Results 2,461-2,480 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: From the Seanad. (15 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: This is in relation to the risk assessment being reviewed by the employer where there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates, or there is another reason to believe it is no longer valid. Previously there was a requirement to review the risk assessment and safety statement annually. It was pointed out to me on Committee Stage in this House and at other stages and also...

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: From the Seanad. (15 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: Amendment No. 12 is a technical amendment. Amendment No. 13 arises from a very long debate we had in this House on Report Stage and a case made very strongly by Deputy Morgan. At that stage I accepted the thrust of what he was proposing and this is the format in which I propose to accept the amendment.

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: From the Seanad. (15 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: This amendment, in pages 30 and 31, lines 36 to 46 and 1 and 2, respectively, proposes to delete subsection (5) and substitute this new subsection (5). The Bill currently requires employers to review their risk assessment and safety statement at least annually. This amendment removes that requirement, leaving just the obligation to review the assessment and statement when there has been a...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (14 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: I understand that the question refers to the exposure of workers to asbestos in the workplace. The protection of workers from exposure to asbestos at work is covered by the European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 1989 (S.I. No. 34 of 1989), as amended. These regulations, inter alia, transpose Council Directive 83/477/EEC of 19 September 1983 on the...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (14 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: The document referred to was not, and did not purport to be, a report on the company named. It constituted a response to an issue raised in a constituency clinic of the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The response mentioned an exercise undertaken by the Department in the period 2001 to 2002, intended to ensure compliance with the registered employment agreement for the...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Authority Investigations: Health and Safety Authority Investigations (14 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: The accidents with tragic consequences which Deputy Cowley refers to at Mulranny, County Mayo, where a young woman was killed, and more recently at Kentstown, County Meath, where five school girls lost their lives, were both road traffic accidents. As such, these accidents are primarily matters for the Garda Síochána to investigate. The remit of the Health and Safety Authority is confined...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (14 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: The labour inspectorate of my Department is responsible for monitoring certain employment conditions for all categories of workers in Ireland, including immigrant workers. The inspectorate operates without making any differentiation to worker nationality as statutory employment rights and protections apply to immigrant workers in exactly the same manner as they do to native Irish workers. The...

Written Answers — Farm Safety: Farm Safety (14 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: The funding available to the Health and Safety Authority is not broken down by it into amounts spent or allocated to the various sectors under the authority's statutory enforcement and advisory remit. I am, therefore, unable to provide the Deputy with figures on the funding for farm safety.

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (14 Jun 2005)

Tony Killeen: A prohibition on sexual and other harassment in the workplace has been in place since 1999 under sections 23 and 32 of the Employment Equality Act 1998. With effect from 18 July 2004, these provisions have been replaced by a new provision, section 14A of the Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004, inserted by section 8 of the Equality Act 2004. The new provision is in line with Article 2 of...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 40, 43, 100 and 115 together. I am aware of the views of the chief executive of the chambers of commerce. The labour inspectorate of my Department is responsible for monitoring certain employment conditions for all categories of workers in Ireland, including immigrant workers. The inspectorate operates without any differentiation with regard to worker...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: Based on information obtained by the Health and Safety Authority from the Revenue Commissioners, there are about 113,000 registered businesses in Ireland with fewer than ten employees and a further 18,000 businesses with between ten and 49 employees. In addition, there are 114,000 people working in agriculture and forestry, many being self-employed. Given their size and the fact that many are...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: In 2004, labour inspectors of my Department undertook 462 inspections under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000. So far this year, the inspectorate has undertaken 168 inspections under the legislation. Inspectors operate on the basis of achieving compliance. Where an inspection occurs leading to a detection of infringements, the employer is required to rectify the infringements detected....

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 48, 105, 106, 113 and 264 together. All the questions centre around the issue of workplace bullying. An expert group was established in August 2004 under the auspices of my Department. The group was widely representative of the social partners, the Health and Safety Authority, the Equality Authority, the Labour Relations Commission, the National Centre for...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The objective of Directive 2002/14/EC is to establish a general framework setting out minimum requirements for the right to information and consultation of employees in undertakings or establishments over a certain employee threshold within the Community. I intend to seek Government approval for the text of the employees (provision of information and consultation) Bill 2005 shortly with a...

Written Answers — Interdepartmental Committees: Interdepartmental Committees (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 99 and 270 together. The high level group established to oversee the appropriate implementation of the recommendations of the report of the forum on the workplace of the future, Working to our Advantage: a national workplace strategy, held its inaugural meeting on 17 May 2005. The central theme of the forum's recommendations is to create a climate...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 81 together. On 24 May, I announced that the Government had agreed to the following programme of action in response to the report and recommendations of the review group on the role and functions of the employment rights bodies, the Labour Court, the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Relations Commission rights commissioner service, and my...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The number of workplace inspections-visits undertaken by the labour inspectorate, during and after normal business hours, and prosecutions initiated in respect of the years 2002, 2003, 2004 and to date in 2005 is set out in the following tabular statement. The primary function of the labour inspectorate is to seek compliance and rectification of any breaches identified, including payment of...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: A number of factors can impact on a person's decision to work past the age of 65, including the availability of flexible work options and pensions issues. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, who has responsibility for pensions policy, has recently asked the Pensions Board, in its review of national pensions strategy, to examine innovative ways of encouraging and allowing people to...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 103 together. The Minimum Wage Act applies to employees who work under a contract of employment in Ireland. Such workers are covered by Irish employment rights legislation by virtue of section 20 of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 which provides that the full range of Irish employee protection legislation applies to foreign workers...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (31 May 2005)

Tony Killeen: The Taoiseach launched the report of the forum on the workplace of the future on 9 March 2005. The report contains 42 separate recommendations, which form the basis for a national workplace strategy. The strategy aims to create a climate conducive to supporting change and new forms of work organisation at national and organisational level. The specific recommendation under the category...