Results 1,141-1,160 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body bound to act judicially and was set up to provide a speedy, fair, inexpensive and informal means for individuals to seek remedies for alleged infringements of their statutory right. As an independent body, I have no function in relation to the day-to-day operation of the Tribunal. I understand that three thousand, seven hundred and twenty...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The current specific regulatory provisions on the reporting of occupational accidents and specified non-injury dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Authority are set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 1993, SI 44 of 1993. Under those provisions, an accident is reportable where it results in a fatality or where the injured employee is...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Deputy's question is timely, given that the general application regulations are under consideration and that specific definitions are included in the 2005 Act. There are two current provisions relating to asbestosis, for example, but they require updating. Deputy Morgan is right in saying that we need far better research in this area to enable us to draw up regulations that are suitable...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The construction regulations are with the parliamentary counsel. I expect the Health and Safety Authority to submit a draft of the general application regulations soon, which will be forwarded to the parliamentary counsel. I wrote to the clerk of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business offering to give a briefing to that committee on the construction regulations and to hear its...

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I join my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, in welcoming Deputy Quinn's return to an area in which he has a particular interest and his attempt to tee up a good news story for me. The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, which implemented EU Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working...

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: As the Deputy is well aware, there are considerable benefits to employees in the policies pursued by this Government. An enormous amount of work is done on the area of work-life balance. The report on the working place of the future makes 46 recommendations, among which is not numbered a proposal to create an additional public holiday. The Deputy is aware that it has been the practice in this...

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I wish to address a number of issues in the short to medium term on the quality of working life. Among them is an issue recently addressed by the Government, namely, increasing the entitlement to carer's leave. I would like to pursue a number of other issues in that area.

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: In that context, I have no difficulty in considering the creation of additional public holidays. However, I believe social partnership plays an integral and important role in our lives. It has been a major contributor to the success of the economy and the country. I would not be happy to take an initiative without reference to the social partners, notwithstanding the fact that the Government...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: A demonstration to mark workers memorial day took place outside the Health and Safety Authority on Friday, 28 April. The centrepiece of the event was a minute's silence to honour the memory of those killed in the workplace. The event was supported by BATU and the construction branch of SIPTU. Key organisers of the event were the family of Mr. Justin Foley, who was killed in a workplace...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: As the Deputy is aware, the issue was debated when the Bill was going through the Dáil. The matter is entirely appropriate to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform but there are penalties under the new legislation that are considerably stronger than those provided for previously. The issue of the corporate manslaughter debate is one for the Department of Justice, Equality and...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 transposed into Irish law the EU Council Directive 93/104/EC of 22 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time. One of the objectives of the Directive is the improvement of workers' safety, hygiene and health at work. The 1997 Act provides that an employee is entitled to a break of 15 minutes after working for more...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 146 together. The Expert Advisory Group's Report on Workplace Bullying was launched and published by me on the 17th August 2005. An important recommendation contained in the Report was that a follow up survey on workplace bullying, similar to that commissioned for the 2001 Report, be conducted as soon as practicable to establish a baseline from which...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: Regulation 4 of the Safety Health at Welfare at Work (Miscellaneous Welfare Provisions) Regulations 1995 (S.I. No. 358 of 1995) states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure that where any employed persons have in the course of their employment reasonable opportunities for sitting without detriment to their work or where a substantial proportion of any work done by employed...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Inspectorate of the Department is responsible for monitoring certain employment conditions for all categories of workers in Ireland, including immigrant workers. The Inspectorate operates without any differentiation with regard to worker nationality as statutory employment rights and protections apply to immigrant workers in exactly the same manner as they do to other workers. In...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 has enhanced provisions on consultation between the employer and the employee on safety and health issues at the workplace. Employees are entitled to select a safety representative (or by agreement with the employer, more than one) to represent them in these consultations. The Act also contains provisions in relation to protection against...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Inspectorate has been following up this case since a series of interviews were undertaken with employees concerned on Friday, April 7th last. There is acknowledgement that certain arrears are due to employees. The company has produced revised contracts of employment to its employees and the Inspectorate is examining this material at present. While the Inspectorate has no function...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I am aware through a variety of sources that there is particular concern with regard to the alleged practices of some employments in the mushroom industry. In this connection I have met with Officials from SIPTU and key representatives from the industry. In the latter case I was accompanied by my colleague, Mr. Brendan Smith, Minister for Food and Horticulture at the Department of...

Written Answers — Adult Literacy: Adult Literacy (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: Under the auspices of my Department, FÁS implements a number of initiatives to address the literacy needs of long term unemployed. ∙The Return to Education Programme responds to the individual needs of participants on the FAS Community Employment (CE) programme as they relate to literacy and numeracy development. This programme, developed by FAS in conjunction with the National Adult...

Written Answers — Employment Agencies: Employment Agencies (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: Under the Employment Agency Act 1971, a person carrying on the business of an employment agency must be the holder of a licence issued by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and must operate from a premises in Ireland that conforms with prescribed standards of accommodation, set out in Regulations made under the Act. As part of the Government's commitments under Sustaining...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I regret that Directive 2003/18 was not transposed by the deadline of the 15 April 2006, and I am anxious that it would be transposed as soon as possible. I have not yet received a legislative proposal in this regard from the Health and Safety Authority, but I am advised that draft proposals for the Regulations were published on 9 May on the Authority's website, as part of the public...