Results 9,961-9,980 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: When we were last here I gave an undertaking to progress the Bill in Government time, reflecting the Government's support for the aims of the Bill. Increasing choices for working parents and helping to provide them with the opportunity to spend more time with their children is a worthwhile aim, and we all share it. However, Senators will appreciate that the development of policy in this...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: The purpose of this amendment is to amend the Parental Leave Act 1998 to increase the current 18-week unpaid parental leave entitlement to 26 weeks. The Government now proposes that this increase in parental leave should be phased in in two blocks of four additional weeks from 1 September of this year and a further four weeks from 1 September 2020. As I have already mentioned, while all of...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: The purpose of amendment No. 3 is to modify the Bill's approach towards parents who were unable to use their full entitlement to parental leave previously. Section 6 of the Parental Leave Act 1998 provides for parents' entitlements to parental leave. At present, if a child reaches the age of eight years, then his or her parents will no longer have an entitlement to parental leave, even if...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: Government amendment No. 5 is procedural in nature and deletes existing text in the Bill which was inserted on Committee Stage. These provisions will be replaced by the text which will be moved in amendment No. 6. Government amendment No. 6 provides for the amendment of section 7 of the principal Act which is the section which governs the manner in which leave is taken by parents. At...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: Amendment No. 7 is a consequential amendment that is required due to the insertion of section 7(1)(ba). Senators will recall that amendment is required to address an error in the Bill and will provide families with greater flexibility in how they take their leave. When the primary Act was enacted in 1998, parents could take a single period of 14 weeks leave or smaller periods as agreed with...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: This amendment replicates and updates an existing transitional provision in section 11 of the Act. At present, under section 11(6A) where a parent takes two periods of parental leave in excess of six weeks in duration and has given proper notice to their employer but then wishes to postpone the leave, that postponement shall apply to both periods of leave unless an alternative arrangement is...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: On Committee Stage, Senators will recall that I accepted an amendment concerning the employer’s obligation to retain records of their employees’ applications to take parental leave. Section 27 of the Act requires employers to retain records on parental leave taken by their employees for a period of eight years. This retention period parallels the qualifying age of a child...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: This is a standard commencement provision which I have been advised by senior officials in my Department and the Office of the Attorney General is required as a matter of good legislative and drafting practice. I assure Senators that the Minister and I will not delay in commencing the Bill once enacted and to this effect, my officials and the Office of the Attorney General are preparing a...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (8 May 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Senators for an engaging debate. I am delighted that we are able to move forward towards finalising the Bill. I hope and understand that it will complete its final passage through the Dáil next week. The main point to take away this evening is that we have introduced measures which are fair and, more importantly, which benefit parents and families. This Government and...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: From the Seanad (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: In 1984, one of the Ceann Comhairle’s county men, Charles Handy, wrote The Future of Work, a book with which I am sure he is familiar. He envisaged that, as technology advanced, all of us would have an easier and better time and would not work as hard. Unfortunately, we are all taking work home in our pockets, namely, with our smartphones. We have all heard stories about people...

Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Order for Second Stage (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Second Stage (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time”. I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for a requirement that employers with 50 or more employees publish certain information on the differences in pay between female and male employees. The gender pay gap is a well-known phenomenon...

Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Second Stage (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Deputies who contributed to the debate. I will consider all views, although I may not agree with all of them. I stated in my opening comments that this Bill is a very important step. It does not provide a complete solution to the problem of the gender pay gap and Deputy Niamh Smyth is correct in that the gender pay gap arises because of many causes, including women being...

Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Referral to Select Committee (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice and Equality pursuant to Standing Orders 84A(3)(a) and 149(1).

An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (An Ceart chun Teaghaise) 2016: An Dara Céim [Comhaltaí Príobháideacha] - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Right to a Home) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Sinn Féin Deputies for introducing this Bill which seeks to incorporate a right to a home in the Constitution. The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is very sorry he cannot be here. If Members look at the monitors, they will see that he is on his feet in the Seanad to take the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill. He...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Gambling Legislation (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 to 240, inclusive, together. The Government has outlined on a number of occasions that it recognises the need to proceed with comprehensive reform of our outdated gambling licensing and regulation. The proposals in the 2013 General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill, were reviewed by the Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Future Licensing and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Visa Applications (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs sends his apologies to the House. He is unable to be here so he asked me to address the matter. The Tánaiste thanks the Senator for bringing these cases to his attention. This is clearly a very difficult time for the families concerned. I commend the Senator for raising the matter in the way he did. Unfortunately, the Tánaiste...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Visa Applications (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I again thank the Senator for raising these two cases. I recognise they are very upsetting for the families and I am sorry about that. It is usual that such families would approach the Minister and the Department to make representations. That has not happened to the best of my knowledge. I believe I heard the Senator say that there would be no cost involved to the states concerned because...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Naturalisation Applications (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I am happy to discuss the matter of naturalisation fees with the Senator on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, who sends his apologies. Citizenship is a unique privilege bestowed on an individual that confers, among other rights, the protection of the State. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Naturalisation Applications (14 May 2019)

David Stanton: I remind the Senator that Ireland is a welcoming country and has granted citizenship to more than 100,000 individuals since citizenship ceremonies were introduced in 2011. In total, nationals of 181 different countries have become Irish citizens since that time. The fee is a part of the process and is common practice internationally. The standard fees payable by an applicant are designed...