Results 49,821-49,840 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Why would the person do that?

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thank Senators for their contributions to this debate so far. I thank Senator Leyden for moving the motion and Senator Hanafin for seconding it. I also thank Senators Coghlan and John Paul Phelan for their contributions. It is interesting that a congratulatory motion has evoked such a negative response. Some people are fed up of the overly condemnatory motions which have been part and...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: One could argue about the futility of such motions. All Senators should welcome the opportunity the motion before the House has given them to discuss consumer issues. Before I speak about the details of the proposed consumer agency, I would like to introduce a sense of perspective to this debate. Senator John Paul Phelan spoke about the "abject failure of the Government". The bottom line is...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: This country's unemployment rate has decreased to 4.2%, based on the number of people on the live register. That is action, not procrastination. It is not the case that we have been waiting for reports — we have been taking action. There are more people in work than ever before in the history of the State.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: We need to introduce a sense of perspective to this debate. I acknowledge that wages have increased, as Senator Coghlan said, as we have moved into a high-value economy. We have signed up to social partnership, about which various people have different views. I know that Fine Gael has big problems with social partnership — it opposed benchmarking, for example.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: It did not want public servants to get any reasonable pay increases.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: That is fair enough. Fine Gael is entitled to its position on such matters, but it cannot play both sides of the fence, as it is increasingly attempting to do. Its key point relates to charges. I would be the first to acknowledge that difficulties are being caused by high electricity, utilities and energy charges. Such costs are out of line with those being charged in our competitors abroad,...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Senator should hang on a second.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have seen no evidence in the past 12 months——

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: ——of any effort——

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: ——to try to maintain commercial rates at the current level.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Fine Gael-controlled local authorities have made no attempt to do that.

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: They have not introduced a development charge, or whatever one likes to call it. One can talk about macro-policy all one likes, but I know from my experience as a former member of a local authority that the instinct of certain parties on local authorities — I refer to parties with which Senator Phelan's party is anxious to coalesce — has always been to increase expenditure. They have...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: We will watch with interest. As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I am particularly interested in this area.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (28 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I assume the Deputy is referring to the approval by Enterprise Ireland of a capital grant of €200,000 for a food enterprise centre on the Coolnanave industrial estate under its community enterprise centre 2002 scheme. A decision on funding is a day-to-day matter for Enterprise Ireland and not one in which I am directly involved. I am informed by Enterprise Ireland that Ballyhoura...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: My Department has not used the services of models in promotional activities, policy launches or any other departmental events since 1997. Expenditure by the agencies on promotional activities is a day-to-day matter for each agency, and I have no function in this regard.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (28 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland in the west region is investing significantly in the provision of a number of planned and focused property solutions. IDA Ireland is developing world class business and technology parks at a number of towns throughout the west region, including Ballinasloe. The goal is to ensure that these locations have the appropriate property solutions tailored to specific key sectoral targets...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (28 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland in the west region is investing significantly in the provision of planned and focused property solutions. IDA Ireland is developing world class business and technology parks at a number of towns throughout the west region, including Tuam. The goal is to ensure that these locations have the appropriate property solutions, tailored to specific key sectoral targets, to attract inward...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (28 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The decision to support companies is a day-to-day matter for the agencies under my remit and not one in which I have a direct function. Data on employment in the agencies is compiled from an annual employment survey carried out by Forfás. The most recent survey provides figures for client companies of the IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland up to the end of 2004. Enterprise Ireland client...

Written Answers — Legal Services: Legal Services (28 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The information requested by the Deputy cannot be provided within the timeframe available. Officials of my Department are currently compiling details of legal services sought by my Department from 1998 to date in 2005. I will have the information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is compiled.