Results 581-600 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose take Questions Nos. 140, 143 and 171 together. The construction federation operatives pension scheme, generally referred to as CFOPS, has been established on foot of a registered employment agreement for the construction industry. A separate registered employment agreement in the construction sector provides for the establishment of statutory rates of pay and related working...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: Work has been progressing with regard to the discussion document prepared in connection with the mandate and resourcing of the labour inspectorate. The social partners, together with representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance, are members of the Employment Rights Compliance Group, ERCG, that is considering the discussion document. The group first met on...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: In the absence of specific information in respect of the employments concerned I am not in a position to comment on the detail. However, if it is the case that non-national workers were paid less than Irish workers for comparable work and there are no other relevant differentiating features it may be appropriate to refer the matter to the Equality Authority for consideration under equality...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: Allegations of non-compliance with labour legislation in respect of a major construction firm were raised in the House on 8 February last by Deputy Joe Higgins. Those allegations were that certain non-national construction workers were required to work excessive hours and that such workers were in receipt of pay of between €2 and €3 per hour in contravention of the statutory minimums...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: Legislation provides that an application for the establishment of a joint labour committee can be made to the Labour Court by me, as Minister, a trade union or any organisation or group of persons claiming to be representative of such workers or of such employers. In consultation with the Labour Court and the Labour Relations Commission my Department is considering the practicalities of...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 167 together. There is already a comprehensive body of employment rights legislation which has as its objective the protection of employees against arbitrary behaviour by employers, provision for the safety and health of workers and to foster labour market harmony by promoting policies that minimise conflict and maximise fairness. While recognising the...

Written Answers — Labour Court: Labour Court (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Court is an independent statutory body that acts independently in carrying out its functions. The Deputy's question relates to an issue concerning the day-to-day operation of the court, and is one in which I have no direct function. There are two employment agreements relating to the construction sector registered with the Labour Court: (1) pensions assurance and sick pay; and (2)...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: The growth in employment by 93,000 in the year to the second quarter of 2005 is the highest annual growth rate recorded in five years. Full-time employment increased by 72,500 — males, 39,200 and females, 33,300. Part-time employment increased by 20,600 — males, 5,800 and females, 14,800 — compared with 6,000 in the same period last year. Overall, since 1997, full-time employment has...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: The number of workplace inspections-visits undertaken by the labour inspectorate, during and after normal business hours, and prosecutions initiated in respect of the years 2002, 2003, 2004 and to date is set out in the following tabular statement. The primary function of the labour inspectorate is to seek compliance and rectification of any breaches identified, including payment of any...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: Officers of the Labour Inspectorate met some of the workers in June 2005 to discuss their concerns. The employees concerned were advised of the relevant bodies to which their complaints should be addressed. In that regard they were told that matters relating to allegations of workplace bullying are dealt with by the Health and Safety Authority, Temple Court, 10 Hogan Place, Dublin 2. I...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: I provided details to the House in regard to certain other aspects of this case in my reply to a question on 25 October last. Section 27 (3) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, which came into effect on 1 September 2005, states that An employer shall not penalise or threaten penalisation against an employee for ... making a complaint or representation to his or her safety...

Seanad: Quarterly National Household Survey: Statements. (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: I would like to thank Senators and my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Michael Ahern, for their contributions today. It is an important debate, not least because population and migration are not issues that we consider every day. These CSO figures show Ireland at a turning point and give us cause to reflect as a society on how we...

Seanad: Quarterly National Household Survey: Statements. (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: He also said that angling tourism has suffered some difficulty but that is being addressed. It is a serious challenge to reach a consensus on dealing with all areas where there is difficulty. The only point in the debate with which I disagree is Senator Ryan's comment that Fianna Fáil is not a party of consensus. When I turned the corner of Merrion Square today I saw the Labour Party's...

Seanad: Quarterly National Household Survey: Statements. (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: It is.

Seanad: Quarterly National Household Survey: Statements. (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: The poster prompted several thoughts including that its timing is good because we have 18 months to point out that it is incorrect. Senator Ryan made the reasonable point that many people feel the system is not exactly fair. It is a challenge to address that perception, if it exists. It does not reflect the major success of the economy, for example, the significant pay increases which have...

Seanad: Quarterly National Household Survey: Statements. (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: They are extraordinary achievements. Like Senator Mansergh, I look at the 20 year period, from the mid-1980s to now, rather than the shorter one fashionable in some circles. This period illustrates the country's great economic capacity to improve and to achieve levels of employment which we would have thought impossible at that stage. The high rates of unemployment in the 1980s and early...

Seanad: Quarterly National Household Survey: Statements. (2 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: The country occasionally illustrates a capacity for consensus, dramatically so in the context of social partnership. Hopefully, it will be possible to enable the participants in social partnership to chart a way forward for the next three or four years, or whatever will be the length of that partnership. I worry when people attack social partnership because I have never heard any of them...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: The distinction I drew on Committee Stage was between employees who are on a contract of service and employees who are on a contract for service. Employees on a contract of service tend to be with a company for a very long time. A contract for service tends to be much shorter. This distinction is recognised by the Revenue Commissioners and others and it would be extremely undesirable to...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: This is, in effect, the amendment proposed by Senators Quinn, Coghlan and White on Committee Stage. I was concerned about accepting the amendment on Committee Stage because I was unsure whether the wording was what the Parliamentary Counsel would suggest so I undertook to return on Report Stage. The wording in my amendment is slightly different to that of the original but it effectively...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Tony Killeen: A very similar amendment was tabled by Senators Quinn, Coghlan and White on Committee Stage and I promised to return on Report Stage. The other amendments arise from the acceptance of amendment No. 3 and have the same effect. This amendment clarifies that employers and employees can agree on more than one information and consultation agreement. This situation tends to arise when there are...