Results 47,541-47,560 of 51,015 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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

Micheál Martin: Until her marriage is contracted, the Romanian national to whom the Deputy refers will require an Employment Permit in order to work in Ireland. Spouses of Irish citizens may apply to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to have their immigration status changed to enable them to work without the requirement of an Employment Permit.

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (6 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: The following table supplies the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the details of contracts carried out by Indecon, Economic Consultant since 2000. 2001 Name of Consultants Purpose of Consultancy Total Cost for Year Was the Contract advertised in a transparent way? £ Indecon/Enviros Consulting Limited Forfás Commissioned a study on the Competitiveness of the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: There are 2,073,300 people in employment as published by the CSO in the latest Quarterly National Household Survey (June-August 2006). The breakdown by economic sector is set out in the table below. Economic Sector 2006 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 121,700 Other production industries 296,600 Construction 277,800 Wholesale and retail trade 297,800 Hotels and restaurants 120,600...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Government decided on 24th October, 2006 to continue to require that nationals of Bulgaria and Romania apply for work permits in order to participate in the Irish labour market from 1st January, 2007, the date of accession of these countries to the European Union. But I should emphasise that preference is being given to nationals of Bulgaria and Romania over third-country nationals as...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2000-2006 is comprised of both NDP funded and ESF funded projects/measures targeted at a regional level, not at county level. Monitoring and reporting of activity both physical and financial is done at regional level, that is, at Border, Midlands and Western (BMW) and Southern and Eastern (S&E) Regional levels. Therefore,...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2000-2006 is comprised of both NDP funded and ESF investments targeted at the regional level, not at county level. Monitoring and reporting of activity both physical and financial is done at regional level, that is, at Border, Midlands and Western (BMW) and Southern and Eastern (S&E) Regional levels. Therefore, little...

Written Answers — International Standards: International Standards (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: I assume that the Deputy is referring to domestic clothes washing machines. The National Standards Authority of Ireland has advised me that it has adopted the following standards for such machines:— I.S. EN 60335-2-7:2003 including Amendments A1: 2004 and A2: 2006 HOUSEHOLD AND SIMILAR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES — SAFETY PART 2-7: PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS FOR WASHING MACHINES. I.S. EN...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: I would advise the Deputy that I do not have any responsibility in relation to the Equal Status Act 2000. The investigation of complaints under that Act is a matter for the Office of the Director of Equality Investigations.

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Merchandise Marks Act 1887, as amended by the Consumer Information Act 1978, makes it an offence to apply a false or misleading trade description to a wide range of characteristics of goods, including the material of which goods are composed. Directive 1984/450/EEC on Misleading Advertising, which was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Misleading Advertising)...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Employment Permits Section of my Department has informed me that the last application made to this section by the above named individual was on the 14th of June 2005 and was subsequently refused on the grounds that the above named individual was on a study visa and was therefore not entitled to enter full time employment. To-date no further application has been submitted to this section.

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: My Department has identified one Statutory Instrument which was not sent to the bodies prescribed in Section 3 (1) (a) of the 1947 Act within the seven day time limit, although all the other requirements of the Act were observed. I signed S.I. No. 290 of 2006 European Communities (Co-operation between National Authorities Responsible for the Enforcement of Consumer Protection Laws)...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (1 Feb 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am aware that the Director of Consumer Affairs has received a considerable number of complaints from consumers in relation to the introduction of the charge referred to in the Deputy's question. However, I do not share the view that introducing measures or imposing controls in relation to the price traders charge for goods or services would necessarily address the concerns raised by the...

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I am glad that this matter has been raised on the Adjournment. Like every other Deputy and person in Cork, I was very concerned and disappointed to hear about the situation in Motorola. The company, which employs 330 people, informed its employees on 29 January 2006 of its intention to enter an employee consultation process regarding the future of the Cork site. The company is considering...

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Other companies did it differently in the past 12 months. Deputy Boyle must accept that. The key reason behind the proposal is that, as part of the company's worldwide reorganisation, the workforce is to be reduced by 3,500 globally. I was in ongoing discussions with the company before January. IDA Ireland is in constant negotiations with a range of companies, including Motorola. We have...

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland and the Government work with senior management in companies. We liaise and discuss with them. I was in discussion with senior management at this company before this debate. The last quarter results from Motorola were poor. It did not reach its targets. The idea that a Minister in Ireland is responsible for Motorola's difficult international performance is a crazy notion.

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Allen said it.

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy has tried to skew the debate into a personality issue. The bottom line is that Motorola has had international difficulties with some products and the Cork plant operates in a technological area that has created difficulties in that it has reached its plateau in generating revenue. We and the company were hoping that we could get other activities and projects into the plant to...

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: I will deal with that issue later. As regards job losses announced in companies in County Cork, I assure the people concerned that State agencies will provide every assistance possible. The priority will be to find an acceptable outcome for all those involved at the earliest opportunity. I do not accept Deputy Lynch's fatalistic view that everyone will be obliged to leave Cork because of...

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: The role of FÁS, the industrial training agency, is of particular importance in providing assistance. The agency's full range of services is made available to the companies generally when redundancies occur. In the context of Motorola, I have asked FÁS, IDA and Enterprise Ireland to engage with the company with a view to supporting, in every possible way, the workers at the plant. That...

Job Losses. (31 Jan 2007)

Micheál Martin: ——and our economy is now characterised by high output and productivity, together with high returns to labour in the form of wages, salaries and better living standards. Low technology production, which dominated our economic output in the past, is, as Deputy Boyle outlined, being replaced by higher technology and services enterprises. Contrary to what has been said, Irish manufacturing...