Results 1,681-1,700 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: It was very difficult.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: The former, to create employment opportunities.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: I could have anticipated Senators' comments because the matter has already been debated on several occasions and their parties' views are well known. No Government wakes up with a rush of blood to its head and decides to reduce the minimum wage. Evidence supports the decision to reduce it at a time of rising unemployment. Nearly 300,000 people are unemployed and a further 150,000 are on...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: If the minimum wage is not reduced, employers will not be able to afford to take people on. The Senator is looking at this the wrong way. The idea is to ensure that an employer who has a number of employees can take on another employee or two employees. Senator Buttimer spoke about walking around the streets, and we all do a bit of that from time to time. We are quite conscious that...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: I am making a point on what is happening in industry. If Senators are not aware of it, they should be.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: Across industry, the C2 certificate is being used to circumvent paying the registered employment agreement rates in various sectors. That has been brought to my attention on numerous occasions by people tendering as self-employed contractors and not charging the rates under the registered employment agreements. That is a fact. When wages are out of kilter with what the economy can support,...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: Senator O'Toole was not listening. He should read the official report.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: The Senator was certainly not listening.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: The Senator certainly has not run out of them.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: That is not Exchequer neutral. It involves a cost for the Exchequer.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: I advise Senator O'Toole that I can only go by the official statistics. The number of people on the minimum wage is 52,000 according to the CSO's last quarterly household survey. This equates to 3.4% of the working population being paid at or below the minimum wage. Two reports have been published on this area. One is a Forfás report and the other is an OECD report which recommends that...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: I thank the Members who contributed on Committee Stage. It is obvious that very difficult challenges face us. This is a financial emergency measures Bill and those who read the recitals on pages 3 and 4 will understand the reasons it was before both Houses of the Oireachtas. There was a division in this House. I could not bring about consensus, although I tried by force of argument, but I...

Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: The Labour Party is hoping we will hurry up because it is going down as well.

Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

Billy Kelleher: The Labour Party is going down in the polls as well.

Leaders' Questions (12 Jan 2011)

Billy Kelleher: Deputy Gilmore should ask them.

Leaders' Questions (12 Jan 2011)

Billy Kelleher: Would the Deputy go back a bit further?

Written Answers — Business Registrations: Business Registrations (12 Jan 2011)

Billy Kelleher: In 2010 the Companies Registration Office (CRO) registered 28,089 new business names. Some 91% of applications were registered and certificates were issued within 20 working days. Delays arise if an application has not been correctly completed or some vital piece of information or documentation is not provided. These applications must be returned to the presenter for the errors or omissions...

Written Answers — Business Regulation: Business Regulation (18 Jan 2011)

Billy Kelleher: The contents of the financial statements of companies are governed by relevant EU Company Law Directives and Regulations and by the applicable accounting standards. In relation to the Deputy's question I have no such power.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Jan 2011)

Billy Kelleher: The amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency was announced in October 2008 as part of the rationalisation plan for State agencies during the 2009 Budget speech. As both the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority were established under statute, it is necessary to give effect to the newly merged body by way of primary legislation. Since the...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (19 Jan 2011)

Billy Kelleher: The existing examinership process is effective and fair for companies of all sizes, large and small. The examinership provisions are contained primarily in the Companies (Amendment) Act 1990, and are widely recognised to have operated successfully in the two decades since their introduction, a time period which has seen both sides of the economic cycle. The fundamental principle of the...