Results 47,361-47,380 of 51,015 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The cost of implementing the Official Languages Act 2003 for my Department and its Offices was €156,667 to the end of 2006 for translation and website development. In 2006 the number of documents published by my Department and its Offices was 26. Of these 14 were published in one language only (English). The number of documents published in both Irish and English was 12 and of these 2...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: Community Employment is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work and training and development opportunities within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. To cater for older workers in particular, in November 2004, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and...

Written Answers — Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the statutory agency charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to this country. Through its range of overseas offices, IDA Ireland continually markets this country to potential foreign investors. In Europe, the main focus of IDA's marketing is in the three largest economies, Germany, the United Kingdom and France. The majority of countries in Eastern...

Written Answers — Public Procurement Policy: Public Procurement Policy (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The national social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, recognises the role that public procurement can play in the maintenance of employment standards and norms, including in respect of wage levels, while also ensuring competitive tendering and value for money in public expenditure. In this regard the agreement contains a number of provisions supporting employment standards through public...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: Table 1 below provides details of international fights taken by staff of my Department on official business during 2006 and includes the number of flights to each destination and the cost involved. All of the flights listed in Table 1 were on normal scheduled flights. The cost of many international flights taken by my Department's staff is recoupable in whole or in part from organisations...

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

Micheál Martin: I understand that non-EEA individuals proposing to operate a business in the State must obtain "Business Permission" from the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform.

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

Micheál Martin: I understand that the current estimate of Irish retail grocery sales held by multinational retailers is approximately 31.5%. These retailers provide opportunities for Irish producers to supply not just Irish stores but also their overseas outlets. This, of course, contributes to the growth of Irish food and drink exports. The largest foreign retail operator in Ireland contributes...

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

Micheál Martin: The Forfás Annual Employment Survey is the indicator used to record jobs gained in Enterprise Agency assisted companies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Shannon Development) in any one year. The survey collates data on employment at county level. The following tabular statements show the number of new full time jobs created in Enterprise Agency assisted companies over the period 1997 to...

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

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the statutory agency charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to this country. The agency has four offices in the United States — New York, Atlanta, Chicago and California, through which it continuously markets this country to potential investors for either first time or expansionary investment. In the past 12 months I have visited the United States...

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

Micheál Martin: The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and the National development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 are the principal mechanisms in place to facilitate and encourage regional development. Overall responsibility for the NSS rests with my colleague Mr. Dick Roche T.D. Minister for the Environment and Local Government and overall responsibility for the NDP rests with my colleague Mr. Brian Cowen T.D. Minister...

Written Answers — Research and Development Expenditure: Research and Development Expenditure (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: A more meaningful reflection of spending on research and development in the business sector (BERD) is arrived at by using expenditure comparisons to GNP rather than GDP. BERD expenditure in Ireland rose from €124 million in 1987 (0.52% of GNP) to €612 million in 1997 (1.03% of GNP). Latest data show that estimated BERD rose to €1,560 million in 2006 (1.05% of GNP), which represents a...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The thirty-five County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) were established in 1993 to provide support to small businesses with 10 employees or fewer. Their function is to develop indigenous enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity at local level. The CEBs support individuals, firms, community groups, provided that the projects have the capacity to achieve commercial viability....

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: The primary purpose of the Community Employment Programme is to assist unemployed people to re-enter the labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through the establishment of a work routine supported by the enhancement/development of technical and personal skills. The programme is also designed to facilitate the movement of participants, thereby allowing new participants who...

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

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that an application was received on the 3rd August, 2006. This application was refused on the 26th September 2006 on the basis that the position the employer seeks to fill could be filled from within the EU. Having heard an appeal, the original decision was upheld in this case. The employer was notified of these decisions in...

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

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 360 together. As a Member State of the European Union, Ireland is part of a wider EU labour market of some 200 million workers, including workers from the ten new Accession States who were admitted to the Irish labour market without restrictions on 1st May, 2004. Employers are therefore free to advertise in and recruit from within any part of the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: It has been a key strategic objective for Enterprise Ireland (EI), since the agency was established in 1998, to bring all Dublin based staff, currently spread over four separate buildings across the city, together in one location. Having explored a number of possible solutions, the Board of Enterprise Ireland decided that the single site office solution offered in the East Point Business Park...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: Where the rate of VAT applying to a specific good or service is reduced, I would expect that retailers would apply the reduced rate of VAT in respect of that good or service so that consumers ultimately benefit. The Revenue Commissioners as part of their function of collecting VAT returns also verify that the returns made by retailers accord with the provisions of the relevant tax code. It...

Written Answers — Corporate Enforcement: Corporate Enforcement (6 Mar 2007)

Micheál Martin: Eight additional staff will be assigned to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) this year. The issue of the assignment of additional gardaí to the ODCE is being progressed also. 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. The ODCE does not in...

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

Micheál Martin: The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: Enterprise Ireland — There are currently 2 vacancies on the Board of Enterprise Ireland (EI). The positions have been vacant since 23rd July 2006. There have been no appointments to the EI Board since September 2006. The remuneration due to appointees to the EI Board is: Chairperson — €24,000; and Directors — €14,000. The terms...

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

Micheál Martin: It is my understanding that Enterprise Ireland (EI) will vacate its Glasnevin site during 2008. Thereafter the disposal of the site will be a matter for EI, in close consultation with the relevant Government Departments.