Results 49,581-49,600 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: The work permit section of my Department has informed me it has no record of a valid work permit application in this instance.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 498 and 500 together. The agencies under the aegis of my Department are statutorily independent in the exercise of their day to day functions. Engagement of consultants is a matter for the agencies and their boards and neither I nor my Department has a function in the matter.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have been informed that, in common with many other public bodies, Shannon Development employs external specialists to fulfil its internal audit function. Shannon Development uses the services of Deloitte (Limerick) to provide this function. The internal audit programme is agreed with the audit committee of Shannon Development and is approved by the full board. On occasion, Deloitte is also...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: There are no proposals before the Government on the groceries order. However, a public consultation process, which I initiated following the consumer strategy group's recommendation that the groceries order should be revoked, recently generated more than 550 submissions. These were received from a wide range of parties, including trade groups, producers and retailers, as well as a significant...

Written Answers — Competition Legislation: Competition Legislation (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: The aim of the Competition Act is to prohibit anti-competitive practices by undertakings such as price fixing and-or the abuse of a dominant position. The Act applies to all sectors of the economy. An "undertaking" is defined as "a person being an individual, a body corporate or an unincorporated body of persons engaged for gain in the production, supply, or distribution of goods or the...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: The table that follows sets out the number of jobs created by agency supported companies in County Kildare in 2002, 2003 and 2004. These data are only compiled on an annual basis. As the requirement to notify the Department in advance of redundancies was replaced in early 2005 by a system of recording redundancies as they occur, the Department does not, as yet, have reliable figures for 2005...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: In recent years there has been a substantial overall increase in apprentice registrations. In response to this challenge, my Department, through FÁS and in co-operation with the Department of Education and Science, increased the overall capacity of training places to meet this demand. Data on apprenticeship registration in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 are set out in the table that follows....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: There are no additional allowances paid to staff in my Department's press office in respect of persons being on call and, or for their additional attendance at work before or after normal hours. Overtime is paid to the staff of the press office in accordance with standard Civil Service conditions and rates, as per circular 27/99.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: There are no ex gratia payments made to staff in my Department's press office in respect of persons being on call and/or for their additional attendance at work before or after normal hours.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: Compensatory leave is granted to staff in my Department in respect of sanctioned early morning duties and sanctioned overtime. Responsibility for the management of compensatory leave in my Department has been devolved to local line management. It is the policy of my Department not to release information in respect of individual staff records.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: Staff in the personnel unit of my Department are aware of their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act in respect of the maintenance and disclosure of personnel data. It is not the practice of personnel unit to give personnel files of staff to external parties. However, when required for legal cases, personnel files have been copied for the Chief State's Solicitor's Office. In...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: Since 2002 seven people in my Department have been granted leave in excess of two months for educational purposes. One officer is currently undertaking the masters programme in public policy analysis. The programme is a two-year full time programme involving academic study and projects in public policy evaluation. Upon successful completion of the programme, the officer will return to my...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: Under my Department's refund of fees scheme, the costs of appropriate third level courses, which are pursued in an officer's own time, are refunded on successful completion of such courses. Staff are encouraged to participate in the scheme as it enhances their personal development while assisting the Department to meet its business objectives. Of 45 applications approved under the scheme in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: Under my Department's refund of fees scheme, the costs of appropriate third level courses, which are pursued in an officer's own time, are refunded on successful completion of such courses. Staff are encouraged to participate in the scheme as it enhances their personal development while assisting the Department to meet its business objectives. Over the past three years, 126 officers in my...

Written Answers — : (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: At end September 2005 there were 979.17 full-time equivalent staff serving in my Department. In the past 18 months my Department spent €941.22 in respect of 20 briefcases, the majority of which were required by labour inspectors and the average cost of briefcases purchased during this period was €47. There were no refunds to staff in respect of briefcases. The largest amount paid for one...

Written Answers — : (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: My Department uses the Blackberry as its PDA-type device of preference. This device gives selected officers of the Department the ability to keep up-to-date with their e-mail and appointments schedule while away from the office, while also providing mobile phone services. At present there are 83 of these devices in use in my Department and its associated offices, out of a total staff serving...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: There are no members of staff in my Department who have been exempt for a period in excess of six months from attending meetings, dealing with correspondence, dealing with telephone queries, home or foreign travel, using computers or other duties by virtue of a medical certificate.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together. My Department has no record of entering into any contracts with Accenture during the period in question. The Department has identified the following payments to a company named Gartner Group UK Limited: in 1997, a payment of £10,579.63 for IT work; in 1998, a payment of £889.96 in respect of research software; and in 1999, a payment of...

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (18 Oct 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...

Employment Permits Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (13 Oct 2005)

Micheál Martin: They may change jobs after 12 months.