Results 61-80 of 551 for speaker:Michael Ahern in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 Sep 2005)

Michael Ahern: My Department is currently engaged in the preparation of new export control legislation, in line with the recommendations of the 2004 Forfás report and I hope to have a Bill published toward the end of this year. The proposed legislation will update the existing Control of Exports Act, which dates from 1983 and will ensure that Ireland's export controls are in line with best international...

Written Answers — Export Markets: Export Markets (28 Sep 2005)

Michael Ahern: In 2004, export sales from Enterprise Ireland client companies increased, reaching €10.167 billion, a rise of 5.6% on 2003. The largest exports sector was food and the consumer retail sector, which totalled €6.8 billion, a growth of 4.1%. The largest growing sector was software, services and emerging sectors which increased 10.4% to €1.2 billion. Industrial and life sciences products...

Written Answers — Export Markets: Export Markets (28 Sep 2005)

Michael Ahern: Enterprise Ireland's 2004 annual business survey showed that, overall, Irish companies delivered a very good export performance last year, with new export sales increasing by 5.6% on 2003. Inevitably, the most long established markets are the most lucrative and, indeed, bearing in mind that CSO data indicate that Ireland already trades with almost 200 country locations, it is difficult to...

Written Answers — Foreign Trade: Foreign Trade (4 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: Irish trade with Cuba is marginal and tends to fluctuate considerably. In 2004, Cuba was Ireland's 127th largest trading partner, 145th largest export market and 112th largest import market. Exports to Cuba in 2004 amounted to €778,000. The principal exports were cork, wood manufactures and beverages. Imports from Cuba in 2004 amounted to €500,000. The principal imports were fruit and...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (5 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: According to figures published by the Central Statistics Office for 2004, which is the latest year for which full year figures are available, total exports from Ireland amounted to €84.2 billion while total imports amounted to €51 billion. This resulted in an overall trade surplus of €32.8 billion. Ireland has had a significant trade surplus as between exports over imports for a number...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (6 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: The Metrology Act 1996 provided for the establishment of a legal metrology service within Forbairt and for its functions to be exercised through the Director of Legal Metrology. Section 21 of that Act deals exclusively with national metrology functions and defines the legal basis and locus of responsibility for functions related to all metrology in the State. Subsequently responsibility for...

Written Answers — Metrology Service: Metrology Service (11 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: The National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, has legislative responsibility for all metrology in the State. The Metrology Act 1996 provided for the establishment of a legal metrology service within Forbairt and for its functions to be exercised through the director of legal metrology. Section 21 of that Act deals exclusively with national metrology functions and defines the legal basis...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (18 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: Planning of a ministerial trade mission from Ireland to the Ukraine is under way and it is hoped the timing of the mission, probably early 2006, will be finalised in the near future. This initiative follows a seminar organised by Enterprise Ireland in June last on doing business in the Ukraine which was extremely well attended. The proposed trade mission will act as focus for existing Irish...

Written Answers — Export Controls: Export Controls (20 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: My Department is engaged in the preparation of new export control legislation, in line with the recommendations of the 2004 Forfás report, and I hope to have a Bill published toward the end of this year. The proposed legislation will update the existing Control of Exports Act 1983 and ensure that Ireland's export controls are in line with best international practice. In this regard, the new...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (25 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: Since the re-launch of the Doha development agenda in July 2004, with the adoption of the framework agreement by WTO members, DDA negotiations have been on-going in Geneva across the full range of trade-related issues, including agriculture, industrial goods, services, and the issue of development. Negotiations have been slow but have increased in intensity in recent weeks in the lead-in to...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 Oct 2005)

Michael Ahern: My Department continues to accord a high priority to the transposition of directives and endeavours as far as possible to transpose directives in time to meet the deadline given for transposition. There are currently seven directives awaiting transposition between now and the end of October 2005, of which six are overdue for transposition. In addition, a further 15 directives require to be...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (2 Nov 2005)

Michael Ahern: Ireland has not entered into any trade agreements with any new countries in the past five years. That is because international trade policy matters are a Community, and not solely a national, competence. As such, the European Union negotiates as a single entity on the basis of proposals made by the European Commission, which are developed and agreed by the EU Council of Ministers. However,...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (2 Nov 2005)

Michael Ahern: While considerable effort is devoted to developing and enhancing Ireland's traditional existing markets for exports, with Northern Europe remaining our biggest market, there have been considerable achievements in opening up new markets in recent years. Last year, Asia, a relatively new export market for Irish companies showed the largest growth in exports for Enterprise Ireland client...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (3 Nov 2005)

Michael Ahern: In July 2005, the Government approved the drafting of legislation in the form of an intellectual property (miscellaneous provisions) Bill to transpose several European directives in the intellectual property field, including Directive 2001/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on droit de suite, the resale right for the benefit of the author of an original...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (29 Nov 2005)

Michael Ahern: Ireland has, in recent times, maintained a policy of not concluding bilateral investment treaties with other countries, but instead favours a multilateral approach to these issues through a suitable forum such as the European Union or the World Trade Organisation, as appropriate. Within the EU, of which Latvia is now a member state, the issue of investment flows between member states is...

Written Answers — Trade Liberalisation: Trade Liberalisation (6 Dec 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 276 together. There are no proposals to ban energy efficiency, recycling and other eco-labels on the grounds of non-tariff-barriers that are to be discussed as part of the non-agricultural market access talks at the sixth WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong from 13 to 18 December 2005.

Written Answers — Trade Liberalisation: Trade Liberalisation (6 Dec 2005)

Michael Ahern: The declaration adopted at the fourth WTO ministerial meeting held in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001, provided for a new global round of multilateral trade negotiations aimed at liberalising trade across a broad spectrum. The declaration, called the Doha Development Agenda, DDA, provided that the negotiations should pay particular attention to the needs of developing countries. The Sixth World...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (6 Dec 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 277 and 288 together. My sole departmental responsibility with regard to property management companies arises with regard to issues of company law. Property management companies are generally constituted as companies limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts and are required to comply with the relevant provisions of company law. The impact on property...

Written Answers — Financial Regulation: Financial Regulation (6 Dec 2005)

Michael Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that audit exemption was first introduced in Ireland under the Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1999 and came into effect in February 2000. A review of the limits was undertaken in 2003 and as a result of that review the turnover limit was increased to €1.5 million with effect from 1 July 2004. Statistics supplied by the Registrar of Companies shows that fewer than...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (7 Dec 2005)

Michael Ahern: Exports from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland for the period January-June 2004 were €722,415,000 and in the corresponding period in 2005 totalled €690,225,000, a decrease of 4.5%. Imports from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland for January-June 2004 were €552,840,000 and for the corresponding period in 2005 totalled €552,780,000, a decrease of 0.01%.