Results 81-100 of 1,095 for speaker:Jimmy Devins

Home Help Service. (10 Feb 2009)

Jimmy Devins: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank Deputy Crawford for raising this issue, as it provides me with an opportunity to reaffirm the Government's continued commitment to providing services for older people generally and, in particular, the important area of the home help service. Government policy is to...

FÁS Training Programmes. (10 Feb 2009)

Jimmy Devins: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Since the beginning of last year, there has been a significant contraction in activity in the construction sector. As a result of this contraction, we have witnessed a substantial reduction in the number of people employed in the construction sector in the past 12 months. This has had a severe impact on the individuals who are currently...

FÁS Training Programmes. (10 Feb 2009)

Jimmy Devins: I will give the Deputy the rest of the reply.

Community Employment Schemes. (10 Feb 2009)

Jimmy Devins: I thank Deputy Feighan for raising this issue. The FÁS community employment programme 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. Community employment helps unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by...

FÁS Training Centres. (10 Feb 2009)

Jimmy Devins: I thank Deputy Costello for raising this issue. I will outline briefly the respective roles FÁS and the Tánaiste play in training and employment offices. The Tánaiste's role is to provide public funding and overall policy direction to FÁS rather than to get involved in its day to day operational management. Decisions of this nature are day to day operational matters for FÁS as part of...

FÁS Training Centres. (10 Feb 2009)

Jimmy Devins: The centre will be located in the same building as the new office of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, thereby facilitating those seeking to avail of the services of both offices. The expectation is that the premises will be ready and operational by July. FÁS also plans to further develop the Employment Services office at D'Olier House by increasing the public usage area in...

The Economy: Statements (Resumed) (29 Jan 2009)

Jimmy Devins: We all acknowledge that we are coming through a tough period as the impacts of the international recession begin to manifest themselves as daily occurrences. As we face the biggest economic challenge for some time, it is no consolation to know that we are not alone and that we share these difficult times with most developed western economies. If anything, this compounds our problems....

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I welcome the opportunity to address the House this evening. There are two issues I would like to talk about, which were raised last night. I want to deal with the national skills strategy, and I will also explain to the House the elements of our innovation strategy. The safeguarding of Ireland's competitiveness and future prosperity requires us to maintain advantage over our competitors...

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I am sure the Deputy has plenty of points to make if they do not.

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: That is what we are doing.

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: That is not in the report.

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I read it last night.

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: On a point of order, I want to point out to Deputy English that in the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment's speech last night——

Consumer Issues: Motion (Resumed) (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: We have.

Small and Medium Enterprise. (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: We are aware of the importance of the small and medium-sized enterprise sector to job creation, etc. The Tánaiste and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment have met with the banks in the past two weeks and will be meeting with them over the next week or so. Over the past week, three banks have announced funding programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises. The Deputy is...

Small and Medium Enterprise. (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: We will take on board the Deputy's suggestion but we are also examining other ways of drawing down money.

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: While the United Kingdom VAT reduction will have some effect on price differentials between UK and Irish goods, the reduction in the value of sterling will have a greater impact on the price of goods in the North than the VAT differential. Moreover, as the British Government is increasing excise duties on alcohol, cigarettes, petrol and diesel to offset the 2.5% VAT reduction on these items,...

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: There is a 5% differential in costs between the Republic and the North according to the preliminary results of the study to which I referred. I agree with Deputy McHugh's initial statement that there is a particular perception, even though the changes in certain sections of the VAT regime do not apply to everything. As I observed in my reply, more than 50% of the goods and services traded...

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I have given the facts.

Small and Medium Enterprise. (10 Dec 2008)

Jimmy Devins: I am very much aware of the difficulties facing small firms as a result of the current economic difficulties and in particular the importance of continuing access to bank credit facilities for sound projects. The Tánaiste met the SFA and ISME on 19 November 2008, to discuss their concerns on a range of issues which have impacted on small business as a result of the credit crunch. These...