Results 401-420 of 14,554 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I thank everyone who has shown an interest in the matter on Second and Committee Stages for his or her helpful contribution to the debate which has shown the usefulness of this House in such debates. The legislation will strengthen and ensure the continued effective operation of the joint labour committee and registered employment agreement systems. As Senator John Paul Phelan stated I...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (4 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: This application was refused on the grounds it is current Government policy to issue new employment permits for highly skilled, highly paid positions or for non-EEA nationals who are already legally resident in the State on valid employment permits or where there is an officially recognised scarcity of workers of a particular type or qualification. Furthermore, it appears that the Business...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (4 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: Under the Redundancy Payments Scheme all eligible employees are entitled to a statutory redundancy lump sum payment on being made redundant. A redundancy situation arises in general where an employee's job no longer exists and he/she is not replaced. Under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 - 2007 an eligible employee is entitled to two weeks pay for every year of service, plus a bonus week,...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (4 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: The Tánaiste and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs jointly launched the Work Placement Programme on 27th May 2009. The aim of the programme is to provide 6 months valuable work experience opportunities to 2,000 individuals who have been unemployed for at least 6 months, including graduates. Participants on the programme will retain their existing social welfare entitlements for...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (4 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. The purpose of CE is to help unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a...

Order of Business (5 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: What about Deputy George Lee as well?

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (5 Nov 2009)

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...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (5 Nov 2009)

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...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (5 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: The Employment Permits Section informs me that it has no record of an employment permit being issued in respect of the above named. However, if the individual or his prospective employer wishes to submit an application it will be considered on its merits.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (10 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I am advised that at 30 October 2009 there were 22,898 people participating on Community Employment Schemes. A breakdown by principal welfare payment is provided in the following table. CE Participants as at 30/10/2009 by CE Eligibility CE Eligibility Total Adult Dependent Swap - JA 51 Adult Dependent Swap - JB 13 Blind Pension 18 Carers Allowance 20 Deserted WifesAllowance 198...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (10 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I can advise the Deputy that the latest figures available to end October 2009 indicate that the number of redundancy claims awaiting processing stands at 43,826. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide the Deputy with the specific information she has requested as the Department does not collate statistics for applications awaiting processing on a county basis. I am sure the Deputy will...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (10 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: The apprenticeship system is a modular standards based system comprising of seven alternating phases of on-the-job and off-the-job training and development. Phases 1, 3, 5 and 7 are the on-the job phases and take place with a FÁS approved employer while the off-the-job phases 2, 4, and 6 are delivered in FÁS Training Centres; Institutes of Technology or Colleges of Further Education. ESB...

Written Answers — Hazardous Substances Regulations: Hazardous Substances Regulations (10 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: As I indicated in my response to [PQ 33556/09], no guidelines have been issued by my Department relating to the control of unattended petrol dispensing outlets nor does my Department issue guidelines on such matters. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is responsible for both the Local Authorities in general and the Fire Services in particular.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (10 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: A reply to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy issued from the Tánaiste's office on Friday, November 6th 2009.

Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Order for Report Stage (11 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, to delete lines 13 and 14 and substitute the following: " " 'Act of 1995' means the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995; 'material interest' shall be construed in accordance with section 2(3) of the Act of 1995;". This is a technical amendment to facilitate the addition to the Bill of references to the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 by adding a definition to...

Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I acknowledge the Deputies' concerns on this issue and have reflected on the proposal since Committee Stage. However, the issue of severance packages to chief executive officers is more general than the specific range of this legislation. The Government is reviewing the issue of severance and retirement terms of chief executive officers as part of a broader examination that is under way...

Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I understand the thrust of the amendment and I share the Deputy's concerns that this general issue should be resolved as soon as possible. In regard to Deputy Varadkar's comments, I have complete faith and trust in the abilities and character of the Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance. The issue in regard to the specific package will be dealt with by the Committee of Public Accounts at...

Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I cannot accept the amendment because this is a standard provision for all State bodies. As Deputy Penrose said, there are ways and means for a good committee chairman or Member to ascertain information regarding Government schemes under the existing regulations. A republican-Labour Party coalition would be an interesting prospect.

Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 Nov 2009)

Dara Calleary: I join Deputies Penrose and Varadkar in acknowledging the role of FÁS staff who provided us with important information on a range of issues and I thank them for doing so. The Government's approach to this provision is based on a 2006 Cabinet decision that whistleblowing provisions would be introduced on a sectoral basis. Given the focus of the legislation is primarily on FÁS, it is...