Results 181-200 of 1,150 for speaker:Frank Fahey

Written Answers — Unemployment Levels: Unemployment Levels (13 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: The quarterly national household survey released by the CSO in December 2003 shows that 86,500 persons or 4.6% of the workforce were unemployed. The long-term unemployment rate was 1.4%. Employment growth continued in the third quarter of the year to bring the total number of persons in employment to 1.82 million. In view of the slowdown in global economic growth over the last two to three...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (13 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: It is my intention to publish the Bill in question before the summer recess. A number of significant legal questions are being addressed and it is hoped to resolve these issues shortly.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (13 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: From inquiries made in this Department we have found that on 27 April 2004, the company concerned wrote to the Tánaiste giving her full notification of the proposed collective redundancies under section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977. The company also stated that the employee representatives had been consulted, as set out in sections 9 and 10 of that Act. I understand that it is...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (13 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: Data about work permits granted in each of the past three years is as follows: Year Number of permits issued 2001 36,436 2002 40,321 2003 47,551 Statistical information on work permits is available on the work permits web page of my Department's website, www.entemp.ie.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (13 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: A total of €837 million has been provided by my Department to FÁS in 2004. Of this, €366 million is allocated to employment programmes, €307 million to training and integration supports and €22.7 million for capital expenditure. The allocation to employment programmes includes an amount of €351 million, which will support up to 25,000 places across the three major employment...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (18 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: I am aware of the report referred to by the Deputy. The thrust of the recommendations in the report are generally in line with measures already being promoted in Ireland in the area of noise in the workplace. The Health and Safety Authority, HSA, is the State body charged with responsibility for the administration, enforcement and promotion of occupational health and safety legislation and...

Written Answers — Jobs Initiative: Jobs Initiative (18 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: The jobs initiative, JI, programme is a work experience programme for persons 35 years of age or older who have been unemployed for five years or longer. Participants are offered temporary full-time employment for a period of three years. Eligible persons are employed by managing agents, with the support of a grant from FÁS for this purpose. The rates of payment for persons in receipt of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (25 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: A total allocation of €351 million is being provided in 2004 to support up to 25,000 places across the three employment schemes — community employment, CE, Jobs initiative, JI, and the social economy programme, SEP. Of this, more than €40 million is being allocated to the social economy programme. The breakdown of the funding between regions and schemes is a day-to-day matter for FÁS,...

Written Answers — Sunday Trading: Sunday Trading (25 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: The Industrial Relations Acts 1946 — 2004 provide the basis for the establishment of the joint labour committees, JLCs, that are charged with the task of setting the minimum terms and conditions, including pay rates, for employees in various sectors of the economy. The joint labour committees are comprised of representatives of relevant employee and employer bodies with an explicit interest...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (25 May 2004)

Frank Fahey: The main FÁS programmes in operation are community employment, job initiative and social economy. The participation rates and costs in respect of each programme are as follows: Community Employment Participant / Places Year Average Year-End Costs € '000 1998 39,483 39,520 376,754 1999 37,904 36,579 375,553 2000 35,249 33,549 367,690 2001 33,034 30,809...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (1 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: As part of the Government's decision in 1999 to restructure community employment, CE, future participation in CE by an individual was capped at three years, effective from April 2000. Offshore island residents are exempt from this change. Aughinish is not an offshore island and participants in projects such as the one at Aughinish are subject to the general CE eligibility criteria. The three...

Written Answers — Employment Schemes: Employment Schemes (1 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: Persons in receipt of the deserted wife's benefit for one year or longer, and who are 25 years of age or older, are currently eligible to participate in community employment, CE. Eligibility for job initiative, JI, is confined to unemployed persons 35 years of age or older, in receipt of an unemployment payment or one parent family payment for a minimum of five years. Spouses of unemployed...

Oil Prices. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: It would be terrible if it lasted longer.

Employment Legislation. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 came fully into effect on 1 March 1998. If an employee considers that his or her employer has contravened the provisions in this Act governing holidays, rest breaks, rest periods and maximum average weekly working hours, he or she may refer the matter to a rights commissioner for adjudication. The number of cases referred to the rights commissioner...

Employment Legislation. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: I have no information on convictions at present, but I will provide the information to the Deputy. The working time directive as it applies to doctors in training is a matter for the Minister for Health and Children. I am not aware of the up-to-date situation, but I am aware that negotiations have been ongoing. There are discussions on the implementation of the directive as it applies to the...

Employment Legislation. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: The matter is under discussion but no agreement has been reached.

Public Holidays. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 provides for the entitlement of employees to the following nine public holidays per year: New Year's Day; St. Patrick's Day; Easter Monday; the first Monday in May; the first Monday in June; the first Monday in August; the last Monday in October; Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day. The average public holiday entitlement in the EU at present is...

Public Holidays. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: There has not been any great demand for an increase in the number of holidays——

Public Holidays. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: ——among the social partners. I concur with the views the Deputy expressed about the work and family life balance. The Tánaiste and I have endeavoured to continue to support the further development of all aspects of providing for a good work-life balance. As the Deputy stated, a person who is happy at work tends to produce more. There are nine public holidays. I suggest that increasing...

Public Holidays. (17 Jun 2004)

Frank Fahey: The reaction of many people on the employer's side to the addition of 1 May as a public holiday was that it would have a costly impact on our competitiveness. While everyone would welcome further public holidays, we must be careful in terms of matters such as competitiveness, productivity etc. Given that progress has taken place in the talks on Sustaining Progress and previous national...