Results 50,121-50,140 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

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...

Written Answers — Departmental Inquiries: Departmental Inquiries (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 108 together. Some 16 investigations into company law matters were initiated by my predecessor in the period since 1997. In three cases, the High Court appointed, on an application by the Minister, inspectors under section 8 of the Companies Act 1990. The inspectors appointed to Ansbacher (Cayman) Limited presented their report to the High Court on 10...

Written Answers — Staffing Levels: Staffing Levels (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: As outlined in the answer to the Deputy's previous parliamentary question, the reduction of 5,000 in staffing levels as announced by the Government in 2002 applies to all sectors of the public service. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and its agencies, including FÁS, are expected to contribute to this reduction. In the case of FÁS, a reduction of 150 over a number of years...

Written Answers — Foreign Direct Investment: Foreign Direct Investment (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 93 and 268 together. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland, including its regions and areas. While I may give general policy directives to the agency under the Industrial Development Acts, I am precluded from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (31 May 2005)

Micheál Martin: I note the recommendation of the consumer strategy group that the Consumers Association of Ireland should continue to be supported. My Department fully supports the work of the Consumers Association and has allocated funding totalling €63,000 to assist the association in its work in 2005. The allocation of this funding, as in the case of all public expenditure, is subject to certain...