Results 9,001-9,020 of 9,147 for speaker:Pat Breen

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

Pat Breen: The Minister for Justice and Equality is working on this. We have published guidelines on the reporting of fraudulent insurance claims to the Garda Síochána. The combination of what we have done over the past several years will bear fruition shortly. The Deputy referred to small businesses and she did a report on that for the enterprise committee. It is important to ensure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Remit (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this very important issue. One of the principal statutory functions of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is to investigate breaches of EU and Irish competition law, that is, Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and sections 4 and 5 of the Competition Act 2002. At the conclusion of an investigation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Remit (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: We agree the CCPC needs more powers. Up to now in civil cases, all the CCPC could do is fine bodies for infractions. I refer in particular to companies in a dominant position. The only power the CCPC had involved getting an injunction in the courts to stop such behaviour. It had no powers to impose fines and we are conscious the CCPC needs that power as well as the ability to enforce...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Remit (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I thank Deputy Broughan again for raising this matter. It is, of course, of primary importance to the Government that the costs of doing business here are kept down. It is important for Ireland to be competitive, especially in the context of an approaching Brexit. That is why we have brought in a number of initiatives, in particular in respect of Brexit, such as low-cost loans. The Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Remit (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I think much work will be done and Deputy Broughan will have an input into that.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Ireland Data (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: Attracting investment and creating new jobs in regional locations – including County Donegal – is a major priority for both myself and my Department. The IDA has a significant role to play in helping us achieve that objective. It has been working hard, through its staff both here and abroad, to encourage overseas investors to locate or expand in Ireland’s regions. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Commission (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: My Department works closely with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) monitoring its staffing and budgetary requirements, including anticipating future resource requirements, to ensure that it is supported and adequately resourced to fulfil its mandate. Additional funding has already been provided in 2019 to enable the WRC deal with the anticipated increased workload arising from An...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Workplace Relations Commission (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018, which comes under the remit of my colleague Regina Doherty T.D., Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, was signed into law by the President on 25 December 2018. The key objective of the Act is to improve the security and predictability of hours of work for those on insecure contracts and those working variable hours....

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: Access to the industrial relations machinery of the State is governed by the definition of “worker” in Section 23 of the Industrial Relations Act 1990, which provides, inter alia, that a “worker” means any person aged 15 years or more who has entered into or works under a contract with an employer. In addition, Section 3 of the Industrial Relations Act 1946...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (14 May 2019)

Pat Breen: 374. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20337/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2019 (15 May 2019)

Pat Breen: It is great to be back here again. I am here to discuss the sectoral order for the construction sector. I am pleased to present to the committee for its consideration the draft sectoral employment order for the construction sector. This draft order is being made under section 17 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015. The intention is that this order will confirm the rates of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2019 (15 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I would like to thank Senator Mac Lochlainn and Deputy Neville for their contributions on this. First, the measures here are an important step in securing stability and growth in this very critical sector at the moment. They also protect working conditions, and above all else, as Deputy Neville said, they aid in the attractiveness of the sector as a career. We know there is a shortage of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 May 2019)

Pat Breen: Statutory responsibility for the management of the National Apprenticeship System in Ireland falls under the remit of SOLAS, an agency under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills. In general, I understand that in relation to apprentice electricians, the rate of pay is a contractual matter between the employer and the apprentice.  In so far as my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Relations (28 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 based in voluntarism and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2017: Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (28 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am delighted to be back to discuss this sectoral employment order, SEO. I thank members for their attendance and am pleased to present for their consideration a draft SEO for the electrical contracting sector. This draft ministerial order is being made under section 17 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015. The intention is that this order will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2017: Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (28 May 2019)

Pat Breen: Yes, it will come into effect on 1 September, unlike the other recent SEOs which came into effect instantly. The slight delay will give contractors, both large and small, time to adjust to the fact that there will be a pay increase on 1 September. That is important from the perspective of employers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2017: Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (28 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I have the answer because we gave the WRC additional resources in the this year's budget-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2017: Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (28 May 2019)

Pat Breen: -----to deal with all of these matters, including the new responsibilities it will be given under the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2018, which will bring An Garda Síochána under the remit of the WRC. We ensured in the budget that additional resources would be provided for the WRC. I believe they were in region of €1 million. That will suffice. SEOs have worked...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2017: Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (28 May 2019)

Pat Breen: I will comment on that tomorrow. I believe we discussed that issue when the Bill was going through Second or Committee Stage in the House. I do not know if we are in a position to include the Defence Forces yet, but that is an issue that we will consider down the line. The issue was raised this morning by members of the Defence Forces around the country but we will deal with what is on the...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Union Membership (29 May 2019)

Pat Breen: The right of workers to form associations and the right to join a trade union are enshrined in Article 40 of the Irish Constitution. Section 13 of the Trade Union Act 1871 provides that when Trade Unions are applying for registration with the Registrar of Friendly Societies they must provide a copy of their rules. Furthermore, Section 12 of the Trade Union Act 1941 provides that an...