Results 261-280 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Order of Business. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The Bill is on schedule.
- Order of Business. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: Later this year.
- Order of Business. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: Many of the issues involved were dealt with in legislation passed in this House last year to facilitate the accession countries on 1 May. The heads of the Bill have been circulated to the Government and it will be published in the next couple of weeks.
- Order of Business. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: That is a financial services Bill and has nothing to do with e-voting.
- Order of Business. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: That legislation will be published before the summer.
- Consumer Affairs. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The role of the consumer strategy group, which I established this March, is to advise and make recommendations for the development of a national consumer policy strategy which will: provide consumers with the knowledge, information and confidence to be demanding of quality, service and value; ensure consumers are well informed of their rights and have effective and speedy means of redress in...
- Consumer Affairs. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: As the Deputy is aware, the rate of inflation has now fallen to 1.3%, which is welcome. That has happened because consumers have become more active, albeit slowly. They are now more likely to make complaints than they would have been a short time ago. That is also the reason the director receives more queries and complaints. The advertising campaign she organised in the latter half of last...
- Consumer Affairs. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The difference in costs is often associated with the difference in standards of living and wage costs and, in countries which are less developed, products are generally substantially cheaper. I was in China in March where one can buy an extraordinary range of products for substantially less than one would pay in any country in Europe, that I am aware.
- Consumer Affairs. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: In the United States there are no restrictions in terms of planning or on the size of retail units. Many people would suggest that the failure to restrict the size of units there has led to other social problems. Everything is not always as simple as it appears. What we are trying to do is to encourage competition throughout the economy, whether in transport, aviation or telephony. Whatever...
- Consumer Affairs. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: As quickly as I can get the legislation together. Substantial fines were imposed on some companies recently.
- Proposed Legislation. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The Law Reform Commission published a consultation paper on corporate killing in October last. The commission recommended that a new offence of corporate killing be established which would be prosecuted on indictment, without exclusion of any entity regardless of whether incorporated. The offence would apply to acts or omissions of a high managerial agent, which would be treated as those of...
- Proposed Legislation. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: It is certainly my intention and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, to create an offence of corporate manslaughter. The reason it cannot be included in the health and safety at work Bill is that the Attorney General has advised that it has wider implications which go beyond the health and safety of workers. If a company knowingly leaves a product on the market, for example, a...
- Proposed Legislation. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The answer to the Deputy's question must await the conclusion of discussions that are ongoing with the Attorney General as to which is the most appropriate legislation to make provision for this offence. If it is not the health and safety at work Bill it will have to be special legislation, and it is my intention to introduce such legislation as quickly as possible.
- Proposed Legislation. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: I do not believe it will be possible to introduce it this year. We are half-way through the year and I have not had a chance to discuss this matter with the Attorney General. The Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, has been handling this Bill on a daily basis. I made an effort to speak to the Attorney General today, but he is overseas. I apologise for that. I intend to speak to him in the next...
- Employment Support Services. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: Since July 1997, State agencies under the auspices of my Department have been involved in 22 employment task forces. While no cost-benefit evaluation of these task forces has been undertaken the operational experience would strongly suggest that they were effective in providing a co-ordinated response to major company closures. Large-scale job losses in an area are always a matter of concern...
- Employment Support Services. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The Deputy misunderstands what the task forces are supposed to do. They are established following major closures to assist workers, in particular, to access training or find alternative employment. Huge logistical issues arise for workers and their families after a major closure. The view of the trade union movement and all those who have participated is that the task forces have been...
- Employment Support Services. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: Task forces are wound down when they have passed their sell-by date and achieved the task that was given to them. I cannot remember when we last established what I would call a task force because we have not had a major closure in recent times.
- Employment Support Services. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: We have to keep an open mind about the most suitable mechanisms to put in place when large numbers of people in a particular area, especially a peripheral location where easily accessible alternative jobs are not available, find themselves out of work. When large numbers of people are made redundant, we usually bring together State agencies such as FÃS to interact with the company and the...
- Social Partnership. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The fact that 24% of small and medium sized enterprises believe that social partnership is not beneficial, whereas 38% believe that it benefits them, does not suggest "widespread dissatisfaction with the process". Social partnership has made a significant contribution to the economy in the past 17 years. The social partnership agreements since 1987 have facilitated and encouraged Ireland's...
- Social Partnership. (13 May 2004)
Mary Harney: The Deputy may be surprised to learn that I agree with most of what he said. When I initially read Question No. 4, I had to recheck the name of the Deputy who submitted it as I was surprised that it had been tabled by Deputy Finian McGrath.