Results 1,021-1,040 of 2,476 for speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I want to speak to amendment No. 51, which is a significant amendment in the context of the advocacy role. This is something that I raised and discussed on Committee Stage. It concerns the relationship between the Minister and the Department and the HEA. One of the elements that will be crucial is the memorandum of understanding that will be entered into between the Department and an...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I wish to be associated with the vote of thanks to all of the members of staff in the Seanad and in the Houses of the Oireachtas more generally. We certainly could not do our job without their help, and also the work of our secretarial assistants. I hope all of the staff will get a well-deserved break at some stage over the summer. I congratulate the Houses of the Oireachtas on its...

Seanad: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Committee Stage (13 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. It is important to acknowledge his work and that of his officials. He has put an incredible amount of work into this. He has chosen not to play politics with it. He wanted to resolve an issue affecting significant numbers of individuals and families. I am speaking specifically to the amendment. We all value our homes. They are where we live...

Seanad: Night-time Economy: Motion (13 Jul 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I commend Senator Warfield on bringing forward this motion. He has been a strong advocate on this issue for quite some time. I also commend the team from Give Us The Night. I was not able to make the briefing this afternoon, although my intern went to it. Certainly, those involved with Give Us The Night have been very active on this issue for a long...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Social Outcome Contracts in Irish Sport: Discussion (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I have met with Mr. McGroarty and Mr. Courell. I was following the opening statements earlier but got delayed at another event. I am very supportive of this. The involvement of local sports partnerships, LSPs, may be key. I suggest that consideration be given to establishing a series of pilot projects with LSPs. Such projects should have clear metrics and be measurable. I have one...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank our guests. In the context of this report, it is important that we have independent, evidence-based research. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence around the sector, which is a part of the challenge. I was at the meeting the committee had with representatives of Fáilte Ireland, the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland, and vintners'...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Where are those statistics coming from?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I am conscious of time and, with respect, Mr. Hynes has already cited those figures. Where are they from?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I am lobbied all the time about work permits and the delays included in that process. One of the requirements in order to get a work permit for non-EEA workers is that their annual remuneration must be at least €30,000 per year. I appreciate that depends on the number of hours we are talking about. How can Mr. Hynes reconcile the fact that the legal requirement to qualify for a work...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I am merely asking the question. Mr. Hynes seems to imply that the majority of people who are employed on work permits here are paid less than the legally required €30,000 per annum.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I am not saying that.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: It is just that the committee has not seen the figures.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Mr. Hynes gets my point. On a regular basis we deal with the issue whereby for employers to get a work permit they must show they will pay at least €30,000 per annum. Why would an employer go to the lengths of having to ensure they must pay somebody over €30,000 per annum plus pay, I think, €1,000 per year for a permit?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I ask the Chairman to request Fáilte Ireland to supply us with its data, which would get back to our point about having evidence-based data. I am very concerned whether the phrase "a culture of exploitation" appears. There are bad employers but many of the employers in the sector that I know are good employers. They care for their staff, look after them and are interested in...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: That is a core recommendation, Chairman. When I prepared for this committee I discovered that a lack of evidence is one of the challenges.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: There is lots of anecdotal evidence and I am not saying that it is not important. I certainly agree with the earlier point made about the necessity to have an information campaign so people are made aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Yes, the data or statistics.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: We should request anybody who has evidenced-based statistics or data to supply same, particularly as the committee will produce a policy document at the end of this process and it should be based on existing evidence. I do not wish to defend bad employers but I do not want the impression to go out that there is a culture of exploitation in the sector. I do not believe that to be the case.