Results 1,221-1,240 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (10 Jun 2003)

Derek McDowell: I am trying to ascertain what the Minister of State's thinking is in regard to whether these are acceptable reasons.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (10 Jun 2003)

Derek McDowell: I am in two minds about this. My major concern which I expressed on Second Stage is that this will become something similar to the tenancy arrangement where it is common for people to have a tenancy for four years and nine months, after which it is effectively terminated. I hope we are not creating a similar situation in regard to fixed-term contracts, that once one gets into the fourth year,...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (10 Jun 2003)

Derek McDowell: While the Minister of State was reading out that interesting observation about chief executive officers, it occurred to me that a similar argument could apply to the Secretaries General of Departments who have fixed-term contracts which might be extended. They could suddenly find themselves with full-time jobs, although I am not sure whether that was ever intended either.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (10 Jun 2003)

Derek McDowell: Perhaps the Minister of State should look at that matter also.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (10 Jun 2003)

Derek McDowell: I move amendment No. 13: In page 15, to delete from and including ", or" in line 28 down to and including "1985" in line 30. The intention of the amendment is to elicit from the Minister of State the reasoning behind the exclusion of trainee nurses. As far as I can tell, it seems that it is intended purely as a way of saving money. Given the fact that trainee nurses are now established on a...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (10 Jun 2003)

Derek McDowell: I do not know whether the INO has a view in this regard. Perhaps the Minister of State will let us know whether the Irish Nurses Organisation has been in contact with his Department or whether it has a view in this regard.

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: I support calls for a debate on the OECD report. However, I sometimes think we endow reports from abroad with far more importance than we should. The OECD is a group of fine economists but it never errs from right wing conservative orthodoxy and gives little thought to the social requirements of citizens. That remains the case whether reports have the imprimatur of the OECD or emanate from...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: —rather than treat such reports as tablets of stone, which we sometimes do. I wish to raise another issue which has been brought up before. I attended the rugby match in Lansdowne Road last Saturday, as I know others did. I say this to bring some balance to comments I made about rugby in this House a couple of months ago which attracted some attention. To be fair to the IRFU and management...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: It is an issue. It is some months since the report on the options available for the provision of a second national stadium went to Cabinet. This issue arouses considerable public interest and should be debated in the House.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: Here we go again.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: It is always difficult to follow Senator Leyden but I am reminded of the comments of the Minister of State's constituency colleague, with which I am sure he agrees, that this is the most right wing Government in the history of the State.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: In that context, it is reassuring that the revolutionary cadre, the Quinta Brigada of Fianna Fáil, is well represented on the Front Bench in the Seanad in the form of Senators Leyden and White. Long may they continue the fight, although it is one they are losing.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: Tá fáilte romhat. I welcome the Bill in so far as it goes. All of the speakers so far have looked to locate the Bill in the context of overall social legislation, particularly in the European context. It is right that we should do so because this is one part of what is now a fairly substantial corpus of labour law, much of which has been influenced by European directives and agreed at...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: I am not afflicted with a permanent and pensionable job, unfortunately.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: I read the definition in the Bill which defines a contract of employment and excludes contracts of employment agencies and of people who work for employment agencies or who are employed by such agencies for someone else. That will exclude many non-nationals from the benefits of the Bill.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (29 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: It is not included in the Bill.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: When is it intended to enact the Bill? Will the entire Bill come into force at the same time?

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: When will the audit requirements take effect?

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: I appreciate that. Is it intended to enact the legislation within a matter of months rather than years?

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Derek McDowell: I do not agree with Senator Leyden; this is a critical point in the Bill. As it is about regulating accountants, if we do not define the term "accountant", at the very least the Bill can be evaded simply by erecting a plaque declaring a person to be an accountant without being a member of one of the prescribed bodies in the Bill. There are several ways to do this. The most difficult, as...