Results 7,381-7,400 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Order of Business (25 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I am not in a position as to advise when that Bill will be brought forward.
- Order of Business (25 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy is a good trier.
- Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 144 together. 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. More recently, Hewlitt Packard announced plans to implement a restructuring programme for one of its business groups. It is standard IDA practice, where any of its client...
- Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I have previously advised the House of legal advice received from the Attorney General that specific provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, namely Sections 48 and 49, were not compatible with EU law. In this regard it is important to point out that Sections 48 and 49 prohibit traders from imposing additional charges solely by reason of customers choosing to make payment by one...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. Staffing levels in my Department including the requirements of my office and those of my Ministers of State are continually kept under review. Any savings to be made in my Department's Vote for 2009, including those required to achieve the 3% reduction in payroll costs will be determined in the context of the 2009 Budget which will be...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Government decided on 8th July last that no further expenditure on the acquisition of accommodation for decentralisation should be sanctioned pending detailed consideration by the Government of two reports: one from the Decentralisation Implementation Group on the feasibility of phased moves by the State Agencies; and one from the Implementation Group of Secretaries General on the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Reviews: Departmental Reviews (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 143 together. The Competition Act, 2002 was introduced on foot of the Report of the Competition and Mergers Review Group which made a number of recommendations in relation to national competition and merger law. In addition to implementing many of those recommendations, the Act consolidated the previous competition and mergers legislation into one...
- Written Answers — Energy Costs: Energy Costs (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Government is well aware of the importance of secure, competitive and sustainable energy supplies for the business sector and economic competitiveness. The Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security compliment regular Cabinet deliberations on competitiveness issues, including energy costs. My colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, has...
- Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The budget for FÃS is agreed on the basis of detailed discussions between FÃS, my Department and the Department of Finance in the context of the annual Estimates process. The combined Exchequer and National Training Funds originally allocated to apprenticeship training by FÃS for 2008 amounted to approximately â¬134m. This figure was based on an estimated demand level for training. This...
- Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I would advise the Deputy that I have met the Chief Executive of the National Consumer Agency on two separate occasions since my initial meeting on 21st May 2008. In addition my officials liaise with the Agency on almost a daily basis. A range of issues were discussed in the course of these meetings including the issue of prices, grocery prices and the pricing of UK goods in Ireland. In...
- Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: Several of the agencies for which my Department has responsibility provide training to those in employment or those seeking employment. However the bulk of such training is provided by FÃS, the Training and Employment Authority. The current FÃS Strategy Statement outlines the vision and direction for FÃS for the period 2006 to 2009. The Strategy is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure...
- Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: Broadband infrastructure and telecommunications policy is the primary responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural resources. This Government is fully aware of the importance of communications infrastructure for our economic competitiveness. The Government is committed to improving our broadband infrastructure and I would like to make the point that...
- Written Answers — Internal Audits: Internal Audits (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 206 together. Regular Internal Audits are part of the normal governance process of any organisation and I am aware that of the many Internal Audits carried out into both FÃS activities and projects funded by FÃS, some have shown up irregularities and possible occasions of fraud. FÃS has referred two cases of possible fraudulent activity to the...
- Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The purpose of the strategies and policies being pursued by the Industrial Development agencies in Tallaght is to support enterprise development and provide employment opportunities in the area. The agencies work closely with each other and with local interests thereby using an integrated approach in order to increase the flow of potential investors and promote job creation in Tallaght and...
- Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 150 together. Forecasting employment figures is a difficult business and subject to a variety of unforeseen, often extraneous, variables influencing estimates of that nature. However, I still expect employment growth â being the excess of jobs created over jobs lost â to continue in 2008 and beyond, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years....
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 161 together. The issue of employee representation was considered in the context of the recent Social Partnership talks. In that context, the draft Agreement provides for the establishment of a review process which will consider the legal and other steps which are required to enable the mechanisms which were established under previous agreements to...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: There are currently a total of nine Directives due to be transposed by my Department up to 2012. Three of these Directives are currently overdue. The first of these, Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery health and safety requirements, is expected to be transposed by 3 October 2008. It is intended to transpose the second and third overdue Directives, Directive 2006/46/EC on company reporting and...
- Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: Government policy on the Doha Development Round of trade talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is to secure a comprehensive, ambitious and balanced trade agreement. Such an outcome would have been an important fillip to the world economy. It would have delivered tangible gains to Irish exporters, consumers and of course developing countries, especially the least developed countries....
- Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Sep 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, twenty-nine notices have been served by Authorised Officers of the National Consumer Agency....
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 157 together. Any savings to be made in my Department's Vote for 2009, including reductions in payroll costs, will be determined in the context of the 2009 Budget which will be announced by the Minister for Finance on 14th October. It would be premature for me to comment on the matter in advance of the Budget being presented to the Dáil.