Results 821-840 of 4,178 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Risks to Health, Including Physical Health, of Pregnant Women: Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, Dr. Peter Boylan and Dr. Meabh Ní Bhuinneáin (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: If we take some other route, for example, putting legislation into the Constitution or being specific about grounds, would it just bring us back to where we are?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Options for Constitutional Change (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I welcome the decision not to retain Article 40.3.3°. I am particularly proud that it was Sinn Féin's Deputy Jonathan O'Brien who made the proposal this evening. It is fitting because I think the republican position would be to repeal Article 40.3.3°. Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember the original amendment. I was 17, it was my first vote and I voted against the...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I refer to today's protest outside the Oireachtas by the trade union, Unite, relating to English language teachers. I was unable to join the protest because I was attending a committee meeting but I understand the concerns of the protestors. I ask the Leader to request that the Minister come to the House to debate this issue. The protest was called to raise concerns about the...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I thank the Leader.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I have a couple of quick questions. I notice, unless I am mistaken, none of the witnesses has anything to say about the levels of executive pay in Ireland. Am I right in saying that in terms of the witnesses' presentations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I am, to be fair. It does not directly relate to the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: That is fine. How about the other witnesses?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: We know there have been some astounding increases in pay for CEOs. A survey last year showed between 11% and 236% in wage growth. I would have thought that somewhere in the cost of doing business there would be some commentary on it but if there is not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: Let me broaden it out. The point I am making relates to inequality. I have a concern because there seems to be this general theme, particularly with ISME, that the real challenge is to stop workers from getting pay increases. The witnesses have been very clear on the minimum wage and yet we know from the CSO figures that one in three workers in this country in this country is on less than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: Let me be clear. The witness does not object to a minimum wage rise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: Yes. However-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I apologise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I just wanted to let Mr. Talbot back in and I have one other question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I see two of the witnesses are in despair. I am sorry to hear that. I despair that any time someone raises the issue of inequality to employer representative bodies, or points out the gap between the minimum wage and a living wage, the issue is never addressed. I will take up one issue Mr. Talbot mentioned regarding the cost of living. I agree with him that the cost of living is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I welcome that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: That is a fair comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: I thank both of the witnesses for their presentations and apologise in advance. I have to go to another meeting, so I thank my colleagues for letting me speak first. It has been an excellent presentation in terms of its breadth, the issues it covers and as a counterbalance to some of the other information that we have had. I mean no disrespect to that information. We seem to have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: It does. I have two other follow-up questions, and I will be brief. It is important we hear about a social wage. We have only ever had conservative government in this country, so the social democratic concept of a social wage perhaps might not be as familiar as it should be. Could Dr. McDonnell tell us about what it means, and why it is so beneficial to a modern economy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: On that point, is the fact that so many workers in Ireland do not have any pension coverage, for example, a direct result of not having that social wage model in place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Oct 2017)

Paul Gavan: Sorry, I have one last question-----