Results 7,401-7,420 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland has transformed as an economy over recent years, and we are well positioned to continue this transformation over coming years. We will rely increasingly on the performance of the enterprise base, particularly the traded sectors to restore the economy to a growth path. Our competitive advantages which served us well in the past such as our skilled and flexible workforce, favourable...

Written Answers — Product Price Display: Product Price Display (24 Sep 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 — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 166 together. In July this year, the Minister for Finance announced that he had asked for a review of State agencies to be carried out to examine whether they could share services, whether it would be appropriate to absorb some of their functions back into their parent Departments, or whether some agencies should be amalgamated or abolished. The...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 Sep 2008)

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

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The tables below outline the number of staff by grade in my private and constituency office and in those of each Minister of State within my Department. The cost for 2007 of each such office in terms of salary, overtime and expenses are included together with the projected costs for 2008 to date. Office of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Civil Servants...

Written Answers — Consumer Protection: Consumer Protection (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I would advise the Deputy that following my meeting with the Chief Executive of the National Consumer Agency on 7th August, I did issue a public statement reaffirming the Government's determination to ensure that Irish consumers get a fair deal on price, on choice and on quality in their weekly shopping basket. In the course of that statement, I also reaffirmed the Government's strong belief...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Last year my Department responded to the Director's request for additional staffing resources by increasing the approved Departmental staff complement from 30 to 38. Approved Garda staff numbers were also increased by one in 2007 bringing the total approved staffing complement of the ODCE to 46 posts. Four of these extra staff were provided to the ODCE in 2007 and the remaining four staff...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department engages with the State enterprise bodies on both operational and policy matters on an ongoing basis, and their expenditure and operations are monitored closely throughout the year. There are strict uniform financial procedures in place to ensure proper governance with regard to the funds that are being drawn down. The annual Estimate process also, involves my Department...

Written Answers — Import Regulations: Import Regulations (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland has an open policy when it comes to international trade. My Department encourages free trade and applies limited restrictions or limitations on imports. Any limitations that are applied are implemented to enable Ireland meet its EU or other international obligations, such as may be agreed by the United Nations. Under the EU Treaty, the Common Commercial Policy (which regulates the EU...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government announced in July last that no further expenditure on the acquisition of accommodation for decentralisation should be sanctioned pending detailed consideration by the Government of reports from the Decentralisation Implementation Group and the Implementation Group of Secretaries General. Without prejudice to the above announcement, my Department is...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 to 172, inclusive, together. Various labour market projections are available. For example, FÁS, in its latest Quarterly Labour Market Commentary, for Quarter 2 2008 has forecast that construction employment will fall by -6.9% (-19,000) this year and by a further -9.2% (-24,000) in 2009. This estimated drop in construction employment of around 43,000...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Following the repeal of the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987 in March 2006, the then Minister requested the Competition Authority to review and monitor developments in the grocery sector in light of the new regulatory environment. In March this year, the Authority presented to me two reports as part of the Grocery Monitor Project. The first report, A Description of the Structure...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I understand from Enterprise Ireland that a new owner who will operate a food production activity at the facility is being sought if possible. All of the Industrial Development agencies are assisting in this process at the request of the company in question. Dialogue regarding prospects for the sale of the site is also taking place. Two companies from Enterprise Ireland's high potential...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 Sep 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. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department only requires the use of one motor vehicle for Departmental purposes. In July 2005 the Department purchased a Renault Kangoo van for €13,450. That vehicle was replaced in July 2008 by another Renault Kangoo van which cost €8,800 net on the trade in of the other van. The technical specifications of the Renault Kangoo van model states that on average the vehicle emits 141...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department and the Offices of my Department have not awarded any contracts to the company involved and consequently the information requested by the Deputy is not relevant in so far as my Department and its Offices are concerned. The awarding of contracts by the State Agencies that come under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the State Agencies concerned and,...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including those with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. Participation on Community Employment has an upper age limit of 65 years of age, i.e. a CE participant/Supervisor...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that no staff from my Department attended the conference in question — the 4th Irish Public Private Partnership Policy Forum held in the Gresham Hotel on the 19th June 2008. As attendance at conferences by staff of the agencies under the aegis of my Department is a day to day matter for the agency concerned, I have no function in this area.

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As at the end of August, the number of people participating on FÁS courses was 40,504. It is not possible to accurately predict the number of participants for 2009 since discussions concerning the 2009 budget are still ongoing.

Written Answers — Medical Education: Medical Education (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The recruitment of interns is governed by European Community Preference rules and priority must therefore be granted to applicants who are nationals of the EEA Member States ahead of applicants who are nationals of third countries. I am advised by my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, that this requirement is being implemented by the Health Service Executive and the employing...