Results 7,441-7,460 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 to 236, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 to 242, inclusive, together. The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency, as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas and it is not a matter in which the Minister of the day has any involvement. I am informed by IDA Ireland that, at present, the Agency has...

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 aims to facilitate unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work...

Written Answers — Services and Manufacturing Sectors: Services and Manufacturing Sectors (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: While the Services Sector is clearly an important and growing source of employment and exports, the Manufacturing Sector is and will continue to be an integral component of the Irish economy. The sector continues to be a significant employer — the latest available data on manufacturing employment compiled by the Central Statistics Office (Earnings and Labour Costs Release) published in May...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248, 250 and 251 together. Over the past five years my Department's two key training providers FÁS and Skillnets provided upskilling and retraining to the following numbers of people: Year FÁS* Skillnets Total Trainees 2003 55,577 4,875 60,452 2004 47,543 4,875 52,418 2005 51,636 4,875 56,511 2006 48,947 23,058 72,005 2007 88,161 48,719 136,880 *...

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

Mary Coughlan: The table below sets out the numbers in employment/unemployment and the number of redundancies in the years 2004 to 2008. 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Employment 1,834,600 1,931,600 2,021,100 2,101,600 2,108,500 (Q2) Employment Growth 44,500 97,000 89,500 80,500 6,900 (Q2) Unemployment 84,600 86,500 92,800 100,300 115,500 (Q2) Redundancies 25,041 23,156 23,684 25,459 23,545 (Jan-Aug)...

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

Mary Coughlan: Employment and unemployment are measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey and published by the Central Statistics Office. While an increase in unemployment (22,600) is recorded throughout the country in the last two years, this is more than exceeded by the increase in employment (87,500) in all regions in the same period bar a slight decrease in the Mid-West region. FÁS and the...

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

Mary Coughlan: €2,426,857 was spent by my Department on consultants in 2007 and €781,465 was expended on consultants in the first 6 months of 2008. These figures relate to consultancies as defined in the Department of Finance December 2006 "Guidelines for the Engagement of Consultants and Other External Support by the Civil Service".

Public Sector Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My experience in the pay talks categorically shows there is an attitudinal change by employers, unions, politicians and the people who work in the public service. We must deal with productivity and flexibility issues; that is the only way services can be provided. There is an acceptance of that. It is hoped that, on the basis of discussions by the unions and employers, we will have...

Public Sector Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: No, what I said was that one should never ask somebody to do something one would not do oneself.

Public Sector Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: It is hard to answer that question. At the end of the day, the Deputy knows full well that is not the situation. With all due respect, I do not have the time to get into the complexities of why we are experiencing economic difficulties. It is important to say that the views expressed are my personal views, some of which have been reflected by people outside and within this House. In my...

Alternative Dispute Resolution. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: We get the facts and then we make the decisions, unlike the Deputy.

Business Regulation. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There will be no lawyers left.

Consumer Codes of Conduct. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: If the Deputy buys me a gift voucher I will not let it expire.

FÁS Internal Audits. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: 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 FÁS activities and projects funded by FÁS, some have shown up irregularities and possible occasions of fraud. FÁS has referred two cases of possible fraudulent activity to the Garda Síochána. Some internal audits have also...

FÁS Internal Audits. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I have initiated an overall review of FÁS and that process has commenced. This overall project is outside the specific remit I have asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to consider. The Deputy is aware that matter will also be discussed at the beginning of October in the context of public accounts. If the Comptroller and Auditor General is of the view then that there is a need to...

FÁS Internal Audits. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There is nothing to lead me to believe the situation is otherwise. The overall review of the activities of FÁS is very important and commenced in the summer of this year. I am very anxious that review takes place in the context of deciding what the priorities of such a large organisation should be. Our view is the priorities must be on upskilling and supporting those who have found...

FÁS Internal Audits. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I have not decided on the terms of reference. The Comptroller and Auditor General is anxious to await the discussions in the House. He would like to consider the discussions of the Committee of Public Accounts before we bring the terms of reference to a finality.

Public Sector Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I understand that the remarks to which the Deputy refers are those concerning reform of the public sector contained in the speech delivered by my colleague on 12 September. The Minister of State, Deputy John McGuinness, has made it clear that the remarks as delivered reflected his own personal views. The views expressed are some of many sets of views as to how the public sector should be...

Public Sector Reform. (24 Sep 2008)

Mary Coughlan: That is efficiency. Some of the Deputy's questions were addressed to me in my role as Tánaiste as opposed to my role as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It is important that there is balance in this area.