Results 48,061-48,080 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Company Closures. (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: There are areas that could be considered in terms of the transfer of undertakings etc., but this matter would not really be suitable in that regard. I would argue that Roches Stores made a good effort to transfer staff but that effort came unstuck in respect of the workers at Wilton. The matter was not closed off and not everything was tidied up prior to the cessation of trading at Roches...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The reasons for companies to relocate activities from Ireland are many and varied, and include relocation to be closer to customers or other competitive considerations. I believe that firms must be free to allocate resources and production to where the returns are highest. It is not in our interest to obstruct what is in the best interest of competitive enterprises. Our best response to the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 17, 57 and 66 together. I should point out at the outset that return and recovery of grant aid are day-to-day operational matters for Enterprise Ireland and that neither I, as Minister, nor my Department have any function in relation to these matters. I understand that discussions between Enterprise Ireland and the company concerning grant aid to the plant...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The main bodies operating under the auspices of my Department which are concerned with consumer protection are the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs and the Interim National Consumer Agency. In so far as the ODCA is concerned, its remit includes a specific statutory role in relation to enforcing price display orders. These orders essentially relate to the manner that prices are...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Commercialisation Fund, established in 2003, is operated by Enterprise Ireland. In the first instance, the Board of the agency is responsible for decisions on grants awarded and for monitoring the success of the Fund. The number of project approvals under the Fund were 73 in 2003, 92 in 2004 and 141 in 2005. The corresponding funding approved was €14.6m, €14.8m and €22.5m,...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: From enquiries made with the Office of the Attorney General, it is not possible at this stage to give a precise date as to when the legal advice in this case will be forthcoming. Claims for statutory redundancy rebate amounting to over €4 million have been received in my department from the company. If it is found that this rebate is due to the company, then it will be paid out of the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I have to inform the Deputy that there is no data relating to the productivity of indigenous firms in the Quarterly National Household Survey produced by the Central Statistics Office.

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The basic criteria under which the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have been operating since their inception in 1993, and under which funding is available, is based primarily on factors such as the sector of the economy in which an enterprise is operating or intends to operate and the size or proposed size of the enterprise. CEBs can assist, through either financial or non-financial...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Companies Registration Office is the repository for all companies registered in Ireland. There are currently 168,817 companies on the Register with a total directorship of 434,617. The Register does not indicate the percentage of registered companies having a female chief executive or chairperson. The 2005 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor indicated that there is a healthy interest among...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The promotion of Tralee and the North Kerry area for new investment and jobs is an operational matter for IDA Ireland and Shannon Development as part of their statutory responsibilities and not a matter in which I have a direct function. While I may give general policy directives to the Agencies I am precluded from giving directives relating to individual undertakings or to give preference to...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The July 2006 report which I commissioned from Forfás on the changing nature of the Irish manufacturing sector illustrates the complex performance of this sector in recent years. While CSO data indicates that both manufacturing output and merchandise export levels increased significantly between 2000 and 2005 (by 28.2% and 31.8% in volume terms respectively), the total number of persons...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 160 and 178 together. I am aware that food prices have been fluctuating during the course of 2006. For example, recent CSO figures show that the prices of products previously covered by the Groceries Order fell by 0.5% in the five-month period from April to August. This is in contrast with a 0.3% increase in prices, for the same products, in the...

Written Answers — Energy Policy: Energy Policy (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department has a particular interest in the impact of energy policy on the competitiveness of the enterprise sector, consumers and security of supply. In the longer term I am also interested in the role which energy research in science, technology and innovation can play in helping to grow the economy in a sustainable manner. Together with the Development Agencies, my Department will...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to takes Questions Nos. 29 and 69 together. International indicators of competitiveness are produced by a number of international organisations. Many of these are based on a combination of survey and statistical data and they give us broad pointers to competitiveness and where we stand vis a vis other countries. In 2004 the World Economic Forum placed Ireland 26th in its...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The number of requests under the Freedom of Information Acts received by my Department in each year from 2002 to 2005 was 204, 153, 62 and 86 respectively. The number of requests received in the first nine months of 2006 was 63. The amount of money received in up-front request fees for each year between 2003 and 2005 was €285, €585 and €750 respectively. Up-front fees did not apply in...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Neither my Department nor the bodies under its aegis have primary responsibility for the delivery of English language instruction. My Department does not have any plans to provide subsidies towards English language instruction. However, as part of its responsibilities for training, FÁS is currently in the process of developing training materials to assist migrant workers who have language...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: Finding alternative employment for the workers in question is a priority for the State Development agencies and, last week, myself and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources met with a representative group from Ballivor, including some former workers, and outlined ongoing developments and stressed the priority efforts being made in Ballivor. The Industrial Training...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: The liquidation of IFI is still ongoing. However, I understand that the liquidator has made considerable progress in realising the assets of the company and establishing the full extent of its liabilities. At this stage, the assets of the company have all been realised. It is understood that all claims from secured and preferential creditors have been paid at this stage, while a second...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: On 31 August, 2006, I announced the creation of 1,000 jobs by the company in question to support its international development. Up to 700 of these jobs will be located at a new facility in Navan, Co. Meath and the remainder will be created at the company's existing Irish operations in Cavan and Blanchardstown. The overall investment is being supported by Enterprise Ireland and is line with...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (11 Oct 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 100 together. I have provided funding of more than €30m to the County and City Enterprise Boards this year. This represents an increase of nearly 8% on the allocation provided in 2005. In addition to the Exchequer funding provided, the CEBs have an increasing flow of funds available to them from repayments of refundable grants provided in earlier...