Written Answers. - Departmental Agencies.
Gay Mitchell
Ceist:
100
Mr. G. Mitchell
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
if she will list every State agency, company, board, group, committee, commission, inquiry or authority which was set up under the aegis of her Department; and if she will give a brief outline of the aims of each such body.
[9917/01]
The information is as follows.
Forfás is the body in which the State's legal powers for industrial promotion and technology development have been vested. It is also the body through which powers are delegated to Enterprise Ireland for the promotion of indigenous industry and to IDA Ireland for the promotion of inward investment.
Enterprise Ireland has responsibility for helping to grow the sales, exports and employment of Irish companies. Enterprise Ireland brings together the key marketing, technology, enterprise development, business training and science and innovation initiatives through which the Government supports the growth of Irish industry.
IDA Ireland is responsible for the attraction to and development of overseas industry within Ireland.
The objectives of Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited – Shannon Development – are to initiate and support integrated development that will achieve sustained economic growth throughout the Shannon region.
The functions of FÁS include the operation of training and employment programmes, the provision of a placement service for industry and support for co-operative and community based enterprises.
Nitrigin Éireann Teoranta is a private limited company established to set up a nitrogenous fertiliser industry in Ireland. NET is now a 51% shareholder in Irish Fertiliser Industries Limited, which operates fertiliser manufacturing facilities.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland is responsible for the development and certification of new standards.
The Health and Safety Authority – National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health – has responsibility of the administration and enforcement of the occupational safety and health legislation. It provides information, advice and guidance for employers, workers, the self-employed and others to whom occupational safety and health legislation applies or is of relevance.
The function of the Competition Authority is to promote greater competition in all sectors of the economy by tackling anti-competitive practices and by increasing awareness of such practices.
The Labour Relations Commission has overall responsibility for promoting the improvement of industrial relations, and does so by providing a range of services including a conciliation service, a rights commissioner service and an advisory development and research service.
The Rights Commissioner service is a service of the Labour Relations Commission. Rights Commissioners investigate disputes under the Industrial Relations Acts, 1969-1990, except disputes relating to pay, hours or times of work or annual holidays involving a body of workers.
The Labour Court provides machinery for the investigation of industrial disputes under the Industrial Relations Acts, 1946-1990, in order to find a basis for a resolution.
The purpose of the Employment Appeals Tribunal is to determine matters in disputes under employment rights legislation.
The director of consumer affairs is an independent statutory officer, responsible for providing advice and information to consumers and for the enforcement of a wide range of consumer protection laws.
The Patents Office is responsible for the grant of patents for inventions and for the registration of trademarks and designs. The controller also has functions in relation to the adjudication of certain copyright disputes.
The Companies Registration Office is the central depository of public statutory information on Irish companies. Its main functions include the incorporation of companies; the registration of business names, of charges on companies, of other post-incorporation documents and of changes in business name particulars.
The Office of the Registrar of Friendly Societies is responsible for the registration and general regulation of friendly societies, trade unions and industrial and provident societies – co-operatives.
The objective of Inter Trade Ireland – Trade Development Body – is to assist and promote the development of capability and competitiveness in the two economies on the island of Ireland and in the businesses that drive those economies.
The county enterprise boards support the development of micro-enterprises with a progressive move to softer forms of support such as advice, mentoring and management development.
The motor insurance advisory board is concerned with the examination of factors which contribute to the cost of motor insurance and to the variation in cost between various categories of insured motorist.
The task force on lifelong learning is charged with identifying existing lifelong learning providers and programme provision, mapping existing provision in terms of its adequacy, and identifying, proposing and costing priority actions on lifelong learning.
Science Foundation Ireland invests in world class research in areas of technology, particularly in niches within ICT and biotechnology, deemed strategic to long-term economic and industrial development.
The Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation provides independent expert advice to Government on science and technology policy related issues.
The interdepartmental group on modern bio-technology was established in March 1999 to report to Government with a co-ordinated Government position on issues related to modern bio-technology. A report with recommendations was presented to Government and published in late 2000.
The company law review group develops proposals for the review and reform of company law on the basis of a regular two year work programme. The Company Law Enforcement Bill, 2000 provides for establishment of the company law review group on a statutory basis.
As recommended in the Committee of Public Accounts DIRT report, the Tánaiste established a review group on auditing to examine a number of issues in relation to the regulation and operation of the auditing and accountancy profession. The report of the review group, which contains 80 detailed recommendations, was submitted to the Committee of Public Accounts on 11 July 2000.
The special working group on personal injury compensation, which conducts research into alternative or complementary systems of delivery of personal injury compensation, presented its final report in April 2000. The Government endorsed these proposals in March 2001.
The final report of the competition and mergers review group was published in May 2000. It contained recommendations covering the enforcement of competition law, the administration of merger law, the current and future relationship between national and EU competition law, certain recommendations of the commission on the newspaper industry, the groceries order and the need for new consolidated legislation.
The independent group into allegations of anti-competitive practices in the Irish beef industry was appointed by the Tánaiste in January 2000 to examine allegations of anti-competitive practice in the beef industry. The group reported in September 2000 and its report was subsequently published by the Tánaiste, having been noted by Government.
The key aims of the social economy programme are to support the regeneration and quality of life of local disadvantaged areas and to maximise employment opportunities for long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged persons. A national monitoring committee made up of representatives from the social partners and relevant Government Departments and chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment monitors progress on an ongoing basis.
The interdepartmental committee on science and technology facilitates the co-ordination of science and technology spending plans across all Government Departments in the context of the annual Estimates exercise.
The interactive science centre implementation group examines funding options including potential for public private partnerships-corporate sponsorship in the context of overall proposals submitted by Forfás-ICSTI.
The immigration advisory policy committee has been established under the aegis of the Department. This committee, which includes representation from relevant Government Departments and the social partners, held its inaugural meeting in July 2000.
The Díon grant is provided each year by the Irish Government to assist voluntary organisations providing advisory and welfare services for Irish emigrants in Britain.
The national minimum wage group was established in June 2000 and comprises representatives of ICTU, IBEC and the Department. The remit of the group is to monitor and assess the implementation of the National Minimum Wage Act and report its findings and any recommendations to the Tánaiste.
The construction safety partnership launched its report in early 2000, which sets out the conclusions and recommendations of the partnership plan. The partnership plan is a three year plan to improve occupational safety, health and welfare standards in the construction industry.
The remit of the task force on the prevention of workplace bullying is to identify the size of the problem, to develop practical programmes and strategies to prevent workplace bullying and to produce a co-ordinated response from State agencies.
The report of the interdepartmental-agency review group on public safety was published at the end of 2000. The group recommended the establishment of an office of public safety regulation, and the placing of public safety high among the concerns to be addressed by Departments-agencies in decision making and the development of public policy. The recommendations are currently being considered.
A national framework committee for the development of family friendly policies at the level of the enterprise has been established under the PPF. It has developed a number of initiatives to promote family friendly working arrangements.
The registry of friendly societies users' council monitors the overall performance of the registry, examines fees established for registry services, and comments from time to time to the registrar and to the Minister on any related matters.
CRO Link, the companies registration office users' council, was established to serve as a forum for customer liaison with the office. Members of the council represent a wide cross section of the CRO's customer base, and the forum provides a valuable feedback to the CRO on the services which the office provides to the public.
Under section 19 of the Companies Act, 1990 the Minister or an authorised officer appointed by the Minister may require the production of the books and documents of a company or other body corporate carrying on business in the State, if the Minister is of the opinion that there areinter alia circumstances suggesting fraud or unlawful activity or that it is necessary to determine if an inspector should be appointed.
The following appointments have been made under section 19 of the Companies Act, 1990.
|
Company
|
Date of Appointment
|
Reports
|
Status
|
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Celtic Helicopters Ltd.
|
9 September 1997
|
Interim Reports on 24 September 1997 and 8 January 1998 (unpublished)
|
Ongoing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Garuda Limited (t/a Streamline Enterprises)
|
9 September 1997
|
Final Report (unpublished) dated 11 December 1998
|
Concluded
|
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|
|
|
|
Ansbacher (Cayman) Ltd.
|
13 January 1998
|
Final Report (unpublished) on 22 June 1999
|
Concluded
|
|
|
|
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Guinness & Mahon (Ireland) Ltd.
|
8 January 1998
|
Interim Report on 6 June 1998 and 6 February 1999 (unpublished)
|
Ongoing
|
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Hamilton Ross Co. Ltd.
|
23 January 1998
|
None
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Ongoing
|
|
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Irish Intercontinental Bank Ltd.
|
8 January 1998
|
Interim Report on 2 June 1998. Final report on 1 June 2000 (unpublished)
|
Concluded
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Kentford Securities Ltd.
|
9 June 1998
|
None
|
Ongoing
|
|
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|
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Dunnes Stores (ILAC Centre) Ltd
|
22 July 1998
|
None
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Delayed by Court Action
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Dunnes Stores Ireland Company
|
22 July 1998
|
None
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Delayed by Court Action
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Faxhill Homes Ltd.
|
22 July 1998
|
Final Report (unpublished) dated 21 December 1998
|
Concluded
|
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College Trustees Ltd.
|
10 March 1999
|
None
|
Ongoing
|
Under section 14 of the Companies Act, 1990 the Minister may appoint one or more competent inspectors to investigate and report on the membership of a company for the purpose of determining the true persons who are or have been financially interested in the success or fail ure, real or apparent, of the company or who are able to control or materially influence the policy of the company.
The following appointment has been made under section 14 of the Companies Act, 1990.
|
Company
|
Date of Appointment
|
Reports
|
Status
|
|
Bula Resources (Holdings) plc
|
23 October 1997
|
Final Report published on 22 July 1998
|
Concluded
|
