Results 121-140 of 1,150 for speaker:Frank Fahey

Equal Opportunities in Employment. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 182 together. I am aware of the recent report by the National Disability Authority, entitled Towards Best Practice in the Provision of Further Education, Employment and Training Services for People with Disabilities. The report, which was received in my Department on 14 January, contains a number of conclusions and recommendations which have policy...

Equal Opportunities in Employment. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: The situation is improving. A determined effort is being made at present and considerable resources are being expended to improve the possibilities of people with disabilities going into employment. There are a variety of reasons we have not reached the targets set. These relate to historical and cultural issues in the past regarding people with disabilities. The greatest problem in finding...

Equal Opportunities in Employment. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: We are currently discussing the issue of benefits. We must ensure there is no difficulty for people who need to retain their disability benefits if they go into the workplace. We have addressed that matter.

Corporate Killing. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: The Law Reform Commission published a consultation paper on corporate killing in October last. The commission recommends that a new offence of corporate killing should be established which would be prosecuted on indictment, without exclusion of any entity, whether incorporated or not. The offence would apply to acts or omissions of a high managerial agent, which would be treated as those of...

Corporate Killing. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: I expect to be able to publish the Bill in April. I do not anticipate a great delay as a result of the inclusion in the Bill of this provision. We are already in consultation with the social partners on aspects of the Bill. There will no be problem continuing with the consultations prior to its publication. If there is a request from the Oireachtas committee to have a discussion on aspects of...

Corporate Killing. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: There is a rigorous and effective inspection and enforcement regime in place at present. We are happy that there have been considerable improvements in the inspection process. As I stated in the Dáil some time ago, we wish to have more inspectors in the field. There are currently approximately 130 inspectors. Obviously resources are always an issue. In the context of the new Bill, we have...

Corporate Killing. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: I have had discussions with the insurance industry about contributing to campaigns to improve the preventative approach and on rewarding companies in the public liability and employers' liability sectors that have good records.

Corporate Killing. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: There is clearly a system in the insurance industry whereby companies with good safety records enjoy lower premiums. We have impressed on the insurance industry that, in the context of health and safety, it must recognise good practice and records in the premiums being charged.

National Minimum Wage. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 126 together. Since the introduction of the national minimum wage in April 2000, inspectors have undertaken inspections under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000, with reported compliance and sanctions levels as follows. In 2000 and 2001, respectively, 3,419 and 1,192 inspections-visits were undertaken by the inspectorate. The respective outturns for...

National Minimum Wage. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: It is a fair and just rate and by and large employers are happy to go along with the minimum level of pay. However, we acknowledge the point made by the Small Firms Association that compliance with the minimum wage level adds a burden which did not exist in the past. I am satisfied that €7 per hour is not an unreasonable level of minimum pay — if anything, it may be too low. That is not...

National Minimum Wage. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: I do not have information to hand on the reporting by employees of a fewer number of hours than they worked. I have a concern regarding the wage levels paid to some foreign workers who do piece-work. There has been some evidence in the past 12 months of foreign workers in some sectors not being paid the minimum wage because they work long hours on a piece-work basis. I refer in particular to...

National Minimum Wage. (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: I do not have specific information to hand on any particular industry. We have stepped up inspections in some industrial sectors where there have been reports of foreign workers doing piece-work who are not being paid the minimum wage.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: The board of management of Clare LES advised FÁS on 15 December last that it was discontinuing operations effective from January 30 2004. A decision of this nature is a matter solely for the board of Clare LES. The board of Clare LES is made up of representatives from the statutory and voluntary sectors and the operation of the service is funded by FÁS. Nonetheless, it is a separate legal...

Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: One of the main challenges in the area of employment policy is to increase the overall numbers of those at work, including women. The rate of employment among females in Ireland has increased by 15% since 1994. The latest female employment rate from August, 2003 of 56.7% is the highest ever and the EU target of 57% to be reached by 2005 has almost been achieved. A number of measures are being...

Written Answers — Workplace Inspections: Workplace Inspections (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: The following figures provide an update on the information provided in October 2003 and state the position up to the end of the year. The numbers of workplace inspections-visits for each month in 2003 are set out in the following table. As stated previously, a new electronic case management system was introduced into the labour inspectorate in June 2003. For the period following its...

Written Answers — Migrant Workers: Migrant Workers (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: The labour inspectorate of the Department is responsible for monitoring certain employment conditions for all categories of workers in Ireland, including immigrant workers. Inspectors pursue allegations of worker mistreatment and when evidence of non-compliance with the relevant employment rights legislation is found, the inspectorate seeks redress for the individual or individuals concerned...

Written Answers — Departmental Restructuring: Departmental Restructuring (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: The configuration of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment brings together a number of functions in a single Department, that have promoting quality jobs at their core. This recognises that enterprise and employment are not competing factors, but rather complementary. Only by growing our competitiveness, increasing our trade performance, and expanding enterprise performance can...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: On foot of a Government commitment in, Sustaining Progress, S.I. No. 205 of 2003 was signed on 24 June 2003, increasing the national minimum wage to €7.00 per hour with effect from 1 February 2004. Accordingly, labour inspectors from my Department are obliged to enforce the new rate with effect from that date. In such circumstances, the question of postponement of any part of the increase...

Written Answers — Work Practices: Work Practices (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: At the informal meeting of the Employment and Social Policy Ministers, which was held in Galway on 16 January 2004, the Ministers concluded that, policies to reconcile work and family life are vital elements of the overall package of measures to increase participation in the labour market. Under the EU employment strategy, the attainment of an employment rate of 67% by 2005 and 70% by 2010...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (10 Feb 2004)

Frank Fahey: During Committee Stage of the Industrial Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003, I informed the Select Committee on Enterprise and Small Business that I was considering the introduction of an amendment to section 32(4) of the Industrial Relations Act 1946 on Report Stage. Section 32(4) specifies the maximum fines that can be imposed by the courts upon summary conviction for breaches...