Results 661-680 of 14,554 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Job Losses. (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: The Deputy and I served together on the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment on which we attempted to address the issue of bank credit. This issue is intimately linked with recapitalising the banks and unfortunately this cannot be ignored.

Job Losses. (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: A highly detailed response was given to the interim report. I repeat there is ongoing engagement in the context of budget 2010-----

Job Losses. (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: -----and the specific recommendations will be included therein. It is neither right nor true to state that no response has been given to that report.

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: On 15 December 2009, the Tánaiste and I published the independent report into the industrial relations dispute between the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union and Employers in the electrical contracting industry that resulted in a nationwide strike in July, 2009. The report was commissioned under Section 38 (2) of the Industrial Relations Act 1990. The report focuses attention on...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: Community Employment is first and foremost an active labour market programme with the primary objective of progressing participants into the open labour market. It is specifically targeted at equipping the long-term unemployed, through identified worthwhile work and training, with the skills that will allow them to enter the labour force. While the programme is a valuable support to groups...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: This consultancy study entitled, Research Report on Acquired Disability and Employment, was commissioned by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment following discussions with its Consultative Forum on an employment strategy for people with disabilities, and completed in 2008. Key findings in the study explore the incidence of disability acquired by people during their working...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 159 together. In the first half of 2009 my Department completed a review of employment permit arrangements, the purpose of which was to ensure that such arrangements continued to be appropriate to the needs of our changing labour market. Following the outcome of consultations with the Social Partners and other interest groups, a number of changes were...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 140 together. Table 1 below sets out the number of statutory redundancies for the years 2002 to 2009 and provisional figures up to 29 January, 2010. These figures reflect the number of employees who actually qualified for statutory redundancy lump sum payments. They do not reflect those who lost their jobs with less than two years service in...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: The role of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) is to secure greater compliance with employment rights legislation and I welcome the fact that this is being achieved with equal emphasis on awareness raising and inspection activity and, where necessary, by pursuing prosecutions. NERA's work is essential in assisting individual workers to obtain their statutory entitlements, and to...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 143 together. The Towards 2016 Review and Transitional Agreement 2008 – 2009 (paras 9.1 – 9.3) provides for the establishment of a review process to consider the legal and other steps necessary to enable the employee representation mechanisms that had been established under previous agreements – and in legislation – to operate as they had been...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: I understand that in November 2008, ICTU requested the Labour Court to review the national minimum wage and to make a recommendation to me concerning its adjustment. The Court subsequently invited submissions on the issue. Various submissions were received, including from IBEC, ICTU and the Department of Finance. The Labour Court also held discussions with these parties. Under the National...

Written Answers — Workplace Accidents: Workplace Accidents (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: The Health and Safety Authority has said that in 2009 there were 43 reported workplace fatalities, as compared to 57 in 2008, an almost 25% decrease in worker deaths over 2008 and the lowest number of reported workplace deaths in 20 years. I have welcomed this positive trend, albeit with some reservations because behind each of these unfortunate fatalities there are 43 families who are...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: The allocation of the 500 additional places is still being finalised.

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: NERA currently has a team of 69 inspectors in place. Recruitment competitions have been held to bring the number of Inspectors from the original level of 31 Inspectors up to the level of 90 committed to under Towards 2016. 60 inspectors were assigned to NERA from these competitions. 22 Inspectors have left NERA over the past two years as a result of promotion or internal and external...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government intends to introduce an "inability to pay" provision that will be adapted to the specific context of Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) and Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) respectively. This will be effected through the Industrial Relations Amendment Bill 2009 which is currently receiving a second stage reading in the Dáil, having...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: Eligibility to participate on the Community Employment programme is linked to those in receipt of an Irish social welfare payment. Those persons not meeting the criteria or who are signing for credits, or are receiving social welfare benefits from a different country, are not eligible to participate on Community Employment. A person signing for credits may participate on a FÁS training...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (2 Feb 2010)

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 — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: FÁS provides a range of training courses to suit participants' individual needs and circumstances. New entrants to FÁS who are in receipt of allowances from the Department of Social and Family Affairs and undertaking a full-time training course retain the same level of allowances whilst pursuing their training. Those in receipt of social welfare payments undertaking part-time training (20...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: I understand that the Deputy is referring to Community Employment Schemes. There are no three year adult education courses on Community Employment (CE). This Government will continue to support the positive role of CE in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons while at the same time providing essential services to communities. In this regard I am keeping the operation of the Scheme...

Written Answers — Work Placement Programme: Work Placement Programme (2 Feb 2010)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 214 together. There are 2,000 places on the Work Placement Programme, 1,000 for graduates and 1,000 for non-graduates. As of 27th January 2010, there have been a total of 297 people who have commenced their work placement. Graduates account for 198 of those placements with non-graduates accounting for the remaining 99 placements. There are another...