Results 6,661-6,680 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Minister for Finance, in his Budget 2009 address, announced that the proposed decentralisation of a number of bodies was being deferred pending a review in 2011. This impacts on five agencies under my remit viz. FÁS, Enterprise Ireland (EI), Health and Safety Authority (HSA), National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) and National Consumer Agency (NCA). Decisions on the timing of...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Matters relating to the payment of Jobseekers Benefit are the responsibility of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. In response to the current labour market climate FÁS has devised a number of measures that are designed to increase the availability of training courses for those who are seeking employment. FÁS has developed a Short Course Programme, which is targeted at the...

Written Answers — Regulatory Reform: Regulatory Reform (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Small Business Forum Report, published in May 2006, outlined the contribution of the small business sector and made a range of recommendations for its support. Government has progressively implemented these recommendations to the benefit of small businesses. The Small Business Forum Report and more recently in the EU Commission's Communication on a Small Business Act identified the need...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am very conscious of the implications of job losses in Limerick and the entire Mid West area. In many cases such company announcements are a result of global conditions and/or global decisions, over which we have little or no influence. While the news of job losses in both Dell and Irish Express Cargo is most disappointing, it is important to be aware of plans of many companies to...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, my colleague the Minister for Finance announced during his Budget 2009 address that the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency would be merged. This will bring about improved co-ordination and synergies in the interests of consumer and business alike. The merger of both bodies also coincides with the review already underway of Ireland's competition law...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Consumer Protection (Fixed Payment Notice) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 689 of 2007) came into effect on 13 October 2007. Responsibility for enforcement of these Regulations is a matter for the National Consumer Agency and I have no direct function in the matter. I am informed that to date 40 notices have been served by Authorised Officers of the National Consumer Agency. Thirty-nine of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department's Estimate for 2009 amounts to €1.569 billion (gross) in Exchequer funding. A further €382 million is being made available to my Department from the National Training Fund, giving me a total budget of €1.951 billion (gross) for 2009. This represents a reduction of €47.2 million, or 2%, on the 2008 allocation. Appropriations in Aid for my Department in 2009 are...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Following the repeal of the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987 in March 2006, the Competition Authority was requested to review and monitor developments in the grocery sector in light of the new regulatory environment. As I have previously indicated to the Dáil, the Competition Authority presented two reports in March this year, as part of the Grocery Monitor Project. The first...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The increase in the standard rate of VAT from 21% to 21.5% was announced by my colleague the Minister for Finance in his recent budget statement. Responsibility in relation to taxation matters, including VAT, lies with the Minister for Finance and I have no direct function in the matter. As the Deputy is aware, consumer price inflation is easing, which will help real disposable income....

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Price display law is covered by Orders made under the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 and under the European Communities (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002, Statutory Instrument No. 639 of 2002. The various Price Display Orders made under the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 cover Drinks Display in Licensed Premises, Hairdressing Services, Petrol and Diesel and Restaurants. The...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are currently a total of eight Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. Three of these Directives are currently overdue. The first of these, Directive 2006/46/EC on company reporting, is expected to be transposed by 28 November 2008. It is intended to transpose the second and third overdue Directives, Directive 2007/45/EC on pre-packaged goods and Directive...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The fact that Dell is undertaking a fundamental review of its manufacturing operations and global business model has been in the public domain for some time. It is standard IDA Ireland practice, where any of its client companies is undertaking reviews of this type, to engage with the company with a view to mitigating the impact on the company's Irish operations. I can confirm that IDA has...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency, I am precluded under the Industrial Development Acts from giving...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Irish economy is now one of the most globalised in the world. As a consequence the uncertainty created by the ongoing international financial crisis and the consequent fall in demand for goods and services both domestically and worldwide has had a significant impact on our economy. Forecasting employment figures is a perilous business at any time, but is especially so in the present...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The IDA Client Survey, which has been carried out since 1992, is a key piece of research for IDA Ireland. The survey is conducted annually across a percentage of the Agency's client base across a number of sectors. The key focus of this survey is to obtain the views of IDA clients on the operating environment in Ireland and IDA's level of service and product offering. In addition, the...

Written Answers — Small Business Sector: Small Business Sector (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The European Commission's proposal for "A Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe" was published on 25 June 2008. Although styled an "Act", the SBA is in fact a Communication from the Commission — COM (2008) 394 final — of 25 June 2008. The SBA consists of three elements: a set of 10 principles which should guide the conception and implementation of policies both at Community and Member...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Comptroller and Auditor General in his report on non-commercial Semi-State bodies, published in May 2008, reviewed the issues raised in one specific FÁS internal audit report. I discussed this matter with the Director General of FÁS and have expressed my concerns about the issues raised by both the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Internal Audit report, and in particular, the...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Priority Question Number 41986/08 earlier in this session as the issues raised in the current Question significantly overlap. The proper functioning of the banking system is key to our ability to address the current economic crisis and to our capacity to respond to recovery in the future. The continuing availability of credit to enterprises, especially...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: IDA Ireland executives are in constant contact with Nortel and had meetings with senior management of the company as recently as 13 and 14 November 2008. There are no proposed job cuts for the Irish operation as a result of the recently announced workforce reduction of 1,300 staff. Following a rationalisation of its global R&D functions in April 2008, Nortel's Galway operation was confirmed...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (20 Nov 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. The programme helps unemployed people to progress to the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work...