Results 5,441-5,460 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 138 to 140, inclusive, together. In the course of my recent Trade Mission to Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and to Doha in Qatar, on which I led 64 Irish companies, I officiated at a range of events and high level meetings to strengthen relationships with key contacts in the Saudi Arabian and Qatari markets and to raise the profile of Ireland as a...

Written Answers — Ministerial Correspondence: Ministerial Correspondence (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to my reply to his Parliamentary Question of the 12th May 2009 where I advised that I would ask officials of my Department to make direct contact with the person concerned to discuss the matter. An official of my Department contacted the person concerned on the 12th May 2009 and had further contact with him on the 13th May 2009. A final response was...

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

Mary Coughlan: In relation to the person mentioned by the Deputy, my Department has no records of an application having been made for a rebate in respect of a statutory redundancy payment paid to that person by the employer mentioned. Further, no application has been made either by the individual or the employer for a lump-sum payment from the Social Insurance Fund on the basis of inability to pay or,...

Written Answers — Skill Shortages: Skill Shortages (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 to 122, inclusive, together. Last week Skillnets Ltd. indicated to all networks their final grant allocations for the remainder of 2009. The number of networks funded and the amount of grant allocated to each are matters for Skillnets Ltd. A total budgetary allocation of €26.7m was made by Government to Skillnets in 2008. The current economic and...

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

Mary Coughlan: The Redundancy Payments Section of my Department completed the processing of a statutory redundancy lump sum payment for the above person. However, the claimant's address details had changed and the cheque was returned to the section. The cheque has now been posted to the claimant's current address.

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

Mary Coughlan: In relation to the person mentioned by the Deputy, my Department has no records of an application having been made for a rebate in respect of a statutory redundancy payment paid to that person by the employer mentioned. Further, no application has been made either by the individual or the employer for a lump-sum payment from the Social Insurance Fund on the basis of inability to pay or,...

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

Mary Coughlan: According to the records available to my Department, the employer in question made one person redundant on 17 March 2009 and submitted the relevant RP50 forms online on 20 of April, 2009 seeking a rebate of 60% in respect of the statutory amount paid. All claims are processed in order of date of receipt with priority being given to claims filed online and lump-sum payments directly to workers...

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

Mary Coughlan: Last week I confirmed that the 3,067 construction trade apprentices currently standing redundant will be able to progress their training towards qualification through a number of special measures this year, providing a capacity for in excess of 3,600 redundant apprentices. As it is not possible to predict how many of the total redundant apprentices will take up these places it is not possible...

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

Mary Coughlan: The economic downturn has seen a huge acceleration in the number of companies forced to take measures to cut staff costs including that of making staff redundant. This in turn has placed unprecedented demands on the Redundancy Payment Section of the Department in that, in the first four months of 2009 alone, the number of new claims lodged exceeds the equivalent of that lodged for the full...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The recent review of our employment permit arrangements was undertaken in order to ensure that they continue to be appropriate to the needs of a changing labour market, and were announced following the outcome of a consultation process with the social partners. In recognition of the fact that skills and labour shortages no longer exist in various sectors of employment, a number of occupations...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The recent review of Ireland's employment permit arrangements was undertaken in order to ensure that they continue to be appropriate to the needs of a changing labour market, and were announced following the outcome of a consultation process with the social partners. In recognition of the fact that skills and labour shortages no longer exist in various sectors of employment, a number of...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The recent review of our employment permit arrangements was undertaken in order to ensure that they continue to be appropriate to the needs of a changing labour market, and were announced following the outcome of a consultation process with the social partners. In recognition of the fact that skills and labour shortages no longer exist in various sectors of employment, a number of occupations...

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

Mary Coughlan: There is currently a budget provision of over €500 million for capital investment in enterprise. This is a clear statement of our priorities in relation to job creation and employment sustainability and the investment will be aimed at the most productive sectors of our economy in relation to both indigenous industry and foreign direct investment. Assistance also needs to be available to...

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

Mary Coughlan: Data on the cost of average industrial job creation is not available. However, the Forfás annual employment survey calculates the cost per job sustained in respect of both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. The figure is calculated by taking into account all agency expenditure to all firms. Only jobs created during and sustained to the end of each seven-year period are credited in the...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: As a small, open, export-led economy, our best response to the realities of globalisation is to ensure that Ireland remains attractive for investment and enterprise growth. Our enterprise support policies have consistently evolved to meet the needs of both foreign direct investment (FDI) and growth-orientated indigenous firms. We have ensured that Ireland can offer the skills, education,...

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

Mary Coughlan: Ireland's imports from the larger trading economies in Asia have actually fallen considerably in the last year. During the period 2007-2008, merchandise imports from the key Asian lower cost economies of China, India, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia have fallen overall by 21% from €7.2 Billion in 2007 to €5.7 Billion in 2008. Many of the job losses in the economy in recent months are...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland has consistently been ranked higher as an economy in which it is easy to do business. This has seen the growth of a large number of successful new exporting companies. According to the World Bank, Ireland is a leader in having the lowest cost for setting up a business. Ireland is also perceived as lightly regulated, which in itself, lowers costs for business. Ireland also has the...

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

Mary Coughlan: The number of people in employment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey or QNHS and published by the Central Statistics Office on a quarterly basis only. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the most recent quarter for which data is available, there was an annual decrease in employment of 86,900 or 4.1% while unemployment increased by 69,600 over the same period. Employment data...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Since the announcement by SR Technics on 12 February this year IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland have worked with SR Technics in order to find the best possible solution. IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland established a team to market the operation internationally through their overseas office network and received over 16 expressions of interest in the facility. The team contacted the...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (19 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: An application in respect of the above named was received in the Employment Permits Section on 2 December 2008. This application was refused on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence that the position could not be filled from within the EEA. In this regard, the required newspaper advertisements for three days in both local and national newspapers were not submitted in support of...