Results 49,181-49,200 of 51,072 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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.

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The chief science adviser is appointed by Government. As I have stated publicly, the post will be filled by open competition. It is expected the process will commence in the new year.

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The circumstances surrounding the first appointment to the post of chief science adviser have already been well articulated.

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: No, I do not. The reasons for this were advanced at the time in terms of developing a science architecture for the purposes of Government and public policy and the availability of a person who had a strong track record in his responsibilities in the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: This appointment was undertaken in good faith and in the context of his work in BioResearch Ireland and so on. That has been articulated at length.

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: It is time to move on. In regard to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, the Deputy is aware that a broader undertaking is ongoing in terms of the strategic implementation plan for research. I chair the relevant Cabinet sub-committee. This initiative covers a wide range of Departments, one of which is the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources....

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I already said it arose in the context of the work we have been undertaking——

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: In the last year. We have discussed with different Departments their respective sectoral plans that will feed into a broader Government strategic implementation plan on research. Arising from this, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources indicated he had a need for such a post and such a person. In the circumstances that evolved, it was considered by the Government that...

Departmental Appointments. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have already issued a statement on this issue. The press release I issued at the time is a matter of public record. In the context of the controversy that had arisen at the time and its impact on the post of chief science adviser and future science policy, he agreed to move to a new position.

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Government, at its meeting this morning, approved the text of the competition amendment Bill 2005. This will strengthen the Competition Act. I plan to publish the text as soon as practicable allowing for the fact that the Bill must now be printed. It will repeal the groceries order and amend the Competition Act to prohibit resale price maintenance, unfair discrimination and so-called...

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The resources of the Competition Authority will be increased under next year's Estimates and the cartels division will be expanded. I met the former chairman of the authority late in the summer prior to him securing a new position in Britain. He was entitled to do that and we will go through the normal processes to find a replacement. However, he indicated the need for the authority to...

Proposed Legislation. (6 Dec 2005)

Micheál Martin: The bottom line is the Competition Authority is independent.