Results 49,161-49,180 of 51,063 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment rights legislation, which has among its objectives the protection of employees against arbitrary behaviour by employers. It also has wider aims such as provision for the safety and health of workers and the fostering of labour market harmony by promoting policies which minimise conflict and maximise fairness. Specific areas covered by such...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas for the attraction of foreign direct investment to the State and its regions. While I may give general policy directives to IDA Ireland, I am precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy may be aware, the community employment programme was restructured in 1999 to limit participation by new participants within three years, with effect from April 2000. The change was introduced to discourage repeated participation in community employment schemes and to encourage unemployed persons to avail of training-education and employment options where possible. The three-year...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: None of the enterprise development agencies under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is involved in such research and development. Issues specific to persons with disabilities are matters for my colleagues, the Ministers for Health and Children and Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Under the country of origin principle, which is a central feature of the draft services directive, if a service provider is not established — does not have an office — in a member state to which it provides a service, the rules governing the provision of the service are those of the member state in which it is established. The principle would give legislative effect to a treaty right on...

Written Answers — Traveller Community: Traveller Community (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am conscious of the importance of responding to the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base, including minority groups like the Traveller community. The 2004-07 customer service action plan of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment sets out its commitment to a focus on fair treatment and the accommodation of diversity as a necessary basis for quality service. As the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Having considered an appeal, the work permits section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has decided to grant a work permit in this case.

Written Answers — National Training Fund: National Training Fund (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The estimated total income of the national training fund for 2006, as published in the abridged Estimates for public services for 2006, is €350.2 million. The current projected outturn for the income of the fund for 2005 is €301.278 million.

Written Answers — National Climate Change Strategy: National Climate Change Strategy (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The issue of mandatory energy labelling for electrical goods comes within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. I understand from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that energy-efficient labels are affixed to goods in the EU in response to a directive under the Single Market framework to equalise the playing field...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's work permits section issued 28,083 work permits in the 12 months up to 30 November 2005. Some 8,375 of the permits were new work permits and 19,708 of them were renewals. Some 1,380 work permit applications were refused.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 300 together. The Forfás employment survey tracks employment levels in agency-assisted companies on an annual basis. However, factors influencing a decision to relocate all or part of a firm's function are many, varied and complex. Many of these are outside the direct influence of Government policymakers and may include business takeovers or...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 297 together. As part of its operational responsibilities, FÁS engages closely with companies whose workers are made redundant. The agency assists affected workers to plan new careers, identify training needs and secure alternative employment. It also refers workers to training programmes and establishes special or customised programmes where...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The National Competitiveness Council, NCC, in its Annual Competitiveness Report 2005, found that of the 16 countries benchmarked, Irish expenditure on non-life insurance was the fourth highest. However, the NCC also found that the rate of growth in the cost of insurance has slowed down substantially in recent years. This can be attributed to the series of initiatives the Government has pushed...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Ambitious Irish companies continue to win market position in a range of existing and new markets throughout the world. This is no easy task. Building market share is challenging but success in harnessing the extensive opportunities that exist will drive their future success. The developing global economy is creating new competitive challenges from places such as China and the Far East, India,...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Support for employment and investment in individual towns is a day-to-day operational matter for the agencies under my Department. Under the industrial development Acts, I may give general policy directives to IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland but I am precluded from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. I am aware that the...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have already outlined the strategies applied by the agencies to Mallow in particular. I have referred to the FÁS regional office based in Mallow and the Enterprise Ireland involvement. The Government approach to Mallow has been very significant in recent years. When I was Minister for Education and Science, we modernised the second level schooling in Mallow, in particular the Thomas Davis...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am answering the question. Deputy Howlin asked me what a hub town generates. It generates that degree of investment across Departments. Likewise, regarding the railway link to Mallow, critical to its future economic development, it was announced in the Transport 21 initiative that the track will be modernised and that services will be more frequent. That will be of great significance to...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Howlin asked a question with the view that if he got the answer he wanted, he would have a question about another town next week. On the merry-go-round goes and I will not fall for that particular trap. There would be parliamentary questions on every town in Wexford next week if I were to go down that route.

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The approach is that the Mallow development partnership will work with the State agencies in the preparation of a integrated development strategy. We advise the agencies to adopt that type of progressive and proactive approach. This has been the case in regard to Mallow. Because of its status as a hub town, Mallow has become a key location for the IDA in terms of attracting companies. Kostal,...

Employment Support Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thought the Deputy would be more enthusiastic.