Results 50,521-50,540 of 51,089 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (26 Jan 2005)

Micheál Martin: I have made the following appointments in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment since the Cabinet reshuffle of September 2004: a special adviser, a policy adviser, a press adviser, two personal assistants and a personal secretary. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Killeen, has made the following appointments since the Cabinet...

Written Answers — Anti-Competitive Practices: Anti-Competitive Practices (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The Competition Act 2002 prohibits anti-competitive practices such as price fixing and the abuse of a dominant position. The Competition Authority, an independent body, is responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State. Accordingly, anyone with information regarding anti-competitive practices should refer the matter directly to the authority for investigation. The authority...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Support for job creation and investment on a regional or local basis is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies. The agencies are actively promoting all areas for new investment and jobs on an ongoing basis. IDA Ireland is actively marketing individual areas as a location for additional foreign direct investment through its network of local and overseas...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, including its regions and areas. There were 673 new IDA Ireland supported jobs created in Donegal in the period 2001 to 2003, of which 353 were created in 2001, 179 were created in 2002 and 141 were created in 2003. These data are compiled from the annual Forfás employment...

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I am conscious of the unemployment situation in County Donegal, particularly following the closure announcements by Unifi Ireland and Fruit of the Loom of their manufacturing plants there. Finding alternative employment for the workers affected is a priority for me and the State development agencies under the auspices of my Department. IDA Ireland is committed to the development of the...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Enterprise Ireland has been working closely with Barford Meats Limited over the past 18 months, with a view to identifying outside investors who would bring much needed investment to the business. At Enterprise Ireland's urging, a business mentor was appointed in May 2003 to review the financial situation and provide strategic guidance to the company. Resulting from this involvement, the...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Electronics and microelectronics is a sub-sector of the information communications technology sector, which was reviewed as part of the Forfás technology foresight report in 1999. Employment in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies classified as being sub-sectors of electronics and including microelectronics, fell by 5% to 12,600 between 2002 and 2003 and is expected to remain at this...

Written Answers — Local Employment Service: Local Employment Service (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: A review of the labour market needs of the Clare region, undertaken by FÁS in the context of the closure of Clare local employment service, recommended the establishment of a new service. In the light of this recommendation discussions took place between FÁS regional management in the mid-west and the board of management of Eirí Corca Baiscinn, an ADM funded group. The FÁS regional...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: While job losses have occurred in County Waterford in the indigenous manufacturing sector over the past year, such as Nypro and Waterford Crystal, employment in the indigenous sector has remained strong overall. In 2003 there were 5,907 people employed in Enterprise Ireland client companies. Over 90% of this figure are engaged in manufacturing activities, showing an increase of 4.8% in...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland has statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to the mid-west region, except for the Shannon Free Zone, which falls within the remit of Shannon Development. Shannon Development is also responsible for supporting indigenous enterprises in the mid-west region. The six city and county enterprise boards located in the region also help develop indigenous...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: IDA Ireland which is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, and Enterprise Ireland which is concentrating on indigenous industry, that they are actively marketing the factory to potential investors. A profile of the facility has been circulated to IDA Ireland's overseas offices informing them of its competitive rental rate in comparison to...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: There are three related employment schemes operated by FÁS to combat unemployment, namely the social economy programme, job initiative and community employment schemes. These programmes are funded by Exchequer and national training fund allocations provided by my Department. The allocation to all FÁS employment schemes in 2004 was €366 million of which €351 million was earmarked to...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: At present, there are no legislative proposals in my Department relating to trade unions.

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (23 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: Sustainable reductions in unemployment are a key priority in the Government's national employment action plan. My efforts, and those of the state agencies under the aegis of my Department, are directed towards this end. FÁS, through its three employment service offices, provides a vocational guidance and referral service to all jobseekers in the Tallaght area. To date, this year, 1,192...

Written Answers — Lisbon Agenda: Lisbon Agenda (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The Lisbon Agenda set the EU an overall employment rate target of 70% by 2010, with specific targets of 60% and 50%, respectively, for female and older workers. The targets set at Lisbon in 2000 were challenging at a time when the EU was enjoying GDP growth and falling unemployment. Notwithstanding the global economic downturn, Ireland has made steady progress towards achieving these targets....

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 126 together. Some 16 investigations into company law matters were initiated by my predecessor since this Government first came into office. 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...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: In January this year the Government launched a White Paper entitled Regulating Better which will contribute to improving national competitiveness and better Government by ensuring that new regulations — Acts and statutory instruments — are more rigorously assessed in terms of their impacts on jobs and growth as well as being more accessible and transparent. To achieve this the Government...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I have received the preliminary views of the Office of the Attorney General on this matter. However, I await the final legal advice of that office before I decide how to proceed.

Written Answers — Employment Statistics: Employment Statistics (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: The number of persons engaged in industrial employment as recorded by the Central Statistics Office at June 2004 and for each of the previous five years is as follows: Industrial Employment — 1999-2003. Industrial Employment (June of each year) Source: CSO — Industrial Employment 2004* 243,700 2003 250,000 2002 256,500 2001 269,000 2000 268,800 1999...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (16 Nov 2004)

Micheál Martin: I welcome last month's publication of the National Competitiveness Council, NCC, annual competitiveness report 2004 and its competitiveness challenge 2004. These reports offer us a valuable insight into the present condition of Irish competitiveness, with the annual competitiveness report benchmarking our performance against 15 other countries. The competitiveness challenge report offers...