Results 5,381-5,400 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: With regard to JLCs and employment regulation orders, EROs, I noted the discussion that took place in the House on the Employment Law Compliance Bill. There was a variety of views and perspectives and I look forward to bringing that legislation to a conclusion. How we will manage that I do not know, but with such a variety of views it will be difficult to anticipate how the final...

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: There is an issue with the JLCs in the catering, hotel and tourism sectors. When Deputy Billy Kelleher was in the Department he finalised the amalgamation of two of the JLCs and was dealing with the issue of Sunday working hours. The new Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary, is pursuing the issue and will bring it to finality. I will introduce new legislation very soon dealing with the...

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I have met the local authority managers and discussed this matter with them. I indicated that businesses are of the view that they must reduce their costs. As a former local authority member as well, I appreciate that financing local government is difficult but rates are a huge issue for businesses and their sustainability. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,...

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The overall issue of tax policy, particularly for financing local authorities, will have to be dealt with once and for all so a final determination can be made. Work to examine how that can be done is ongoing by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I met with the city managers and I will meet them again shortly. I appreciate their...

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I have full confidence that the Government and my Department will continue to do everything in their power to meet and respond effectively to the challenge of rising unemployment. As a result of the global economic crisis, rising unemployment is a problem that is affecting all economies but it is a priority issue for both myself and my Department. As such I have already taken considerable...

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am far from isolated in the Government.

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Tell me more.

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I totally refute that comment. There is a fabulous team in the Department made up of myself, the Ministers of State, the Secretary General, assistant secretaries and all who support the Department, including Forfás, Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, county enterprise boards, the training agency, FÁS, and a host of other agencies which provide for the needs of business and those who are...

Employment Action Plan. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to consider proposals from all parties and have already taken on board some of the views expressed in the House in regard to activation measures. We are working on those proposals and we hope they will be successful, particularly in the case of the graduate placement programme. Some initial progress has already been achieved in regard to graduate placement in the public and...

Business Regulation. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We are too exuberant.

Business Regulation. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: That is a matter for the Opposition.

Business Regulation. (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am enthusiastic.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 66 together. For convenience, I set out below two Tables containing the statistical information sought. Table 1 sets out the number of statutory redundancies for years 2002 to 2008 and details for 2009 which are provisional figures (up to the end of April). These figures show the number of employees who actually qualified for statutory redundancy lump...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I visited the West Coast of the United States for five days in April on a marketing programme organised by IDA Ireland. Immediately following that visit, senior officials of my Department and I visited Washington where we held discussions with the Obama administration. The IDA sponsored programme involved meeting Chairpersons, CEOs and other senior executives of leading companies in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Public Accounts Committee Fourth Interim Report on Special Report 10 of the Comptroller and Auditor General and FÁS 2007 Accounts was published in February 2009. This report contains a number of recommendations relating to my Department, FÁS and the Department of Finance. In keeping with normal procedure, a formal response to the Public Accounts Committee in relation to this report...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am very aware of the impact on Xilinx employees and their families following the company's decision to reduce its workforce in Ireland. The company have announced that there will be 130 redundancies. I understand that the redundancies will take place between June and December this year with 15-20 jobs to be lost by June. In many cases, such company announcements are as a result of global...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am conscious that energy costs for businesses in Ireland are a source of concern, particularly as businesses are attempting to cut costs to remain competitive in the current economic environment. However, in recent months, the trend of energy prices has been downward. In response to this trend, the Commission for Energy Regulation lowered electricity prices for residents and Small and...

Written Answers — Retail Sector: Retail Sector (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the recent initiative by the retailer concerned to change the way in which it sources certain internationally branded products. The Deputy will appreciate that the negotiation of commercial contracts is essentially a matter for the contracting parties themselves and that I have no direct function in relation to such negotiations. Undoubtedly in these...

Written Answers — Enterprise Stabilisation Fund: Enterprise Stabilisation Fund (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: On 14 April 2009, the European Commission approved a scheme for Ireland, under its Temporary Framework on State aid. The Temporary Framework, which was introduced in response to the current economic crisis, gives EU Member States increased flexibility to give assistance to companies in a variety of forms e.g. grants, subsidised loans. The approved scheme is based on the provision in the...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: On 1 January 2006 responsibility for the Social Economy Programme transferred to the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs and it has been re-named as the Community Services Programme. FÁS as an agency of my Department operates Job Initiative (JI). The Job Initiative Programme (JI) was launched in July 1996 and provides full time employment for people who are 35 years of age or...