Results 1,181-1,200 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (23 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: Statutory redundancy is based on two weeks pay per year of service plus one extra weeks pay, subject to a maximum gross wage of €600 per week. In 2005 the total spend by employers in respect of redundancies was €229,983,333. Rebates of 60% amounting to €137,990,000 were paid from the Social Insurance Fund to employers by my Department, resulting in the total net cost to employers of...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (23 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body under the aegis of my Department. The average waiting period from the time a case is notified to the Tribunal until it is heard in each region is: County Weeks County Weeks Cavan 43 Longford 41 Carlow 32 Louth 38 Clare 40 Mayo 40 Cork 58 Meath 38 Donegal 34 Monaghan 22 Dublin 24 Offaly 49 Galway 43...

County Enterprise Boards. (24 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The core function of the county enterprise boards is to develop indigenous enterprise potential and stimulate economic activity at local level. In carrying out that function, the CEBs have performed extremely well over the last 13 years, making a significant contribution to direct job creation and the development of an enterprise culture throughout Ireland. Over that period, the boards have...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (25 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body under the aegis of the Department. I understand that there are 106 cases currently awaiting hearing in County Limerick, the earliest of which was notified to the Tribunal on 23rd June 2005, and that the average waiting period for a hearing is 55 weeks. The Tribunal has scheduled hearings in County Limerick on five separate occasions this...

Council Framework Decision: Motion. (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion provided by Article 1.11 of the Treaty of Amsterdam to take part in the adoption of the following proposed measure: a proposal for a Council Framework Decision on simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of the member states of the European Union, a...

Council Framework Decision: Motion. (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghlacadh leis na Teachtaí a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht. Deputy Jim O'Keeffe indicated his general support for the provisions to address the issue of international crime. He queried the effectiveness of the proposals, particularly what would happen if there were not an expeditious response from a member state. My understanding is that several timescales are...

Council Framework Decision: Motion. (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: ——notwithstanding some of the difficulties that have emerged in the Morris tribunal. There are specific provisions in the framework decision to deal with some of these issues. Regarding data protection, Article 9 specifies the existing norms and standards which member states must observe. These include the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to...

Council Framework Decision: Motion. (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: He also asked about the level of work being done on the new legislation and I understand there may be other legislative requirements in the short term which would certainly postpone that for some time. Deputy Costello also indicated that there has been long-standing agreement on the need for co-operation. He mentioned the important "Prime Time Investigates" programme on the trafficking of...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The wages and employment conditions of workers employed in the Drapery and Footwear sector in Dublin are governed by the Registered Employment Agreement (Dublin and Dún Laoghaire, Drapery, Footwear and Allied Trades) Variation Order, 2005 which is enforced by the Labour Inspectorate of the Department. Labour Inspectors are empowered to seek compliance with payment of the statutory minimum...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The assignment of previously announced additional Labour Inspectors was completed in November 2005. That brought the complement of serving Inspectors to 31 Officers. That increase in staffing represents almost a doubling of the number of Labour Inspectors in the last 20 months. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment circulated a Discussion Document on the 'Mandate and Resourcing...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is currently carrying out a review of the Employment Agency Act 1971 in consultation with the Social Partners and other interested organisations and persons. The current social partnership talks are also addressing the issue of regulating employment agencies.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (30 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The number of notices of collective redundancies notified to the Department under the Protection of Employment Act, 1977 (as amended) and the number of employees affected were as follows. Year No. of Notices No. of employees 1997 77 5,468 1998 83 4,707 1999 70 3,682 2000 94 5,890 2001 254 16,490 2002 224 9,685 2003 215 12,339 2004 181 7,977 2005 168...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (31 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The number and complexity of cases which have been referred to the Employment Appeals Tribunal has been increasing steadily over recent years. This has put a strain on the Tribunal's ability to maintain acceptable standards of service. I am aware that there are delays in hearing cases and issuing determinations which I have asked the Department to examine in consultation with the Chairperson...

Written Answers — Chemicals Regulation: Chemicals Regulation (8 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 139 together. The EU Council of Ministers reached unanimous political agreement on a common position on the REACH Regulation on 13 December 2005. The political agreement is a delicately balanced compromise of Member States' positions, which was informed by the Commission's original proposal and by the various amendments suggested by the European...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (13 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Relations Commission, the Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal are independent statutory bodies which act independently in carrying out their functions. The procedures to be followed including the hiring of interpreters in individual cases is a matter for these bodies.

Written Answers — Registered Employment Agreements: Registered Employment Agreements (14 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The wages and employment conditions of workers employed in the Construction Industry are governed and safeguarded by the Registered Employment Agreement (Construction Industry Wages and Conditions of Employment) Variation Order, which is enforced by the Labour Inspectorate of the Department. Labour Inspectors are empowered to seek compliance with payment of the statutory minimum rates of pay...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (14 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The boundaries of the Health and Safety Authority's South East Region for operational purposes has varied over the period years 2000 to date. In the period 2000 to 2004 it comprised 4 counties, i.e. Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and South Tipperary, during which there were 3 Inspectors assigned to the region. In Spring 2005 the region was expanded to include counties: Carlow, Laois, Offaly,...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (20 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Health and Safety Authority is the national competent authority with responsibility to enforce legislation governing the protection of workers from exposure to asbestos at work. I am informed that in this context, the Authority receives approximately 350 notifications and accompanying site specific reports and plans per year relating to asbestos at work as required by legislation, as a...

Written Answers — European Social Charter: European Social Charter (20 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Council of Europe has standard reporting procedures in relation to the revised Social Charter which apply to all Contracting Parties (i.e. those Member States that have signed and ratified the Charter). Ireland signed and ratified the Revised Social Charter on 4 November 2000. The Revised Social Charter has 31 Articles. In preparing Reports, the Department has to consult both internally...

Seanad: European Communities (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: I thank Members for their contributions today and on Wednesday last. I am heartened to hear such broad support for the European Communities (Amendment) Bill 2006. As Members will know, Ireland has always been an enthusiastic participant in the European Union. We actively supported the fifth expansion of the Union and we look forward to its completion with the accession of Bulgaria and...