Results 6,661-6,680 of 26,430 for speaker:David Cullinane

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: 590. To ask the Minister for Health if a service level agreement exists between University Hospital Waterford, UHW, and or private and public hospitals in Cork to treat cardiac patients; if so, the terms of such agreements; the number of patients from UHW which have been seen in Cork hospitals; the additional number which will be seen in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Expenditure (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: 591. To ask the Minister for Health the total agency spend at University Hospital Waterford for each of the years 2011 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4433/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Expenditure (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: 591. To ask the Minister for Health the total agency spend at University Hospital Waterford for each of the years 2011 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4433/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff Data (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: 592. To ask the Minister for Health the total number of vacant posts in the radiology department at University Hospital Waterford, broken down by grade and title; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4434/17]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motor Insurance Regulation (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: 717. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the plans his Department has developed or is in the process of developing to address the issue of excessive quotes for wheelchair access taxis in view of the fact that such quotes have a detrimental effect on the dynamics of the licences issued by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4139/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirleach. It is very strange for me to be on this side of the room but new politics is throwing up new situations. I am pleased to be here and happy that the joint committee is examining this issue. The exploitation of people on low hour contracts, especially in the retail sector but also across many other sectors is an important issue. This Bill will allow...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: The Bill sets out in section 3 how this would work in practice. As Deputy Quinlivan said, and as I hope all members will agree, the situation at the moment is entirely unreasonable. There are many workers in this State who are working 30 or 40 hours a week for some companies, often for five years, ten years or more, yet their contracts are for ten or 15 hours a week. The Bill essentially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: This would apply to people who are on low hour contracts. In many companies we already have situations where rosters of workers' hours are displayed. We have it in many different workplaces. One of the concerns that has been raised was the impact that this would have on small employers, that if one employs fewer than five people, it might be difficult. I do not accept that but that was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: We should be aware of the distinction. There are some contracts and some workers who know what their hours are on a weekly basis. They are on fixed hours. They know that they start at 8.30 a.m. and that they finish at 5.30 p.m., Monday to Friday. In those circumstances there is no need to display their hours. In situations where a worker does not know his or her hours from week to week,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: I understand the employer organisations are in Leinster House today and I am sure, therefore, that we will hear from them. I have not seen their opening statements on what they have to say about the Bill, but I have heard from them in the past when it was discussed on Second Stage. There is an attempt to over-complicate what is a very simple Bill, for which there are reasons from their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: There is none because there is no right to request to be placed on a banded hours contract. They are not recognised in law. What we have is a voluntary arrangement with some employers - I have given some examples - negotiated with the trade unions. In the past they operated low-hour contracts under which some of their employees were to work ten or 15 hours contracts, but they ended up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: Yes, Mandate is. They will have a lot of the data needed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: I do. I am not in favour of any legislation which places a difficulty on employers, especially small employers. We were very conscious when drafting this Bill that it seeks to achieve a balance. At the moment there is no balance, because workers do not have the right to have a contract reflective of their hours. Only in circumstances where an employer refuses to grant permission, at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: There are examples in other pieces of legislation where there are opt-outs for companies which employ fewer than five people. That is something this committee could consider. One is talking about whether this puts any additional burden on businesses or will cause any difficulties for them. I accept the Deputy's line of questioning because I acknowledge that any legislation that passes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: This arose on Second Stage. I am not sure of any season that lasts six months. The reason that we picked six months is that it does take into account seasonal work. For example, a Christmas period would normally be a six to eight week period. I know that some people have said that six months is too short. If that is the case, they can put forward amendments to extend the time period....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: I thank Teachta Neville. I will deal with the final point first, only the employee can make a request, so that in circumstances where a worker enjoys a flexible contract or is quite happy with their arrangement, there is no change in circumstances. It is only in situations where communication breaks down between the employee and the employer that a request can be made by the employee. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: That would be the normal practice in the situation. That would be a matter for the Workplace Relations Commission. If a company were to say it is economically unviable for me to do this but they are actually employing people for those hours anyway, then the responsibility would be on them to prove that they could not do this economically. How that is worked out would be an issue for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: That is a matter for this committee. First, a case cannot be taken by a person until he or she has been working six months. At the very minimum, it would be six months before an employee could request that his or her contract would reflect the hours he or she works. The issues that Deputy Neville raised can be teased out and amendments tabled. These are rare examples of difficulties. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: I thank the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 [Private Members]: Discussion (31 Jan 2017)

David Cullinane: In response to Senator Gavan citing the remark on the non-existent problem, I have not seen that but I have heard that said by some employer organisations in the past. I was an Oireachtas Member who worked with Members from all parties and none during my last term to develop a report on low pay supported by all parties. When I engaged with some of the employer organisations, and I did so in...