Results 48,841-48,860 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: Community employment, CE, is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons, including those with a disability, with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed-term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their cycle of unemployment through a...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The main purpose of the community employment programme operated by FÁS is to provide work experience and training for the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged groups and thereby enable participants to advance successfully to employment in the open labour market. On 10 November 2004, following a review of FÁS employment schemes — community employment, job initiative and social economy...

Written Answers — State Funding: State Funding (14 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 410 together. The Crafts Council of Ireland is an independent, registered company with charitable status, established by the crafts sector itself, both North and South. It is not a body to which I am empowered to give directives. However, by mutual agreement, I appoint the chairperson and four other people to the board, which comprises 15 people in...

Written Answers — State Funding: State Funding (14 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Crafts Council of Ireland is an independent, registered company established by the crafts sector itself, both North and South. It is not a body to which I am empowered to give directives. However, I appoint the chairperson and four other people to the board, which comprises 15 people in total. My influence, therefore, is significant, as my Department will financially support only those...

Written Answers — State Funding: State Funding (14 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Craft Council of Ireland is an independent registered company with charitable status established by the craft sector itself, both North and South. It is not a body to which I am empowered to give directives. However, by mutual agreement I appoint the chairperson and four other people to the board which consists of 15 members in total. Showcase is the council's annual trade fair. The...

Written Answers — State Funding: State Funding (14 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The Craft Council of Ireland is an independent registered company with charitable status established by the craft sector itself, both North and South. It is not a body to which I am empowered to give directives. However, by mutual agreement I appoint the chairperson and four other people to the board which consists of 15 members in total. Obviously, my influence is substantial as my...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal Awards: Employment Appeals Tribunal Awards (9 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: I understand, that the company in question was incorporated on 4 December 2000 and struck off the register on 21 November 2004 and dissolved on 26 November 2004 for non-filing of its annual returns. There is no provision under existing legislation automatically preventing directors of a struck-off company from being or seeking to be directors of another company. Unless such a person has been...

Written Answers — Civil Service Travel Scheme: Civil Service Travel Scheme (9 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department operates the Civil Service travel pass scheme on an annual basis. The closing date for applications is mid-November and travel passes are issued in December each year for the following 12 month period. New entrants may also apply for travel passes in January and February. All applicants must be employed on a permanent basis at the date of application. Officers on probation are...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (8 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland and its regions. The Forfás annual employment survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the industrial development agencies. Data are compiled on an annualised basis and provisional data on a county basis for 2005 in respect of IDA client companies will...

Written Answers — Anti-Competitive Practices: Anti-Competitive Practices (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The 2002 Competition Act prohibits anti-competitive practices in the same way as the prohibitions set down in Articles 81 and 82 of the EU treaty. Section 4 of the Competition Act reflects the prohibitions in Article 81 of the treaty regarding anti-competitive agreements, decisions and concerted practices while section 5 mirrors Article 82 of the treaty which prohibits the abuse of a dominant...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: There are 13 county and city enterprise boards operating in the Border midlands and western region. Under the BMW regional operational programme 2000-2006, these boards are responsible for delivering the micro-enterprise measure and, in this regard, continue to support, through both financial and non-financial measures, the development of micro-enterprises in the BMW region. The BMW region's...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The issues of job creation and retention in companies supported by the industrial development agencies under my remit, is a day-to-day matter for the agencies and not one in which I am directly involved. Employment figures for both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland are recorded by Forfás in the annual employment survey. Figures for 2006 are not available yet. In respect of companies...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: The costs incurred since 1997 on company investigations initiated by or on behalf of my Department currently amount to approximately €11.3 million. This amount does not include the salary costs of Civil Service staff who worked on a number of these investigations or those legal costs borne by the Vote of the Chief State Solicitor. Costs of some €9.3 million were incurred by High Court...

Written Answers — Labour Mobility: Labour Mobility (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: I have no plans to change current policy regarding the access of EU-10 nationals to our labour market. Ireland has had strong employment growth for a sustained period and skill shortages exist in many sectors. The presence of migrant labour in Ireland is critical to the continuation of our economic growth. I have asked FÁS to review the labour market effects of immigration. This work is...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: Ireland's unprecedented period of economic prosperity has led to the creation of a modern, advanced European economy typified by all the associated advantages of high incomes, employment growth and rising living standards. Our future prosperity and success is dependent on our ability to develop, attract and retain higher value added operations that are characterised by both high productivity...

Written Answers — Regional Industrial Support: Regional Industrial Support (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: On 21 December 2005, the European Commission adopted new regional aid guidelines for 2007-2013. The regional aid guidelines govern the areas in which member states may grant regional aid, more commonly known as investment aid. Investment aid is intended to promote the economic development of certain disadvantaged areas within the European Union to redress regional disparities. The guidelines...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: I have nothing further to add to my reply of 28 September 2005 when I stated that Enterprise Ireland has primary responsibility for the development of indigenous small and medium enterprises, SMEs, in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. The decision whether to provide funding to a company is a day-to-day matter for the agency and is not one in which I have a direct...

Written Answers — Sustainable Development Strategy: Sustainable Development Strategy (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: My Department's sustainable development strategy 2003-2005 is built around four pillars. Three of these relate to reducing the environmental impacts of business in the areas of climate change, competitive sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The fourth pillar addresses the issue of departmental sustainability. I am pleased to report that very significant progress has been made...

Written Answers — Science Policy: Science Policy (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: I am very pleased with the positive conclusions of the report referred to by the Deputy, which I launched in December. This evaluation report, Science Foundation Ireland The First Years 2001-2005, which was commissioned by Forfás, is the culmination of a substantial evaluation process carried out by an international panel led by Professor Richard Brook, director of the Leverhulme Trust in...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (7 Feb 2006)

Micheál Martin: There are currently a total of 26 directives due to be transposed by this Department. Of these, ten are overdue for transposition and are detailed as follows. Eight directives require to be transposed before the end of 2006 and a further eight in 2007 and subsequent years. It is not possible to provide definitive information on infringement proceedings prior to 2001. However, since 2001, my...