Results 161-180 of 552 for speaker:Michael Ahern in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Economic Partnership Agreements: Economic Partnership Agreements (4 May 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 to 274, inclusive, together. EPAs are, first and foremost, instruments for development that will foster the smooth and gradual integration of ACP States into the world economy. Substantive negotiations are currently underway between the EU and ACP states in this regard. As trade is a Union competence, it is the European Commission which conducts the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (20 Apr 2005)

Michael Ahern: The proposed new legislation, which was recommended by the 2004 Forfás review, will provide for the introduction of new controls on arms brokering and on the provision of certain types of technical assistance. Existing legislation will also be updated to provide, inter alia, for increased penalties for non-compliance with export control legislation, for the statutory right for the inspection...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (20 Apr 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 150 together. The economic partnership agreements, EPAs, are an integral part of the legally binding Cotonou agreement. They are first and foremost instruments to assist from a trade and development aspect the smooth and gradual integration of Asia, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, states into the world economy. This will be done with due regard for their...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (20 Apr 2005)

Michael Ahern: The EC directive on rental right and lending right and on certain rights related to copyright in the field of intellectual property deals with a number of matters concerning authors and other copyright holders, including rules on the renting of protected materials and authors' rights generally. Its key provisions, including that of public lending right, were transposed into Irish law by the...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (20 Apr 2005)

Michael Ahern: The sixth WTO ministerial conference is due to take place in Hong Kong from 13 to 18 December 2005. The issue of making Dáil time available for a debate on the trade talks in advance of the conference is a matter for the Chief Whip's office. It is too early to indicate definitively if such a debate will be held, given the pressure on Members' time in terms of the legislative programme....

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (20 Apr 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 240 together. The National Competitiveness Council's annual competitiveness report for 2004 ranks Ireland second only to Singapore in terms of exports of goods and services in 2003 as a percentage of GDP. Given the fact that Ireland is obviously one of the world's most open economies, firms must be competitive to succeed both in the domestic market and...

Written Answers — International Trade: International Trade (12 Apr 2005)

Michael Ahern: I am aware of the formal trade campaign with a very specific focus on raising consumer awareness which operates under the certification of the Fairtrade mark and to have Fairtrade products widely available and used. The objectives of the campaign are recognised as positive, as trade is increasingly recognised as an important and effective lever for development and hence the alleviation of...

Written Answers — Trademark Legislation: Trademark Legislation (24 Mar 2005)

Michael Ahern: The essential purpose of trademark legislation is to protect trade mark proprietors through giving them exclusive rights to the use of trade marks on their products. Trademark legislation is not designed to specifically address distribution issues of the kind reflected in the Deputy's question. Article 7 of Directive 89/104/EC — the trademark harmonisation directive — applicable to all...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (8 Mar 2005)

Michael Ahern: The Government is pleased with the outcome of the World Trade Organisation's, WTO, general council meeting held last July. There, a framework agreement was adopted to further progress the Doha Development Agenda, DDA. We supported its adoption. It sets out the parameters for the next stages of negotiation of the DDA. WTO members are now in negotiation to translate the provisions of the...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: I visited the 3GSM World Congress and Exhibition in Cannes on 15 February last to support the strong Irish delegation of 19 companies which attended it. Fourteen of the Irish companies availed of the Irish stand at the exhibition, organised by Enterprise Ireland, while five companies had their own stands. The 3GSM World Congress and Exhibition is the premier world show for the wireless...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 28 together. The proposed new legislation, which was recommended by the 2004 Forfás review, will provide for the introduction of new controls on arms brokering and on the provision of certain types of technical assistance. Existing legislation will be also updated to provide, inter alia, for increased penalties for non-compliance with export control...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 68 together. Trade is increasingly recognised as an important and effective lever for development and hence the alleviation of poverty. Ireland, in common with other EU member states, has placed a very clear emphasis on the need to assist developing countries and particularly least developed countries, LDCs, in their integration into the world economy...

Written Answers — Corporate Governance: Corporate Governance (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, there is no EU-wide corporate governance code. It is a matter for the European Commission to initiate proposals. The Commission has studied the matter comprehensively and concluded that a European corporate governance code would not add significant value but would simply add an additional layer between international principles recently updated at OECD level and...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: My Department supports the proposed EU chemicals legislation, known as REACH, which proposes the establishment of a comprehensive regulatory framework governing the manufacturing and use of chemicals in the EU, with a view to protecting human health and the environment and maintaining and enhancing the competitiveness of EU industry. We are working to ensure that the new regime will be clear...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: Total exports from Ireland during the period in question, January to October 2004, amounted to €69.4 billion. That reflects an increase on the same period in the previous year of €1,498.9 million, or 2.2%. The total export sales to the ten new EU member states for the period from January to October 2004 amounted to €586.3 million. That reflects a 3.3%, or €20 million, decrease in...

Written Answers — Semi-State Sector Remuneration: Semi-State Sector Remuneration (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: The determination of levels of executive pay within companies and firms generally is primarily a matter for the individual company or firm and I have no proposals to intervene in the matter at present. It is a requirement of the listing rules of the Irish Stock Exchange that publicly quoted companies disclose annually the remuneration of the directors in their annual reports. At EU level the...

Written Answers — Export Markets: Export Markets (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: Over the past 15 years, Ireland has emerged as one of the most globalised economies in the world. This is a reflection of our extremely strong record in attracting investment and growing trade. This open structure means that we have unusually high levels of both exports and imports. Since our domestic economy is so highly internationalised, it is estimated that approximately two thirds of our...

Written Answers — Arms Trade: Arms Trade (17 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: The allegation concerning the involvement of an Irish-registered company in financing illegal arms sales to Sudan originally appeared in a UK newspaper article in September 2004. Subsequently, in the context of its November 2004 report on the arms trade involving Sudan, Amnesty International referred to documentation, described as an end-use certificate, purporting to show that the Irish...

Written Answers — Taxi Regulations: Taxi Regulations (15 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: The legal metrology service of the National Standards Authority of Ireland operates under the aegis of my Department and implements the provisions of the Metrology Acts 1980 to 1998. One of the objectives of the legislation is to ensure fair trade and consumer protection by checking the accuracy of measuring instruments used in trade throughout the economy. The law imposes obligations on...

Written Answers — Export Licences: Export Licences (15 Feb 2005)

Michael Ahern: My Department has not issued any export licences for computer components in respect of defence-related military end-uses in Russia, nor have any licence applications for such transactions been received. The Department is aware of recent media reports concerning possible trade of the kind referred to in the Deputy's question and is examining whether any export licensing regulations may have...