Results 13,721-13,740 of 14,886 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: In November 2008, ICTU requested the Labour Court to review the national minimum wage and to make a recommendation concerning its adjustment. The Court subsequently invited submissions on the issue. Various submissions were received, including from IBEC, ICTU and the Department of Finance. The Labour Court also held discussions with these parties. Under the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000,...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: The case in question has been determined by the Employment Appeals Tribunal. According to the information supplied by the Deputy, the Circuit Court issued an Order which was passed to the County Sheriff for execution and the Sheriff has failed to recover the sums due. As the matter appears to rest with the Court and the Sheriff, there is no further role for the employment rights bodies which...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: My Department administers the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) in relation to redundancy matters on behalf of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. There are two types of payment made from the SIF – rebates to those employers who have paid statutory redundancy to eligible employees, and statutory lump sums to employees whose employers are insolvent and/or in receivership/liquidation I...

Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: Under the terms of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, recruitment to the Civil Service, including my Department, is a matter for the public appointments service, PAS, which is required to ensure that standards of probity, merit, equity and fairness are followed in the recruitment, assessment and selection of persons for appointment. It is for the PAS to...

Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: No other Department has a greater range of daily interaction with the private sector than our Department. We tap into private sector experience across all our State boards-----

Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: My Department has used the experience of the private sector extensively in all our operations and consults extensively with private sector experts on a daily basis. The position of employing private sector people for the sake of it represents something of a waste of time. We use their knowledge and experience for specific responses to specific situations.

Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: All senior appointments, from assistant secretary up, are made by open recruitment. Over the summer the Government reconstituted the top level appointments committee, TLAC, to include more private sector people than were previously on it and to open up the opportunities.

Departmental Staff (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: No, the TLAC has always had private sector involvement. That goes back to the Deputy's Party's last time in Government so he should be aware of it from then.

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 85 together. I am aware of the recent report by the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland, Work Permits and Exploitation: Time For Reform, in the context of proposing changes to the system of issuing work permits. The employment permits system and the treatment of migrant workers has significantly changed in recent years. These changes have sought to...

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: I am aware of the audio recording. It refers specifically to a person employed in the home. I referred to people employed in somebody else's home in my response. The issue of constitutional protection of the place of residence arises. If a person is being exploited in his work relationship, we will change his permit within four weeks. We have an express procedure in place-----

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: -----to facilitate him. If anybody is aware of an incident in which any worker, a migrant or otherwise, has been mistreated, he should inform the relevant authorities. NERA comes in for a lot of criticism in this House.

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: However, it is resourced with 90 inspectors, ten of whom have foreign language skills, to assist people in this position. I am happy that those arrangements offer the maximum protection we can give at this time.

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: The allegation that the circumstances described are widespread in the domestic sector has no independent evidence to support it. Our hands are tied by the protections we give to the primary domestic residence, particularly as a place of employment. The issue is far broader than that of protection. If anybody in this House or outside it is aware of a worker in any circumstances being...

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: NERA is in operation and we have procedures in place to switch a work permit quickly. I am happy with the controls we have in place. We were criticised yesterday for issuing too many permits, yet today people are looking for more permits. I am happy with the level of control in place and that NERA has enough inspectors, including inspectors with foreign language skills, to address the problem.

Employment Rights (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: We have developed a vacancy-driven employment permit system. We are happy that there are controls on permits in place. The issue of charging people who must change for whatever reason, particularly those in an abusive relationship, is one that I am willing to consider but the system we have in place has evolved and we made substantial changes thereto in June 2009 to reflect current market...

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: A number of Senators raised the issue of non-productive public servants and the number of such people who are hiding in the system. There are undoubtedly many poor public servants and we have been incredibly restricted to date as to how we deal with that and poor performance. Every person one speaks to has had a bad interaction with one, two or three public servants. Equally, however,...

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: I assure the House that as long as I am in this position I will be committed to this agenda. It is an agenda which the Taoiseach is directing and he is putting pressure on me to deliver on it. I am conscious of the remarks about specific information. We will work with the House over the next five weeks to produce more specific information and implementation plans. I thank the House for...

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: On the procedural issue, I have no difficulty returning to the House regularly. Those who take pleasure in kicking the work of this House of the Oireachtas should have been present this morning because we have had a good debate. Many proposals have been put forward for me to consider and implement and I have no difficulty with returning to the House in four or five weeks in whatever capacity.

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: I have taken many notes and Members can be sure that I have taken on board all the suggestions and thoughts voiced this morning. Some general points must be made. I have taken the chance again today to outline the Government's position. The Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, have also done it. I wish Senator Doherty would change the album a little to reflect the times we are...

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Dara Calleary: With regard to the savings and the assessment of the savings, that is the role of the implementation body. That body is now looking through the activation plans and when I return to the Seanad in four or five weeks I will give a better sense and model of how we will implement that. Senator O'Toole and Senator Buttimer raised the need for clear objectives and performance indicators. I agree...