Results 2,061-2,080 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: The Minister of State indicated in his response that the objective of the legislation was, more or less, to bring FÁS into line with other agencies and he has attempted to differentiate between agencies and semi-State bodies. I am not sure I understand the rationale or reason for that. It makes sense to have worker directors and it is beyond me why it makes sense to have worker directors...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: The tradition in Ireland in terms of worker directors has been that there has been a strong association between the worker director and the unions. However, the case we are putting in the amendment does not concern the unions as such, rather the concept of the worker being elected to the board and becoming a director. The Minister of State suggested that because the director general will be...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 9: In page 12, line 2, after "Minister,", where it firstly occurs, to insert the following: "with the approval of a committee of Dáil Éireann nominated for the purpose". The amendment would provide for Oireachtas scrutiny of the appointment of members of the FÁS board. It would stipulate this should be done with the approval of a committee of Dáil Éireann nominated...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome much of what the Minister of State said. We agree that we want the best people willing to serve on the board of FÁS and a series of other agencies. While we are talking about FÁS today, should we be talking about another agency tomorrow we would propose the same principle on the need for in-house approval. The Minister of State indicated a departure, whereby positions on the...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to be associated with the comments of Senator John Paul Phelan. I welcome the Bill, as I did on Second Stage. It is necessary legislation but it could have been improved if the Minister of State had accepted some of our amendments and that is a loss to the legislation. Hopefully, it will serve its purpose. I recognise the great work done by the thousands of people who work in FÁS...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: On a point of order, with regard to the ordering of today's business, if I had not called into the House, I would not have been aware of the changes that are now taking place in terms of timing. I want to register a protest at the lack of communication on the change to the order. While I will leave it for the Fine Gael Senator to comment, I might well not have been here for lack of...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: "(9) No compensation upon leaving office shall be payable to the Director General or any other officer or employee unless the terms of the compensation are approved by a committee appointed by Dáil Éireann for the purpose.". In light of significant public comment and disquiet regarding recent events, the...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: The Minister of State's comments outline a number of issues coming down the track. There is nothing like striking while the iron is hot and there is an opportunity to put something significant into the legislation to deal with the matter. I urge the Minister of State to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, to delete lines 27 to 30. The intention of this amendment is to remove the gag on the director general in commenting on Government policy. We want to find a mechanism whereby the director general can comment on what he or she may feel about an issue when appearing before the Committee of Public Accounts or any other committee. We live in a democracy and it...

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 3: In page 9, line 22, after "Foras" to insert the following: "or the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment". This amendment extends the whistleblower protection to cover the Department. It is afforded to FÁS officials and we deem it important to be extended to the officials of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who deal with relevant issues....

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: Will the Minister of State elaborate on the 2006 decision? When will we see its full effect? Must we wait for different pieces of legislation before we get the implementation of the 2006 decision?

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: If there is no further legislation, gaps will remain.

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: Amendments Nos. 3 and 4 are very similar and I do not intend to press them.

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: No, as it is the same point.

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 10, to delete lines 26 to 31. This is essentially the same point and I anticipate the same response. I do not intend to press it.

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 11, line 39, to delete "chairman" and substitute "chairperson". This amendment inserts gender-neutral language in line with modern drafting. The Minister should accept it but I anticipate that he will not. I am interested in his comments to justify anything other than accepting the amendment.

Seanad: Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 7: In page 11, line 40, to delete "10 ordinary members (including" and substitute the following: "8 ordinary members (including a worker director and". This amendment seeks to reduce the size of the board and include one worker director. There is scope to reduce the board further in this case and business can be done more effectively and efficiently with a smaller board....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to speak to amendment No. 18, the objective of which, as we discussed on Committee Stage, is to allow local authorities to refuse planning permission to a developer who has failed to complete a development. We want to deal with rogue builders who do not complete estates because, notwithstanding the Minister of State's claim on Committee Stage that such powers exist, problems clearly...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: Much has been said about unfinished estates and it is widely acknowledged that they pose a major problem. The Minister of State contends that the power exists and that the problem lies in planning law enforcement but the problem does exist. He says that our amendment No. 18 is not necessary. What is the problem in putting the phrase we suggest into the Bill, even if an interpretation of...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2009)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 18: In page 28, line 47, after "development," to insert "has failed to complete a development,".