Results 24,141-24,160 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank Senators Mullins, Harte and Quinn for their support on this. Senator Harte probably hit the right note. Especially in this time where there is uncertainty, inevitably, there will be temporary hiring, work building up and people not knowing whether it will be sustainable. We need the flexibility for agency working as a form of employment, but equally we need to ensure those taken on...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: This proposed amendment is purely technical and relates to an amendment to section 8 that deals with collective agreements. The reason for this amendment is that section 8(1) allows for a body or bodies representative of employees to agree a collective agreement. The language of section 8(4)(c) refers only to body in the singular, that is, it describes the body that negotiated the...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senators for their more than generous comments, especially cross-party. These are challenging times and we need to move forward together. There is an onus on us in sponsoring new legislation to be sensitive and responsive. I also acknowledge the Senators' recognition that much work was put in by my officials, who are here, and the Attorney General's office in getting a...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Section 1 currently provides that, with the exception of the provisions relating to offences or the instigation of legal proceedings, the Bill will be deemed to have come into effect on 5 December 2011. During the passage of the Bill through the Oireachtas, this provision, which gives retrospective cover from 5 December 2011, has been the source of discussion and a level of criticism. I...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Amendments Nos. 2 and 23 are technical in nature. It is practice, in drafting legislation, that where there is a reference to another enactment on more than one occasion, a definition of that enactment is included in the interpretation schedule and the enactment is thereafter referred to by its shorter title. This is the effect of amendments Nos. 2 and 23. Amendment No. 19 replaces the...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: This amendment is essentially technical in nature and it will ensure that the legislation aligns properly with the EU directive. Article 3.1(f) of the directive lists overtime as a constituent element that goes to make up basic working and employment conditions. Although overtime is listed as a component element in the definition of pay provided in the Bill, it is not included in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland are the only economic development agencies for which I have responsibility who have offices outside of the island of Ireland. Shannon Development and County Enterprise Boards have domestic offices only. Each of these Agencies publishes an Annual Report and Accounts which outline the income and expenditure of the Agencies and give breakdowns of their various...

Written Answers — Competition Law: Competition Law (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: In July 2011 the Government approved the draft heads of the Consumer and Competition Bill giving, inter alia, effect to the recommendations of the Advisory Group in full with two amendments: o one sees the change in relevant Minister for such public interest considerations from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to the Minster for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources,...

Written Answers — Competition Law: Competition Law (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: The Competition Authority is the statutory body responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State. Section 29 (3) of the Competition Act 2002 provides that the Authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Under section 30(1)(b) of that Act, the Competition Authority is responsible for investigating alleged breaches of the Act. As investigations and...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Supporting new and existing indigenous and foreign-owned businesses, across all regions, is central to our plans for recovery, growth and jobs. The Action Plan for Jobs contains a number of measures which are aimed specifically at the facilitation and incentivisation of national enterprise development from start-ups to growth companies. It also sets out measures that will enhance linkages...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 31 and 52 together. Vodafone Ireland announced on 22 March that it had completed a review of the company's contracted mobile call-centre operations. As a result of this review, the company adopted a new model for its mobile customer care, resulting in a move to a new provider, Teleperformance. Vodafone Ireland and Rigney Dolphin have entered a six-week...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Industrial action by 110 workers at the Irish Cement production plants at Platin, Co Meath and Castlemungret, Co. Limerick began on 3rd April last. I understand that the Labour Court's most recent Recommendation of January 2012 in relation to this dispute was the culmination of a protracted dialogue between the company and the group of unions representing the workers on restructuring issues...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Enterprise Ireland has an established Performance Development system for all staff working in the agency and as part of this process objectives are set out for staff to be achieved in their specific role and in an agreed timeframe. The agency itself has key organisation targets and outputs, including delivery of the specific tasks in the Action Plan for Jobs in the timelines agreed. The key...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: There are two major elements to the Government's response to unemployment – the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. The goal of the Action Plan for Jobs is to support the creation of new jobs in the economy, while the aim of Pathways to Work is to help to ensure that as many of those jobs as possible are filled by people from the Live Register. Both documents are fundamentally...

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Water metering and water charges for business have been in place for a number of years. The process enables businesses to contribute towards the cost of water provision, as well as providing them with a mechanism to monitor and control their water usage and reduce waste of the resource. Current proposals in relation to the introduction of domestic water metering should not impact negatively...

Written Answers — Commercial Rent Reviews: Commercial Rent Reviews (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Section 132 of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009, which provides for the abolition of upwards only rent views in commercial leases, became operative on 28 February, 2010. IDA Ireland has informed me that it currently has 73 occupational leases across its Private Finance Building Portfolio. 64 of these leases were granted prior to 28 Feb 2010 at which time all leases would have...

Written Answers — Job Protection: Job Protection (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Following the successful sale of Bank of America's credit card operation which serves the Irish market to Apollo Global Management, 250 of the 650 jobs based in Carrick on Shannon have been secured. I am pleased that the Bank of America UK operations served by the Carrick facility, which employs the remaining 400 people, are continuing as a going concern. The IDA is in regular contact with...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Innovation Fund Ireland (IFI) is a key pillar of support for dynamic new industries, and investments through the Fund will facilitate job creation in innovative export focused sectors as well as providing a return to the exchequer over time. €250 million was made available to the Fund to make commitments. This funding runs along two parallel tracks. The first comprises a €125 million...

Written Answers — Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives: Cross-Border Enterprise Initiatives (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: Arising from our commitments under the Good Friday Agreement, my Department and its agencies play a strong role in promoting the development of the all-island economy through involvement in cross-border enterprise initiatives, which have resulted in benefits to both parts of the island. A key development has been the establishment of InterTrade Ireland (ITI), one of the North/South...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Apr 2012)

Richard Bruton: I have commenced a reform process to deliver world-class workplace relations service. My aim is to provide a simple, independent, effective, impartial, cost effective and workable means of redress and enforcement, within a reasonable period of time. Enforcing the awards of the Workplace Relations Bodies will be an important element of this reform. It is my intention to develop a new and...