Results 47,341-47,360 of 51,015 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: Eight additional staff will be appointed to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) this year. Consideration of any request for additional staffing has to take account of the overall demands for staffing both within the Department and its agencies and offices.

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 147 together. The Casual Trading Act, 1995 regulates casual trading which is defined as "selling goods at a place (including a public road) to which the public have access as of right". The Act is operated by the 88 local authorities entitled to make bye laws under the Act. The sale of videos, DVDs and other similar products in a public place would...

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

Micheál Martin: Neither my Department nor its agencies have primary responsibility for the delivery of English language instruction. However, as part of its responsibilities for training, FÁS is developing training materials to assist migrant workers who have language difficulties. This material will be in the form of two generic courses of ninety hours in duration, pitched at two levels. FÁS is also in...

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

Micheál Martin: Consideration of requests for additional staffing by Offices and Agencies of my Department fall to be considered in the context of overall Government policy on managing public sector numbers. In the recent past I have approved over 270 additional staff for a number of Offices and Agencies including FAS, the National Employment Rights Agency, the Industrial Relation Bodies, the Health and...

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

Micheál Martin: The information requested by the Deputy is as follows. Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) (Incorporated Dec 2005) Staffing levels: 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 N/A N/A N/A 5 7 There are no expected retirements in 2007/2008 and 2009. Recruitment Plan in 2007 includes 1 × Project Manager, 1 × IT & Facilities Manager, 2 × Administrative Executives and 4 × Clerical...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (6 Mar 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 — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: As indicated in my replies to Parliamentary Questions Number 84 of 15 November 2006 and 146, 154 and 168 of 31 January, 2007, the number of Labour Inspectors will be progressively increased from 31 at present to 90 by end-2007 with the expectation that assignments will be made from the second quarter of 2007. The necessary arrangements and selection processes to meet this objective are being...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The regulation of telecommunications, televisual and broadband service providers is one of the functions of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) established under the Communications Regulation Act 2002 (No. 20 of 2002). I understand that although ComReg regulates providers of electronic communications services and networks, including broadcasting transmission networks, it...

Written Answers — Personal Injuries Assessment Board: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: All personal injury claims, apart from medical negligence cases, must be referred to PIAB in the first instance. Certain cases do not come within the remit of PIAB i.e. where liability is disputed, and other categories of cases must be released by PIAB, for example, those cases where the injury is wholly psychological by nature. These cases are more appropriate to the court system. Many...

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

Micheál Martin: I note the figures given by the Deputy. It is too early yet to say whether or not they are indicative of a definite, sustained trend. A major package of measures has been agreed by the parties to Towards 2016, the new Social Partnership Agreement, to provide for enhanced public confidence in the system of compliance. New legislation will be published this year which will empower the Labour...

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

Micheál Martin: The table below sets out details in respect of my Private Office: Name Title Function Full-time / part-time Terms of Contract Remuneration (Per annum) Deirdre Gillane Policy Adviser To provide advice and assistance to Minister. Full-time The appointment is strictly temporary and will terminate not later than the date on which I cease to hold office. €80,408-€99,457 Jerry O'Connor...

Written Answers — Personal Injuries Assessment Board: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: At the end of January 2007 there were 3,337 cases with the PIAB in the 90-day "consent to process" period, that is, the PIAB has received a claim, issued formal notice to the responding party and is awaiting consent to process from that party. There were a further 5,993 cases in the nine-month statutory assessment process where the responding party has indicated that liability is not...

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

Micheál Martin: I published the Report of the Interdepartmental Group on Donegal on 26 July 2006. I established the Group at the request of the Government following a number of major job losses in the county in recent years. I asked the Interdepartmental Group to focus on the progress being made on infrastructural requirements to make Donegal a more attractive location for enterprise creation, particularly...

Written Answers — Environmental Support Schemes: Environmental Support Schemes (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: While this is an operational matter for Enterprise Ireland, I understand that 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. (1) The Environmental...

Written Answers — National Employment Rights Authority: National Employment Rights Authority (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Government is committed to delivering the key package of measures agreed under the Employment Rights and Compliance Chapter of Towards 2016 and in this regard substantial progress has already been made. The Office of the Director of Employment Rights Compliance now to be known as the National Employment Rights Authority has been established on an interim basis. The Director of NERA has...

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

Micheál Martin: The tables below set out details in respect of staff numbers in my Department and include numbers and grades of staff that are expected to retire during 2007, 2008 and 2009. Staff numbers 31/12/2002 31/12/2003 31/12/2004 31/12/2005 31/12/2006 01/03/2007 1081.5 1023.32 1029.82 965.35 965.96 972.26 Retirements (compulsory) Year Number 2007 12 Grades involved: 6 Higher Executive...

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

Micheál Martin: International benchmarking reports suggest that the regulatory burden in Ireland is relatively light. The IMD (International Institute for Management Development) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2006 ranks Ireland 8th out of 61 countries surveyed for the extent to which bureaucracy does not hinder business activity. The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2006-07 ranks...

Written Answers — Company Law Enforcement: Company Law Enforcement (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: I would refer the Deputy to her previous Question on the same matters, which I answered on 31 January 2007 (Ref. No. 2529/07). The current position in relation to the matters concerned is still as described in my reply to that Question.

Written Answers — Lisbon Agenda: Lisbon Agenda (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The European Commission published its Annual Progress Report for 2006 on implementation of the renewed Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs on 12 December 2006. The overall assessment of Ireland's performance is that we are making very good progress in the implementation of our National Reform Programme (NRP), including the priority areas arising from the 2006 Spring European Council. The...

Written Answers — Economic Performance: Economic Performance (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The latest Quarterly National Household Survey figures published by the Central Statistics Office which are for the fourth quarter of 2006 show that the number of people in employment in the south east region increased by 12% to 219,100 over the two-year period since the fourth quarter of 2004. Furthermore, the number of unemployed people in the region has fallen over the same period but,...