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department fully supports work life balance initiatives and has been to the forefront in the Public Service in introducing and developing many of the work life balance schemes and initiatives that are currently available to staff in this Department. In support of Work Life Balance Day 2007, the Work Options Unit in my Department, in association with the Health and Safety Unit, and the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: At present there is a vacancy at Clerical Officer level in the Minister of State for Labour Affairs constituency office. The vacancy will be filled on 23rd March, 2007. The post is based in Minister Tony Killeen's Office, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Davitt House, Adelaide Road, Dublin 2. The officer concerned is a Clerical Officer. The Clerical Officer salary scale...

Written Answers — Pharmaceutical Industry: Pharmaceutical Industry (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am aware that IDA Ireland has recently decided to conduct a study of the pharmaceutical sector. The purpose is to give an overview on process development both locally and internationally. The study should define what supports could be put in place by way of infrastructure or activities which would enable manufacturing operations to engage in process development activities and add value to...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: There are currently a total of seventeen Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2010. Four of these Directives are overdue and the following is the position with regard to implementation progress: 1. Directive 2004/22/EC of 31 March 2004 concerning harmonisation of measuring instruments Transposition deadline: 30 April 2006. Expected date of implementation: 16 March 2007. 2....

Written Answers — Fair Trade Promotion: Fair Trade Promotion (6 Mar 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 in these canteens and a large poster advertising Fair Trade products is on display for all staff to see. As regards the agencies under the control of my Department, the Deputy may wish to know that last June my Department...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" contains a commitment under Section 24 (Economic Migration Policy) that the employment of non-EEA students should be the subject of an employment permit application. This is a complex area and my Department is currently consulting with stakeholders and the social partners regarding the procedures and format of this type of employment permit....

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: A total of 69,000 persons commenced FÁS training courses in 2006 with roughly 35% of those attending training not in employment and 65% 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 and Job Initiative schemes...

Written Answers — Overseas Trade Promotion: Overseas Trade Promotion (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The management and location of overseas offices of the development agencies is a day-to-day operational matter for the agencies and not a matter in which I have a function. IDA Ireland is the statutory agency charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to this country. The agency established its first office in Shanghai, China during 2005. To date there have been a...

Written Answers — Enterprise Incentives: Enterprise Incentives (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: State support specific to enterprise and job creation is channelled through the industrial development agencies. IDA Ireland has responsibility for marketing Ireland and its regions for overseas investment and Enterprise Ireland is concentrating on developing the indigenous sector. Shannon Development is responsible for regional economic development in the Mid West region whereas the County...

Written Answers — North-South Enterprise Policy: North-South Enterprise Policy (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Good Friday Agreement set out a new vision for the island of Ireland. As both North and South face the common challenges and opportunities of a globalised marketplace and continuing the transition to a knowledge economy where science, technology and innovation are vital to economic success, it is appropriate that we should jointly address those challenges and opportunities where there is...