Results 10,961-10,980 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The considerable 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 acceptable timeframes. The scale of the challenge is evident from the statistics for the...

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Acute eyes.

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I should have said sharp eyes. He is cute all right but not in that way.

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy is right. Had we discussed this four or five years ago the complaint would have been that the work permit section was not delivering quickly enough. We have transferred many of those people to the redundancy section. Following further meetings with the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, we have not just added 20 staff but transferred an additional 14. I have also requested...

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Although we do not have electronic funds transfer from one to the other we do facilitate a full offset, at the employer's request, of the amount against its tax liability.

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Yes. The Revenue Commissioners do not mind.

National Minimum Wage. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: In November 2008, ICTU requested the Labour Court to review the national minimum wage and to make a recommendation to me concerning its adjustment. The court is required under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 to consult with representatives of employers and employees in the private sector and the public sector of the economy. In this regard, I understand that the court invited submissions...

National Minimum Wage. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Labour Court would be very cognisant of ongoing discussions within the social partnership process and on that basis, I expect that the Labour Court would not be making a recommendation to the Minister of State. I have heard both sides of the argument. I had the opportunity to meet Commissioner Spidla and he indicated that the labour relations issues we have - the minimum wage, the EROs...

National Minimum Wage. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I have much more to be doing than reading The Irish Times, and from what I can see, the Deputy spends 99.9% of his time on the Internet and the computer. I do not have the time to read The Irish Times and what it has to say. It is my responsibility not to make any public pronouncement on the basis that we must adjudicate within the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. As we all...

National Minimum Wage. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am precluded from expressing a view on the matter. However, it is important to say that there is an opinion among many companies which are struggling that the level at which national minimum wage is set is causing them difficulties. It is not necessarily that people are in receipt of the national minimum wage but these companies are of the view what is over and above that wage is causing...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Technical, Engineering & Electrical Union took strike action on Monday, 6 July 2009. This action follows the breakdown of talks at the Labour Relations Commission. The National Implementation Body issued a statement on the dispute on Friday, 3 July urging the parties to re-engage with the LRC to explore the full range of issues at the centre of the dispute, with a view to averting...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: All Members are anxious that this matter be brought to resolution. Contrary to what Deputy Bannon thinks, my head is not in the sand.

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Perhaps the Deputy is not familiar with all of the issues and complications which have been part of this registered employment agreement, REA, for a considerable time, the amount of litigation which has taken place, the deliberations of the Labour Court and its recommendation that there be further consideration, particularly on the question of pay but also on the reform of the REA. The Labour...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I concur with the Deputy, in that people cannot start with the polarised views being expressed by both sides in public. Naturally, the argument has two sides. The Oireachtas has an expectation that the registered employment agreements, REAs, and joint labour committees, JLCs, should be shored up by the Industrial Relations Act. We look forward to the discussion on this point. It may be...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Given the context and principle of the Deputy's questions, I agree that it is a time for cool heads. An escalation on either side through words or actions would not bring us to where we want to be. I agree that the temperature in the House, although freezing thanks to the air conditioning, is calm and measured. We would all agree that we wish to see this dispute resolved as quickly as...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: A number of companies that contacted my office directly expressed grave concern over the impact of the strike on their productivity and jobs. I am aware of this and have had discussions with a number of companies that are not in the dispute. Two companies have decided to seek injunctions and put staff on protective notice. Workers and all of us in this House take this matter very...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I do not disagree with that view and we do not want a race to the bottom. However, the simplification of the REA is very important and will provide greater clarity. That will be the next step. I am sure both parties would like a resolution in this regard and I am not aware of people being against simplification. I have not been in direct contact with either party in the dispute but I have...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt the decision to be made tomorrow on Diageo given that a temporary injunction has been granted. However, we desire a de-escalation of the entire dispute and that people on both sides step down such that the Labour Relations Commission can mediate. I hope this will occur. The simplification of REAs and EROs will be discussed in the context of the...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: This difficulty between the employers has been going on for some time and has been dragged through judicial review and through the High Court and the Labour Court. There was a hearing at the beginning of the year on whether the registered employment agreement should be removed or amended, which took some time. The Labour Court made its determination and the majority agreed that we had to...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It would not be prudent to make any assumptions. We hope that people will come together under the LRC and that we can have a meeting of minds. I hope that contingency plans will not be the order of the day.