Results 11,021-11,040 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Four-Day Working Week: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I welcome our guests. It is very nice to see the former Senator, Ms Margaret Cox, again. Almost 25 years ago, one of the first parliamentary questions I asked related to Sunday trading. Tom Kitt was the Minister in the previous Government. While in opposition, he brought forward a Bill to regulate Sunday trading and I was anxious to see whether the Bill would progress. Obviously, it did...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Four-Day Working Week: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I need to do more research into how it works in nursing. Nurses are already producing 110% during the time they work. If they reduce their hours further, I do not know how they would be able to produce 100% given that they are already at that level, are working extremely hard and are very tired at the end of the day. The debate is quite good. I ask Mr. O'Connor to explain and expand on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Four-Day Working Week: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: That is fine. On the issue of the future of work, where do our guests see this going? Obviously, there is a pilot project. I note that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform stated that if the public service went to a four-day week it would add €4.2 billion to the public service pay bill. Are our guests aware of that? Do they know anything about it or how it is calculated?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Four-Day Working Week: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I have an open mind on it. In 1908, when people moved to five-day week, it was revolutionary, so this too would be a paradigm shift. With the impact of AI, flexible working, remote working and so on, much is happening and many changes are occurring. This proposal is certainly worthy of debate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Four-Day Working Week: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: If I heard him correctly, Mr. Barnes introduced another line of argument in which he suggested, quite correctly, that many doctors, nurses and others are working extremely hard and are burned out at the moment. His line of argument is that we should reduce their stress and the amount of work they are undertaking by bringing in a four-day week. However, as I said, for many professions, such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Four-Day Working Week: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I understand that because I know certain people in the childcare and nursing sectors who went on reduced hours and were very happy to do that. What I am getting to is the argument put forward by Mr. O'Connor and others that pay stays the same, time goes down but productivity stays the same. Mr. Barnes is now saying that it is not just productivity but that it also has to do with improved...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Reserve Defence Force: Discussion (5 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I am in Leinster House. I again welcome our guests. I met some of them a number of years ago. It is sad to see things have not progressed very much since then. In fact, they have gone the other way. As the Chairman said, I was a member of the RDF, which was called the FCA for 23 years. When I got elected to the Dáil, I got a letter from the President saying my services were no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Reserve Defence Force: Discussion (5 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I have two brief questions. The last time training camps were held was in 2019. I guess they were probably not held this year or last because of Covid-19 but perhaps I am wrong. Mr. Gargan might be able to give us an outline of the last training camps in terms of how many people attended, how they went and so on. Is it still the case that members of the public service can take time off...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Turkish Foreign Policy and Turkey-Ireland Relations: Engagement with Ambassador of Turkey (12 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I confirm I am in my office in Leinster House. I welcome the ambassador to the meeting and thank him for his presentation. Obviously, Turkey is a very important country, historically and geographically. It is a very influential country as well. Turkey is involved in lots of engagements right across the region. The ambassador might comment on the current situation with respect to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Turkish Foreign Policy and Turkey-Ireland Relations: Engagement with Ambassador of Turkey (12 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: When I was in earlier I asked the ambassador to comment on religious freedom in Turkey. We have seen some reports which would lead us to be concerned about that. Could he also comment on the impact of Covid-19 in Turkey, especially on the economy? Could the ambassador give us an update on the economic situation in Turkey?

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I welcome our guests. We all know the fantastic work the Simon Communities do. It is just amazing. We had an open day across the road and it was great to see the work it does. Mr. Dillon has brought this to a new level today and I congratulate him and Ms Casey on what they have been doing. I do not think I have heard so much common sense in a long time. I am aware of the Traveller...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I have three points. I thank Mr. Dillon for his analysis. He is spot on. When I was talking about discrimination, I was not referring to its genesis alone; I was more interested in why people discriminate today and why they feel fearful of a Traveller moving in next door or down the road. Where is that coming from? It is all very fine to say there is discrimination and so forth but...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: 8. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to further expand the range of apprenticeship schemes in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49751/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I tabled this question to give the Minister an opportunity to explain the further expansion of apprenticeships across the country. We have seen many new ones coming on stream in the past number of years. What new ones are being planned? Are there strategies in place to retain apprentices in position once they are employed?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is great to see more apprenticeship schemes coming on stream and so many in place. One question that arises is that once the apprentices are in position, why are so many leaving? This is true in the construction area especially, where there is such a significant need for them. I have had a number of responses to parliamentary questions...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State for that. Is he concerned at the level of dropout, which is in some instances one in five, or even greater?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (13 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: I ask the Minister to examine the issue of people with intellectual disabilities in rural areas getting to the centre of further training, education and so on. It can be a massive challenge. They do not qualify for the second-level school transport scheme. Their parents are quite often working and they cannot get to the centre, which may be many miles away and very often, the distances...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: 28. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 509 of 15 September 2021, his Department’s plans to encourage more young persons to take-up an apprenticeship and to support existing apprentices in their training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49750/21]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (14 Oct 2021)

David Stanton: 22. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to further encourage the establishment of remote working hubs in rural communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50049/21]