Results 81-100 of 1,150 for speaker:Frank Fahey

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are putting the same regime in place. This indicates that most European states, with the exception of Germany and Austria which are immediately adjacent to a number of the applicant countries, are prepared to give an opportunity to people from those countries to have freedom of movement. Safeguards are there if required...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: The provisions in section 3 exempt people from the eight accession states referred to from the need, as laid down by the treaty of accession, to obtain employment permits in order to enter into or be in employment in the State during the transition period. Under subsection (3), the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment may, by order, reinstate the requirement for employment permits in...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: These are drafting changes to the Long Title of the Bill. The parliamentary counsel has indicated a preference for the revised version of the Long Title in amendments Nos. 15 and 16, which replace the terms "PROVIDING" and "GRANTING" with "TO PROVIDE" and "GRANT". This is line with consistency in drafting. I will also be introducing another amendment to the Long Title on Report Stage which is...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: This is a drafting amendment for consistency and clarity. Amendment agreed to.

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: It is the business of the courts to decide on the level of fine in individual cases. Instances of employers committing a single offence would normally be dealt with by summary conviction in the District Court where fines not in excess of €3,000 would be imposed.

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: I am responding to the points Senators made. There is a criminal industry in which, as I stated, well organised criminal gangs knowingly exploit the workforce. These gangs earn much of their profits on the backs of illegal workers. The level of fine in the Bill is required as a deterrent and will be imposed on indictment in the Circuit Court. The penalty must be sufficient to deter...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: As Senator Leyden said, it would be foolhardy to tie the hands of any Government in the context of what may or may not happen in the future. The acceptance of the amendment would not only mean including the states not covered by the treaty of accession, but it would also make reference to instruments that do not yet exist. This would not make any sense. The provisions of those instruments may...

Seanad: Employment Permits Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (1 Apr 2003)

Frank Fahey: I thank Senators for their co-operation in the passage of this Bill. It is a good Bill because it is balanced and opens up the labour market in the State to the applicant countries and that is the image we want to portray in those countries. It also provides a safeguard in the event of a significant economic downturn. The enlargement of the EU provides significant opportunities for the State....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Plant Closure. (3 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: I apologise for the absence of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who wants me to thank Senators for raising this matter on the Adjournment. Since the fire at Glanbia Meat's plant at Rooskey, County Roscommon in May 2002, the company had been examining the possibility of rebuilding its pig slaughtering plant. Unfortunately, the outcome was the announcement by the...

Seanad: School Accommodation. (3 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: I am glad the Senator has given me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position of the Department of Education and Science on this issue. The Minister for Education and Science is fully conscious of the issue raised by the Senator. Lucan is the fastest growing area in the country. As a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places, particularly at...

Seanad: Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Bill 2002 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (4 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: The Bill has changed little since it was passed by the Seanad in February. On foot of an amendment by Deputy Upton, section 6 and the Title were amended to include the Irish language version in the name of the foundation – Fondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann. Deputy Upton also proposed an amendment to section 14(3) which provides that the foundation, rather than the director general, shall...

Seanad: Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Bill 2002 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (4 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: I thank Senators for their support in the passing of this Bill and goodwill in the establishment of Science Foundation Ireland. I thank the staff of the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for their assistance in drafting the legislation as well as the staff of my Department which has done such a wonderful job in the preparation and honing of the Bill....

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (4 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: Senators will recall that when this Bill was going through the House last month, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, undertook on my behalf to report back to the Seanad about any amendments made on Committee Stage in the Dáil. In that regard, I am pleased to update Senators today on developments in relation to the Bill. I appreciate the constructive discussion that...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (4 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: The Committee Stage debate in the Dáil, which took place on the evening of 2 July, lasted for two hours. Some 43 amendments were discussed, eight of which were Government amendments. They were designed to improve the thrust of the Bill and I would briefly like to outline their effect to the House. The Government put down two amendments to section 6, which deals with the conditions of the...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (4 Jul 2003)

Frank Fahey: I thank Senators for their co-operation in finally passing the Bill. In response to Senator Leyden, we are preparing an information booklet. The details will be displayed on the departmental website and it will be available through the employment rights information unit in my Department. The information will be widely available. The legislation gives new rights to employees across all...

Seanad: FÁS Community Employment Schemes: Motion. (28 Jan 2004)

Frank Fahey: I thank Fine Gael for tabling this motion and the Members who have contributed to the debate. Certainly, the contribution of Senator Ross was very different to that of everyone else. I will come to the issues he raised in a few moments. I am rather surprised to find that the essence of what is proposed in the Fine Gael motion is entirely wrong. It calls on the Tánaiste to suspend the...

Seanad: FÁS Community Employment Schemes: Motion. (28 Jan 2004)

Frank Fahey: I am not using a script.

Seanad: FÁS Community Employment Schemes: Motion. (28 Jan 2004)

Frank Fahey: There has been no reduction in the numbers on community employment schemes this year.

Seanad: FÁS Community Employment Schemes: Motion. (28 Jan 2004)

Frank Fahey: We ended last year with 25,000 places on community employment schemes in addition to 5,000 places in community employment and social economy. We start this year with 25,000 places. In addition, the budget makes provision for another 2,500 places through the Department of my colleague, Deputy Ó Cuív, for people in the farming sector.

Seanad: FÁS Community Employment Schemes: Motion. (28 Jan 2004)

Frank Fahey: That means there will be an additional 2,500 community employment places this year, which will bring the total to 32,500. That is a very considerable number of people given that four years ago, when we had the highest level of unemployment, the number was only 39,000. In reference to the political points made by Senators, a fight was put up by members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party,...