Results 7,681-7,700 of 12,731 for speaker:Paul Murphy

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (10 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: The so-called Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020, or at least the first version of it, amounted to vague promises but no plan for real action. One important area that raises concern is the statement that "the means of achieving a climate neutral economy ... may evolve over time through innovation, evolving scientific consensus and emerging technologies". This...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (10 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: I have no problem with, or objection to, using technology in respect of electrification, better battery storage and better and more efficient renewable energy. The question relates to what is being spoken about here and whether this can be used for relying on technological sequestration solutions - the idea of carbon capture. It is the idea that in the future, a person will invent something...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (10 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: If this is the Bill that is going to be published, and I would like to know when we are going to see the next version of it, then the Minister is going to provide a big escape clause for those who have to take action now, by implying that there will be big technological solutions in respect of carbon capture in the future. It is most problematic. The main carbon capture that we know of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Investigations (10 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: 471. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the progress of an investigation in the Defence Forces into the involvement of one or more members of same with the far right (details supplied). [13136/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (10 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: 961. To ask the Minister for Health if he will review the policy of allocating only certain types of vaccines (details supplied) for the over 70s in view of the recent decisions in this respect by the French and German Governments. [13443/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: I thank our guests for their presentations. To make a general remark, this conversation has reinforced concerns I expressed at the most recent meeting a couple of weeks ago relating to the problems with the current heads of the Bill, the diminution of democratic oversight and public scrutiny by moving this issue to be dealt with by ministerial order. We are not dealing with the issue of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: I do not really understand why Dr. McGann disagreed with my summary, with all due respect. Dr. McGann said that "shortages among lower-skilled workers and subsequent pressure on wages have the potential to be as harmful to the Irish economy as a shortage of skilled labour". The logic of IBEC's position is that it wants to be able to keep wages low, although it may not describe those wages...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: What are those industries not in a position to do?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: Is the reason that Dr. McGann wants these new permits to come in to stop wages rising?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: Okay. Most people would agree that the workers in these sectors have proven to be essential during the pandemic. We know the very low wages that exist in at least some parts of the agricultural industry. Is IBEC in favour of mechanisms to stop wages increasing in the care work and manufacturing sectors, despite the work of those front-line workers in the pandemic, because the employers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: Could Dr. McGann put it in her own words, in that case? What does she want to happen to the wages of what she calls low-skilled workers in the agricultural, care and manufacturing industries? Is she in favour of wages increasing or is she in favour of the mechanism that IBEC is proposing to try to keep those wages from increasing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: I think it was clear from her presentation that Dr. McGann is talking about using these mechanisms as a means of keeping wages low. It is fair enough if she does not accept that. People can listen to what she has said and read the transcript. I will address a question to Mr. Berney. One thing that struck me in looking over the heads of the Bill was that the penalties for employers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: Two weeks ago, we heard that there are only 45 inspectors who are obviously dealing with a whole range of matters, not just the question of migrant workers. In ICTU's opinion, is 45 sufficient for the amount of work to be done?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: If it is a populist conspiracy theory that the Government represents the interests of the beef barons and not the interests of the workers, why, ten months after this issue was first raised in the Dáil, has the Tánaiste not acted to introduce sick pay for beef factory workers? It is a very simple question. If the Government does not represent the interests of the beef barons, who...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: Workers have been treated appallingly during the pandemic. I refer to the front-line health workers, student nurses, Debenhams workers, Arcadia workers, taxi drivers and artists. The list could go on and on but among all the cases of abuses of groups of workers the treatment of workers in meat plants stands out as particularly shocking. They are low paid and highly exploited and are often...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: On Saturday, we saw a violent anti-lockdown protest on the streets of Dublin. This protest had the far right at its core, exploiting the widespread frustration people feel about lockdown and the failure of the Government to give people hope in its strategy to eliminate the virus. The far right tried to tap into people's real anxieties and fears. In reality, those groups want to see an end...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: I agree with the proposal from Deputy McDonald. We need to have a debate about this. One of the issues that is particularly concerning is that it is reported in the Irish Examinerthat the Minister for Finance did not bring any memorandum to Cabinet on Tuesday about his decision but merely slipped it in during an oral briefing on various banking issues. If one looks at the situation in...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: We need to have a debate and we need to have a statement from the Taoiseach.

Housing Shared Equity Loan Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (3 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: The private developers say, "Jump" and Fianna Fáil asks, "How high?" It is still firmly the party of big builders and private developers, and this is just the latest proof. In recent weeks we have had the LDA legislation, which is potentially the biggest giveaway of public land and public wealth to profiteers in the history of the State; we have had an attempt, thankfully knocked back,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Pension Provisions (3 Mar 2021)

Paul Murphy: 148. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will sign the Statutory Instrument to implement the enhanced benefits to the CIÉ regular wages scheme pension as proposed by the WRC in December 2019 and agreed through secret ballot by the CIÉ worker-members of the regular wages scheme in June 2020. [11746/21]