Results 1,681-1,700 of 6,431 for speaker:Gerald Nash

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Measures (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: The matters that have been in dispute at Dunnes Stores have revolved around a range of issues, including the introduction of banded hours contracts, individual and collective representational rights and a review of the use of temporary contracts. The matter has been before the Labour Court on a number of occasions. It is my opinion that engagement with the State's industrial relations...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Staff Recruitment (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: I thank Senator Burke for raising this issue. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, who is not available this afternoon due to Government business. I wish to advise the Senator that Department of Health officials met with the president and chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, NMBI, last week to discuss a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Staff Recruitment (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: I thank Senator Colm Burke for his remarks on this important issue which all of us have encountered locally or in our constituencies, especially in areas that are coming under significant pressure in terms of demographic demand and access to health care facilities. The Senator is correct that the private nursing homes industry plays an important role, alongside the public service, in...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: I am pleased to introduce the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015 for the consideration of the House. The Bill, in its totality, represents a significant step forward for workers and employers in providing clear, workable and constitutionally robust frameworks within which workers remuneration and conditions of employment can be discussed and determined. I am confident that the...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: I believe that is on its way.

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: Part 2 also provides for the making of sectoral employment orders, SEOs. The Labour Court may initiate a review of the pay and pension and sick pay entitlements of workers of a particular class, type or group in a particular sector and, if it deems it appropriate, make a relevant recommendation to the Minister. Such a review will be initiated at the request, separately or jointly, from...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Gerald Nash: I thank Senators for their contributions to this important debate. To respond to one of Senator Bradford's questions, the provisions we are discussing do represent a significant shift in or rebalancing of the industrial relations landscape in this country. What I mean by this is that the Bill addresses a major gap in the efficacy of our existing laws. There is a long-established right to...

Seanad: Harmful and Malicious Electronic Communications Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: I was taking down the Fine Gael notices.

Seanad: Harmful and Malicious Electronic Communications Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: I can assure the Senator there is no message in that, one way or the other.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: Section 4 sets out very clear objectives on a national minimum wage, which is designed to assist as many low-paid workers as is reasonably practicable, is set at a rate that is both fair and sustainable, is adjusted incrementally where adjustment is appropriate and over time is progressively increased, without creating any significant adverse consequences for employment or competitiveness. I...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: Section 5 sets out a very comprehensive and challenging set of factors that the commission must take into account every year in arriving at a recommendation on a rate of the national minimum wage. Amendment No. 2 seeks to add further objectives for the recommendation from the commission on the minimum hourly rate of pay, including reducing the incidence of low pay and supporting what is...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: I thank Deputy Keaveney for the amendment in the name of Deputy Calleary and I respect the manner in which the amendment has been tabled and its intent. The amendment would require the commission to research and recommend to the Minister each year national minimum wage rates of pay for youth and apprentice categories and research and recommend to the Minister national minimum wage rates of...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: It may very well be the case that the commission could explore this issue in time. As the Deputy will be aware, the system we are providing for the work programme of the Low Pay Commission will mean that the programme will be developed early each year, thus giving the commission the opportunity to consider that proposal and to understand what its mandate and work programme will be for any...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: I have addressed the issues around the living wage in the order in which they were presented. I do not intend to elaborate further on our position on the living wage as I addressed it sufficiently.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: Amendments Nos. 5 to 10, inclusive, provide for the addition of a range of factors to an already extensive list that the commission is required to take into account when making a recommendation. I thank Deputy Ellis for his contribution on those amendments in the name of Deputy Toíbín. I assure members that I and my Government colleagues have given significant consideration to the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: I think I have done so.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: Amendment No. 11 introduces a number of specific tasks which the commission would be required to undertake as part of its functions to monitor the incidence of low pay by examining the prevalence of pay two thirds or below of median earnings, key patterns in paid and unpaid open market internships and the effectiveness of existing policies to enforce the national minimum wage. Section 5 of...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: I wish to notify the committee that I will bring forward an amendment on Report Stage. It is appropriate that I alert the committee to that fact at this stage because my amendment is relevant to this particular section of the Bill. On Report Stage, I will bring forward an amendment to section 5 to amend the date on which the committee must submit its recommendation and report to the...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: Amendment No. 13 provides for a prohibition or restriction on charges or deductions from the national minimum hourly rate of pay. The Payment of Wages Act already provides a redress mechanism for unlawful deductions from wages. Section 5(1) of the Payment of Wages Act allows an employer to make deductions required or authorised by law, such as PRSI, that are required or authorised by a term...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Gerald Nash: Amendment No. 14 seeks to ensure that businesses will be allowed sufficient time to plan for any adjustment proposed in the national minimum wage. I am fully supportive of the view that any increase in the minimum wage has to be done in an orderly way so that companies can prepare, in a timely fashion, in terms of their costs, business planning and so on. It would be opportune, at this...