Results 49,901-49,920 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: As part of the Government's current decentralisation programme it was decided that 250 of my Department's core staff will be relocated to Carlow. The Department was identified as an early mover in the third report of the decentralisation implementation group, which gave an indicative timeframe of the second quarter of 2008 for completion of the Department's new building in Carlow. The current...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (1 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The following table shows data available to the managing authority for the productive sector operational programme and includes both public and private spending through the research and development programmes under the aegis of six Departments included in the operational programme. The Departments involved are Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Education and Science, Agriculture and Food,...

Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (1 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: There is one report awaiting publication in my Department. The Expert Advisory Group Report on Bullying in the Workplace will be submitted to Government in June 2005 and is expected to be published thereafter. The former Minister of State with responsibility for labour affairs, Deputy Fahey, announced the establishment of the advisory group in August 2004. The 2005 Estimates of the Department...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (1 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland and its regions. While I may give general policy directives to the agency I am precluded under the relevant legislation from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. On 23 July 2004, IDA Ireland, through a series...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (1 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, including its regions and areas. IDA Ireland is committed to regional development as a core part of its strategy and has set itself a high-level performance target for the BMW region. This commits IDA Ireland to try to achieve a target of 50% of all new greenfield jobs to be...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (1 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: There are 13 county enterprise boards operating in the BMW region. These boards deliver the micro-enterprise measure under the BMW regional operational programme 2000-06. The specific types of county enterprise board, CEB, assistance available to micro-enterprise from the measure is broken down between: measure 1 project support expenditure, including grants for feasibility studies,...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (1 Jun 2005)

Micheál Martin: The issue of job creation is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies under my remit, and not one in which I have a direct role. Enterprise Ireland, the agency with primary responsibility for developing indigenous industry, has at its core the objective of supporting and stimulating balanced regional development, in line with the vision set out in the national...

Written Answers — Trade Figures: Trade Figures (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: Trade statistics produced by the Central Statistics Office are not broken down by company ownership, so it is not possible to say precisely what the ratio of exports from the multi-national sector to exports from the indigenous sector is. However, Forfás conducts an annual business survey of economic impact, the ABS, which analyses, inter alia, exports by company ownership. This survey is...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: As I announced on 10 November last, FÁS employment programmes, which comprise community employment, social economy and job initiative, will provide 25,000 places overall in 2005. I am informed by FÁS that the number of participants on CE was 24,992 on 1 January 2003, 19,848 on 1 January 2004 and 22,194 on 1 January 2005. During 2004 there was an increase of 2,346 participants on the CE...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: The proposed employment permits Bill, which will govern the issue of employment permits for nationals from outside the European Economic Area, is in the final stages of drafting. The intention is to have the Bill published before the summer recess. The Bill will put the existing administrative arrangements on a sound legislative footing. It will lay down the conditions relating to the...

Written Answers — Ticket Sales: Ticket Sales (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: As I advised the House on 20 April 2005, I am aware of the concerns expressed by the public about the sale of concert and theatre tickets. I understand, however, that the Competition Authority's investigation into the market is ongoing. Given the independent status of the authority and the confidential nature of its investigation, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this...

Written Answers — Consumer Strategy Group: Consumer Strategy Group (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have noted the recommendation of the consumer strategy group regarding the abolition of the limit on the number of pub licences awarded. It is the case that this is but one of three separate recommendations contained in the group's report in relation to the alcoholic drinks sector. The consumer strategy group's report is comprehensive, covers most sectors of the economy and contains more...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: The work permits section of my Department has issued 1,127 work permits to spouses of work permit holders from the announcement of the new arrangements for spouses of skilled non-EEA nationals on 18 February 2004.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: Nationals of the EU, including nationals of the ten new member states, are entitled to register with FÁS and avail of all the services they offer including employment seeking services. Non-EEA nationals generally enter the State through the work permits system only after they have been offered employment by a specific employer.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 290 and 291 together. I am aware of the recent announcement by Magna Donnelly Electronics Limited of a major restructuring and upgrading of its plant in Naas that will involve redundancies and of the other companies that closed in Celbridge and Naas in 2004. I understand that Magna Donnelly has decided to choose Ireland as the international manufacturing...

Written Answers — Science Education: Science Education (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: The outgoing Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, ICSTI, held its final plenary meeting in November 2004. ICSTI has been succeeded by a new advisory science council. The new council held its first meeting on 18 May and is preparing its annual work programme. I am arranging to bring the Deputy's views to the attention of the council in that context.

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 64 and 86 together. These questions relate to a particular company which has been the subject of an investigation by the labour inspectorate of my Department. As the Deputies will be aware, the labour inspectorate report is subject to proceedings before the High Court. Accordingly, I am constrained from elaborating further on issues which arise in the...

Written Answers — Landlord and Tenant Legislation: Landlord and Tenant Legislation (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: The urgent passing of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) Bill 2005 was necessary to protect the interest that the State holds in property that has been acquired for industrial development purposes by IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and Údarás na Gaeltachta by including these bodies among the State authorities that are not bound by the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (No.2) Act 1978....

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have not received a request from the Director of Consumer Affairs to amend the law along the lines suggested by the Deputy. The director and my Department have received queries about correspondence received by people informing them that they had won prizes and that they had to use premium phone lines to collect or verify their prizes. In most cases no prizes were forthcoming. However, I can...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: Competitiveness is an issue of national importance that deserves careful monitoring and corrective policy intervention where necessary, but it must be pointed out that competitiveness does not affect the manufacturing sector alone. An uncompetitive economy will never be able to consistently create employment and increase its citizens' standard of living. While I recognise that manufacturing...