Results 1,021-1,040 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Written Answers — Taxi Industry: Taxi Industry (26 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 in conjunction with the Organisation of Working Time (Inclusion of Transport Activities) Regulations 2004-S.I. No. 817 of 2004 provide that the maximum average working week of 48 hours and the rest periods and rest breaks provided for in that legislation apply to taxi drivers who have employee status. Section 33 of the 1997 Act provides that if an...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Under the Redundancy Payments Scheme all eligible employees are entitled to a statutory redundancy lump sum payment on being made redundant. It is up to the employer concerned, in the first instance, to determine whether or not there is in fact a redundancy situation and to make the relevant statutory redundancy payment to the employee(s). The Redundancy Payments Section of my Department...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The Employer Based Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme was launched in December 2008. It supports opportunities for up to 500 redundant apprentices to complete phases 5 and 7 on-the-job training and assessments with eligible employers during 2009. The apprenticeships covered by the scheme are those in the construction trades of bricklaying, carpentry & joinery, electrical, and plastering....

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The Employment Permits Section informs me that it has written to the applicant requesting some additional information in this case. On receipt of that information this application will be considered further.

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The table attached shows the average cost per apprentice for the training element of their apprenticeship broken down by trade group. FÁS have supplied information that could be provided in response to the Deputy's question in the time available. FÁS do not apportion staff costs and overheads to the various trades and in addition FÁS do not have information on staff costs and overheads...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The Standard Based Apprenticeship programme is an alternance training programme consisting of seven phases of which four are on-the-job with the employer and three are off-the-job in FÁS/Institutes of Technology/ Colleges of Further Education. These off-the-job phases total approximately 40 weeks out of 208 weeks of the apprenticeship programme. Apprentices receive a training allowance...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Only FÁS has a role in approving apprenticeships. All employers must be approved by FÁS in advance of apprentices being recruited and registered with them. This is to ensure that such employers can provide the necessary on-the-job training and progress assessments in a way that meets the particular requirements of the apprenticeship system. Other organisations do have a role in the...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The following table shows the breakdown of the cost of the allowances for apprentices paid by FÁS in 2008 and estimates of the 2009 allocation. Annual Allowance costs 2008 Actual Estimated Budget 2009 * Trade Group Phase 2 Phase 4 Phase 6 TOTAL Phase 2 Phase 4 Phase 6 TOTAL €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m Construction 22.799 17.289 15.720 55.808 13.071 16.384 16.335 45.790...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The information sought by the Deputy is as outlined in the tabular statement. 2007 2008 2009 Phase 2 Phase 4 Phase 6 Total Phase 2 Phase 4 Phase 6 Total Phase 2 Phase 4 Phase 6 Total €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m €m Allowances 39.02 25.40 26.88 91.31 38.09 27.22 27.56 92.87 25.91 26.80 28.01 80.72 Trainee T&S 8.17 2.30 2.47 12.94 7.37 2.83 2.51 12.72 6.13...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I understand that the person to whom the Deputy refers is one of a number of employees who were awarded compensation by the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) in 2006 under the Unfair Dismissals Acts. The Unfair Dismissals (Amendment) Act, 1993 provides that an employee who has not received compensation within six weeks of an EAT determination being communicated to the parties, may apply to...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (31 Mar 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. The huge increase in the number of Redundancy Payment claims lodged with the Redundancy Payments Section of my Department in the latter part of 2008 and, to date in 2009 is unprecedented and is giving rise to delays in the processing of redundancy payments for individuals and companies within a reasonable timeframe. The scale of the...

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I welcome the report of the Committee of Public Accounts on FÁS and commend the committee for the work carried out in this matter. I note that while the report in general concentrates on what went wrong in FÁS, it also points out that the good work being done by the staff should not be overlooked in any commentary. Many of the issues contained in the report have already been aired in...

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: We are taking into account the findings of the report of the Committee of Public Accounts. In fairness, much previous commentary was against the backdrop of these investigations. We will await the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and then do a full evaluation. It would be appropriate that we would only allow the Comptroller and Auditor General to investigate and make...

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The board is made up of the constituent parts of the social partnership process. There are nominations from the social partners, but we will await the outcome of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. A constitutional position like that deserves respect, and we will do a full evaluation on the report when he publishes it. We have not ruled anything in or out, as the old cliche goes.

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Is the Deputy referring to the report of the Committee of Public Accounts or the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General?

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I appreciate the Deputy's comments. Many staff experienced anxiety during the turbulent period before Christmas. We should acknowledge that, especially for frontline staff. The first thing we should do is await the report. When it is finalised and published, there will be broad discussions on its content. I cannot comment on a report that has not been completed.

FÁS Report. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: There is much urgency in this. At the time these problems arose, the Tánaiste requested the Comptroller and Auditor General to go in and do an evaluation. As the Committee of Public Accounts had initiated hearings and discussions, the Comptroller and Auditor General indicated, out of respect for that committee, that he would await its report on FÁS. The Comptroller and Auditor General is...

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Government funding of the Skillnets training networks programme, which supports enterprise-led training in the workplace, has increased in recent years. Public funding of all training networks and in-company training programmes managed by Skillnets Limited amounted to €26.7 million in 2008. This level of funding has been indicative of the Government's commitment to upskilling persons in...

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Skillnets has been already given its budget for 2009. There has been a reduction of 26% in the budget for the provision of training for those in work. It is part of the national skills strategy and the one step up programme for training people in unemployment. Let us be under no illusions. We must refocus and rededicate the scarce resources to provide training for people who lose their...