Results 49,881-49,900 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: In advance of the Irish Presidency of the EU in 2004, the internal mechanisms of this and other relevant Departments and the procedures for monitoring the transposition of directives across Departments were reviewed and strengthened. In that regard, all Departments were largely following best practice as outlined in the Commission's recommendation even before it was adopted. The Taoiseach has...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: My Department has been making good progress in implementing its decentralisation programme and has been selected for inclusion among the organisations listed as the potential early movers of the decentralisation programme. The Department's decentralisation implementation plan was revised earlier this year in light of the recommendations in the third report of the decentralisation...

Written Answers — Small Claims Procedure: Small Claims Procedure (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The consumer strategy group's report, Make Consumers Count, which was published on 18 May 2005, includes a recommendation that the maximum award in the small claims procedure be increased from its current limit of €1,269.74 to €3,000. As I advised at the publication of the CSG's report, the scope and breath of the recommendations contained in the report will require a co-ordinated...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Shannon Development is the statutory agency with responsibility for indigenous industry in the mid-west area. All agency owned factories and industrial units in County Clare are in Shannon Development ownership and there is, therefore, no rental cost due from the agency. Rent charged by Shannon Development to tenant companies is based on the market value for the unit, having regard to its...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: As part of the decentralisation programme, the Government decided that the headquarters of Enterprise Ireland, including 300 posts, would relocate to Shannon. Enterprise Ireland identified the posts to be transferred and these were advertised as part of the central applications facility, CAF, at its launch in May 2004. As requested by the Department of Finance, Enterprise Ireland prepared...

Written Answers — Company Investigation: Company Investigation (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 to 407, inclusive, together. The warehousing provision referred to was included in the Competition Act 2002 in line with standard international practice for regulating transactions of a purely financial investment nature. The rationale for the provision is essentially to lighten the regulatory burden for mergers and acquisitions which raise no competition...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I travelled to Australia for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations. My official party comprised my private secretary and I. The duration of the visit was seven days from Saturday, 12 March to Friday, 18 March, inclusive. The costs which have been finalised to date amount to €8,998.83, including all flight and hotel costs. There are other costs which are being met initially by the Department of...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: Following the recent review of FÁS employment schemes which comprise community employment, CE, social economy and job initiative, JI, I announced that with effect from 10 November 2004, that there would be no compulsory lay offs on JI but that participants would have their contracts renewed for a further term. In circumstances where people leave JI voluntarily, the community organisations...

Written Answers — Enterprise Policy: Enterprise Policy (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: As Minister for enterprise, my objective is to ensure that our economy remains a globally competitive, profitable and secure location for business. I believe we can best help enterprise by putting in place the framework conditions which promote entrepreneurship, encourage innovation and which enable business to be competitive in a global market. When provided with the best supporting...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am aware that the company in question offered its employees an opportunity to take up alternative positions in either its food ingredient operations in Charleville where a major expansion is taking place, or Listowel, County Kerry where demand for workers is also increasing. An out placement consultant was also on site to assist those employees who were not interested in this offer of...

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Askeaton business park is a Shannon Development owned land bank, comprising approximately 227 acres. Responsibility for grant assistance to companies locating at the business park is an operational matter for the relevant development agencies. IDA Ireland is the national agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland and its regions,...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: On 31 May 2005 the work permits section of my Department had a total number of 957 outstanding work permit applications. The number of outstanding applications in respect of the construction industry is currently not available because outstanding applications are not categorised by sector. Between 1 January and 31 December 2004, 10,020 new work permits were issued, of which 1,057 were issued...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The precise powers and remit of the new national consumer agency will be subject to discussions and wide consultations. The consumer strategy group has recommended that the new agency should develop a partnership approach with all interested parties such as Government, business, trade unions, consumer organisations and other regulators including the Irish Financial Services Regulatory...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The potential contribution which third level graduates from outside the European economic area might make in addressing Ireland's identified skills needs is the subject of research and consultations by my Department with Forfás and the expert group on future skills needs. This work will form the basis of a policy paper on skills based migration which will be published by my Department in the...

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am informed by IDA Ireland that, as part of the settlement with the company in question, a sum of €8.9 million was repaid to the agency between 1999 and 2004. From 1999 to 2003, the latest year for which figures are available, IDA Ireland made grant payments to companies in County Donegal of almost €8 million. In addition, the agency has spent nearly €15 million since 1999 on lands...

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The issues arising from the decision to give grant aid to a client company is a day-to-day matter for the agency concerned, and not one in which I am directly involved. I understand that neither Enterprise Ireland nor IDA Ireland has approved any grants nor paid out any grants to the named company.

Written Answers — Industrial Grants: Industrial Grants (14 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The issues arising from the decision to give grant aid to a client company is a day-to-day matter for the agency concerned, and not one in which I am directly involved. I understand that neither Enterprise Ireland nor IDA Ireland, the industrial development agencies under my remit, has approved any grants or paid out any grants to the named companies. I also understand that neither FÁS nor...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (2 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together. The following table sets out the total number of registrations for VAT maintained by the Revenue Commissioners, which is taken as the best indication of the number of enterprises operating in the country. It is estimated that approximately 90% of all enterprises are micro-enterprises and about 98% in total are SMEs. The table reflects the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (2 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: In so far as the agencies under the aegis of my Department, those being IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development, are concerned, the information sought by the Deputy and supplied to me by them is set out in a tabular statement and is in respect of the year ended 31 December 2004. Sector Total Number of Companies Total Numbers Employed Chemical Products 119 19,985 Textile...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The only commissions, inquiries or tribunals commenced by my Department in the period from 1995 to the end of 2004 relate to the area of company law inquiries. In respect of those company law inquiries commenced since 1997, I refer the Deputy to my replies to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 68, 88 and 108 of 31 May 2005. As the information requested is not readily available for the 1995-96...