Results 50,221-50,240 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: The live register figure for County Sligo for March 2005 at 1,995 shows a decrease of 8.74% compared to 2,186 for March 2004. The figure of 1,995 is one of the lowest in more than 12 years. While the live register is not a true record of the level of unemployment, it is nevertheless a useful indicator of the current employment trend. During my visit to Sligo on 31 March 2005, I announced the...

Written Answers — Petrol Pricing: Petrol Pricing (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment does not analyse retail petrol prices in Ireland compared with the prices charged in other EU member states. However, this information is available from several organisations. The Automobile Association website, www.aaroadwatch.ie contains information for petrol prices in 18 EU member states. The most recent information available on this...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: I travelled to Australia for the St. Patrick's day celebrations. My official party comprised my private secretary and I. The visit lasted seven days, from Saturday 12 March to Friday 18 March 2005 inclusive. Not all costs for this visit have been submitted or approved, so it is not possible at this point to provide a final cost. The costs which have been approved to date amount to €8,998.83...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together. I recently received the report of the consumer strategy group which has made recommendations on a wide range of consumer issues including the Groceries Order. I am discussing the group's findings with my Government colleagues and arrangements will be made to publish the report as soon as possible. Once the report is published, I intend to...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: The work permit section of my Department recently decided to refuse the application for a work permit in this case on the following grounds: from documentation submitted in support of the application it appeared that the proposed employee, while resident in the State, did not have current valid residency permission. There appeared to be no evidence to show that sufficient efforts were made by...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: FÁS employment programmes, which comprise community employment social economy and job initiative, will provide a total of 25,000 places in 2005. Community employment schemes offer work experience and training opportunities for the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups with the aim of assisting participants to progress to a job in the open labour market. There are specific...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: Under the Industrial Development Acts support for job creation and investment on a regional or local basis comes within the remit of the industrial development agencies. IDA Ireland is marketing individual areas as a location for additional foreign direct investment, while Enterprise Ireland is concentrating on the development of indigenous industries, and the 35 city and county enterprise...

Written Answers — Unsolicited Goods: Unsolicited Goods (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: My reply to the Deputy's earlier question was based on the understanding that the practice complained of was one that was set down in the terms and conditions of supply specified by the distribution companies involved. Such terms and conditions are not uniform but they would, typically, give the supplier the right to specify a minimum order number. That being so, I took the view that this is...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: In 2004, the work permit section of my Department received 35,553 applications from employers seeking work permits in respect of non-EEA nationals. Some 34,067 applications were granted and 1,486 were refused. Of the 34,067 permits issued, 5,107 were issued in respect of workers from the new EU member states, who required work permits up to 30 April 2004 and the remainder were issued in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: Under the decentralisation programme, approximately 300 core staff from my Department will be relocated to Carlow. The following business units-offices of my Department have been selected as part of the decentralisation programme and will be relocated in the new decentralised office: Companies Registration Office-Registry of Friendly Societies. Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs. Work...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (12 Apr 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 Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. On 23 July 2004, IDA Ireland, through a series of newspaper...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 498 together. FÁS policy is to respond positively to the demand for places on community employment, CE, from persons referred to it by the national drugs task force. The number of places filled for this purpose from 2001 to 2004 inclusive, is as follows: Year Number 2001 749 2002 873 2003 855 2004 896 There are an additional number of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together. The projects listed have been awarded assistance from the European Social Fund by my Department under the EU's EQUAL community initiative programme. EQUAL seeks to identify and address fundamental forms of discrimination and inequality in the labour market through the development of new and innovative policies and practices. Projects are...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: Detailed statistics on work permits, are available on the work permits web page of my Department's website at www.entemp.ie. I have arranged to have the Deputy supplied with details of the work permits issued by nationality and sector in respect of each year since 1997.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: The annual fees paid to the chairpersons and directors of State bodies under the remit of my Department are as follows: The chairperson and directors of FÁS, IDA, EI, Forfás, SFI, PIAB and SFADCo receive an annual fee of €15,237 and €10,158, respectively. The chairperson and directors of the NSAI, and Crafts Council of Ireland receive an annual fee of €10,158 and €6,349,...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 503 to 507, inclusive, 509 and 510 together. These questions relate to a particular company which has been the subject of an investigation by the labour inspectorate of my Department. The issues raised in these questions are the subject of, or arise from, proceedings currently before the High Court. Accordingly, I am constrained from publishing the report of...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (12 Apr 2005)

Micheál Martin: The Labour Inspectorate is continuing to collect evidence relating to possible breaches of employment law that may be used in future legal proceedings.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (24 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: In the context of the State agencies involved in enterprise development, the issue of business parks and possible feasibility studies for such parks in this State is a matter for IDA Ireland in the first instance and not one in which I, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, have a direct role.

Seanad: Company Closures. (24 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I am grateful to the Senator for raising this matter. Neither I nor my predecessor gave any commitment to the former workforce at Comerama in respect of their entitlements under the redundancy payments legislation enacted in 2003. On 12 December 2002, following the announcement of the closure of the Comerama factory with a loss of over 160 jobs, the Tánaiste, together with officials of the...

Seanad: School Accommodation. (24 Mar 2005)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Senator for raising this matter and for giving me the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the actions being taken by the Department of Education and Science to address the school accommodation needs of the Dublin 15 area in general. Dublin 15 is one the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places,...