Results 8,981-9,000 of 9,147 for speaker:Pat Breen

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (27 Mar 2019)

Pat Breen: I am delighted to have an opportunity to say a few words on the Department's 2019 Estimates, particularly the allocations to the Department's regulation programme and my immediate areas of responsibility. As the Minister has said, Brexit is an all-encompassing challenge for Departments and their agencies, including the agencies and regulatory bodies of our Department. The Brexit challenge...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (27 Mar 2019)

Pat Breen: I thank the Deputy for his questions. Consumer protection is of significant importance, given what is happening in today's environment. As the Deputy is aware, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission was established in 2014 as a result of the merger of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency. It is important to point out that it is a statutory body with...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (27 Mar 2019)

Pat Breen: I see it here.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 32 - Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised) (27 Mar 2019)

Pat Breen: It is important that we continue to resource the WRC when it comes to these matters. Given that proceedings relating to some of the issues to which the Chairman referred are pending before the High Court, it would be inappropriate for me to talk about some of them. We have been able to ensure that we can continue to resource the WRC and give it additional resources particularly for the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Health and Safety Authority Data (2 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: It is the Director of Public Prosecutions who takes prosecutions on behalf of the Health and Safety Authority. These can be taken at two levels in the Courts i.e. on Indictment in the Circuit Court before a Jury and Summarily before a Judge in the District Court. The Circuit Court can impose fines on conviction up to €3 million per count or imprisonment up to 2 years, while the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Skills Development (9 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 298 together. In December 2018, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) published ‘Digital Transformation: Assessing the Impact of Digitalisation on Ireland’s Workforce’. Whilst this report assesses the impact that the adoption of digital technologies has on Ireland’s workforce, the focus was broader than just...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Services (11 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. If an Employer/Respondent fails to comply with a decision of an Adjudication Officer of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), or a decision of the Labour Court arising from an appeal of an Adjudication Officer's decision, within the prescribed time, an application may be made to the District Court in accordance with section 43 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (11 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2018 was published on 20 July 2018.  The purpose of this Bill is to facilitate access by An Garda Síochána to the services of the WRC and Labour Court by amending the definitions to capture members of the Garda Síochána as 'workers' and the Garda Commissioner as 'employer' for the purposes of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protected Disclosures (16 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: The April/May addition of the Village Magazine contained an article within which a former Inspector of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) and latterly the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) made specific allegations in relation to both those bodies’ approach to specific inspections.  The individual involved made a protected disclosure to my Department in October...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Health and Safety Authority Data (16 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) tracks and analyses trends in fatal farm accidents and has produced detailed charts indicating the prevalence of fatalities due to livestock. The charts at the link show that livestock related deaths make up 16% of all workplace deaths in the Agriculture Sector. Further analyses of the farm fatalities involving livestock shows that Cow/Heifer attacks...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Health and Safety Authority Data (16 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: The reporting of accidents in the workplace which result in an absence and the prevention of an employee from performing their normal work for more than 3 consecutive days is a statutory requirement under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Reporting of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 370 of 2016). This applies to all workplaces regardless of size,...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (17 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: I would, if the Chairman does not mind. I will be brief. As members know, the Bill is very short. Its main purpose is to give members of An Garda Síochána access to the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court. When enacted, it will allow members of An Garda Síochána to avail of the broad suite of WRC services, including mediation, conciliation and...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (17 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: That is fine.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (17 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: I am not sure.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Commission (18 Apr 2019)

Pat Breen: In 2018, over 90% of complaints received by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) for adjudication were processed from receipt to hearing and decision within six months, where there were no requests for postponements, where all parties were available and where submissions were received in a timely manner. During 2018, 15,451 individual complaints were received by the Workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Labour Court Recommendations (8 May 2019)

Pat Breen: The Labour Court is an independent statutory office under the aegis of my Department with responsibility for adjudicating on disputes between employers and employees under industrial relations and employment rights legislation. As such I, as Minister, have no involvement when the Labour Court exercises its quasi- judicial functions. The specific details provided by the Deputy relate to...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (8 May 2019)

Pat Breen: At the outset, I must emphasise that Ireland’s system of industrial relations is essentially voluntary in nature and responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers rests with the employer, the workers and their representatives. The right of workers to form associations and join a trade union is enshrined in Article 40 of the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Labour Court Recommendations (8 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I am aware of the ongoing industrial relations issues at the company referred to by the Deputy. I am also aware that the Labour Court issued a recommendation on the 5thApril 2019 in relation to a claim before it, with the Court noting that this issue has already been before it, resulting in previous recommendations. Ireland’s system of industrial relations is essentially voluntary in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Personal Injury Claims (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: Deputy Kelleher has, in Deputy Butler, a good substitute in place for this afternoon's priority questions. I am very aware of the serious impacts on businesses and consumers of high insurance costs. It is important that consumers and businesses can obtain insurance cover at a reasonable and fair price. The cost of insurance working group, chaired by my colleague, the Minister of State...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Personal Injury Claims (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I agree with the Deputy on the awards made in certain cases. The Government is committed to ensure we get these measures put in place. As I stated already, it is about the cumulative effect of what we have been putting into place. The Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Amendment) Act 2019 is important legislation as it encourages people to settle awards out of court. That will mean...