Results 7,981-8,000 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. The Redundancy Payments Section of my Department has had no application for a rebate in respect of any sum paid to employees by way of statutory redundancy from the construction company in question. The purpose of the Redundancy Payments Scheme is to compensate workers, under the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967 to 2007, for the loss of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: My Department makes in excess of 9,000 payments each year. Due to the volume of transactions in question, it is not feasible to provide the information sought in the level of detail requested by the Deputy. However, the Deputy may wish to note that my Department is subject to the provisions of the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations, 2002. Under these...
- Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the minimum hours that are required to be worked in order to be eligible for certain FÃS employment programmes for people with disabilities. In this regard the significant employment support schemes provided by FÃS for people with disabilities are as follows: The Wage Subsidy Scheme is available to all employers (except public service employers...
- Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: Unemployment has increased by 15,200 in the three-year period since 2004 and must be seen in the context of the substantial increase in employment by 242,500 in the same period. The number of people currently in employment is 2,138,900. It is generally accepted that the strong rate of growth experienced over the past few years could not continue and the economy is now entering a period of...
- Written Answers — Budget Submissions: Budget Submissions (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Minister for Finance normally holds a formal bilateral meeting with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment each year as part of the Estimates process, to discuss the Department's requirements for the year ahead. As my Department's records relating to the Estimates process for the period 2000 to 2004 are stored off-site, it has not been possible, in the time available to my...
- Written Answers — Employment Levels: Employment Levels (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The average workforce in Ireland for the years 1998 to 2007 is set out in the following table. This is based on the average number of people employed per year as calculated in the Quarterly National Household Survey published by the Central Statistics Office. The increase in the average numbers in employment in the last ten years is 596,000 or 39%. Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The direct costs associated with the implementation of the payroll function by my Department is set out in Table 1. Due to the fact that the payroll function is administered by a sub-section of a much larger Finance Unit, it is not possible to provide details of indirect overhead costs, such as heating, electricity consumption, etc. Many of the agencies under the aegis of my Department...
- Written Answers — : (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: My Department's Work Life Balance campaign for 2008 involved a poster campaign in each of the Department's buildings, followed by an office notice circulated to all staff advising of the various Work Life Balance options available to them. Relevant information was also made available on the Department's intranet site and in its Human Resources Management Handbook. The Work Life Balance...
- Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that this application was refused on the grounds that it is current Government policy to issue new employment permits for highly skilled highly paid positions or for non-EEA nationals already legally resident in the State on valid employment permits. Furthermore, the position on offer is one of the occupational categories currently...
- Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The establishment of an Innovation Voucher initiative was a key recommendation of the Small Business Forum in the 2006 report "Small Business is Big Business" and was also the subject of a commitment in the Programme for Government 2007-2012. In March 2007, I announced the establishment of a â¬10m Innovation Voucher fund, which is being administered by Enterprise Ireland. The Innovation...
- Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Small Business Forum in its 2006 report "Small Business is Big Business" sought that Knowledge Acquisition Grants would be provided to small businesses in Manufacturing & Internationally Traded services. The Programme for Government 2007-2012 contained a commitment that such grants would be provided to enable small business in the manufacturing and internationally traded service sectors...
- Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Government Strategy for Science Development and Innovation 2006-2013 has identified a seven year programme which aims to ensure that Ireland will be at the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress. In the delivery of this Strategy a number of Government Agencies including IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland have put in place a...
- Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs were asked to examine the potential of a number of innovative measures to incentivise both employers and employees to more fully engage in education and training. The measures that were reviewed were paid learning leave, individual learning accounts for employees, brokerage services to help firms identify training needs and source suitable training, and...
- Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: Since the publication of the Programme for Government the Skillnets Training Networks Programme has been significantly expanded. Last year Skillnets Limited received a total of â¬23.5 million, which funded a total of 109 networks. The Training Networks Programme was allocated â¬13.5 million and trained approximately 21,000 people. The ACCEL programme was allocated â¬10 million. The ACCEL...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Office of Public Works (OPW) has primary responsibility for the procurement of suitable accommodation for both the advance and permanent re-location of decentralising Departments, including my Department's staff to Carlow. Officials of my Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the OPW, as well as decentralising staff and Business Units, opened an advance office in...
- Order of Business (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The nurses and midwives Bill will be available in 2009. The other issue is not in order but the Labour Relations Commission has been most anxious to facilitate discussions.
- Order of Business (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The Government is concerned about the issue. I am sure after a discussion with the Whips a motion can be agreed upon and debated.
- Order of Business (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: No.
- Order of Business (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: The education patronage Billââ
- Order of Business (8 May 2008)
Mary Coughlan: Preparatory work on the heads of the education patronage Bill is proceeding. On the other issues raised, the Minister for Education and Science can deal with the matters if they are raised through parliamentary questions or on the Adjournment.