Results 301-320 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: It is a matter for the authority to decide. If this amendment is agreed, the Health and Safety Authority will, in specific cases where confusion might exist as to the responsible statutory body, be permitted to take decisions to enable the involvement of other persons and agencies.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I will start with the last point made by Senator McDowell. When provision is made for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals directive, the REACH directive, it is intended additional people with qualifications and expertise in this area will be employed. Where individual inspectors or the entire inspectorate do not have expertise in a particular case, it is the practice...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: In response to Senator McDowell, I forgot to mention expertise from outside the country can be sought. This has happened in at least one situation of which I know. It seems considerably less complex than the chemical industry example about which Senator O'Toole spoke but it is the practice to seek outside expertise. The inspector is legally indemnified, although that is not quite the point...

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: This is a technical amendment to realign paragraphs (1) and (2) and to clarify that they apply to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) and not only to (c) as might be the impression created as they stand.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: This is also a technical amendment to insert a reference to the European Communities (Dangerous Substances and Preparations) (Marketing and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. These regulations were made late in 2004 and reference to them could not be included in the Bill because it had already been published.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The correct procedure in this case is that the existing references under this section of Schedule 2 must be removed and replaced by the new ones. If one looks carefully, two of them are very similar, if not exactly the same. Three regulations are replacing two. The last one, SI 852 of 2004 had not been enacted before the Bill was published. It is just a procedural matter.

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: This is also a technical amendment to ensure consistency throughout the Schedule. It involves substituting the word "Authority" for the word "Board".

Seanad: Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (17 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I thank the Senators for their co-operation. I have accepted some amendments and will consider others. The Senators suggested next Tuesday, 24 May for the Report Stage. My understanding is that 31 May might be a more suitable date as I will be out of the country next Tuesday, 24 May.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: Following my recent announcement on 12 April, the number of labour inspector posts has increased to 31. The additional inspectors will strengthen the labour inspectorate's capacity to ensure workers receive their entitlements under employment rights legislation. Arising from paragraph 12.4 of the mid-term review of Sustaining Progress, and to assist in the preparation of proposals for...

Employment Legislation. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: Since the setting up of the Labour Court almost 60 years ago, structures and systems have evolved in an ad hoc manner to the extent that there are now seven bodies and 25 Acts operating in the employment rights and industrial relations area. The evolution of a large body of employment rights legislation has led to the current system, which can be complex and costly, with duplication of...

Employment Legislation. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: None of us would expect to get full approval. When I was appointed seven or eight months ago one of the first documents I received concerned the recommendation arising from the review group. I held consultations with representatives of the various bodies concerned and with the social partners. There was not complete support for the proposals and there was concern about the next phase, the...

Employment Legislation. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I am aware of the concerns expressed by Deputy Hogan and I am also aware that there are many divergent views on this matter. Nevertheless, the overarching concern of Government must be to ensure that the system is fair and accessible to everybody at reasonable cost. The proposals arising from the review by Mr. Bonner are considerably more acceptable to many of the bodies than had been the...

Employment Legislation. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: There are two elements to the proposal, one of which is consolidation of the legislation. It is an important job, which, I understand, will take 18 months to two years. It is worth doing in any event. The original proposal was for the amalgamation of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court, but it did not find a lot of favour. Following Mr. Bonner's review, it was felt that a...

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The Health and Safety Authority is in the final stages of its consultation with the social partners and interested parties on the formulation of new construction regulations. These regulations will be made by me under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004, which I expect will be passed by the House during this term. The legal advice to me is that the regulations must be made under...

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The new regulations will be put in place under section 17 of the new Bill. These include a number of important new groups in construction, particularly clients who commission building work, architects, engineers and designers. The Health and Safety Authority is engaged in exhaustive consultation with architects, engineers and designers who are concerned about their new legal responsibilities....

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The new regulations will be enforced under section 17 of the Bill.

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: Under the new legislation, it is possible to include the additional groups to whom I referred in my first response.

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: This might have been done. However, I assume it was intended that the new legislation would be in place long before now. When I was appointed last October, it was hoped the Bill would be passed before Christmas, but as Deputies will be aware, it took considerably longer. I share the Deputy's concern about the increased number of deaths in the first five months of the year against a background...

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: As I informed Deputy Hogan, a review of the training regime is under way, which undoubtedly will impact positively on the experience in the future. I cannot say whether the specific training in the cases involved had an impact. If that were the case, I presume it would have been brought to my attention. I have had no update since last month on the Garda inquiry. On Deputy Howlin's question on...

Health and Safety Regulations. (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The number increased in one or two sectors but I do not have the figures.