Results 4,241-4,260 of 40,330 for speaker:Leo Varadkar

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Section 6 provides that the Minister will not make an order adjusting the number of statutory sick leave days under the Bill until 12 months after its enactment, and that a period of 12 months must pass between each subsequent adjustment. This amendment would remove that provision and place no restrictions on how often the number of sick leave days could be changed. Limiting adjustments to...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is not agreed.

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: "Yes" is the short answer, provided there is no break longer than 26 weeks, but I will double-check. If I am wrong about it, we can come back to it.

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: It is not the most elegant language.

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I am sympathetic to the point the Deputies are making. Deputy Bruton from my party spoke in favour of this change earlier as well. In particular, when we are saying that it has to be certified, there is an argument for saying that the right should kick in at an earlier stage. At the same time, I am sensitive to the fact that there are employers who take people on seasonally, perhaps for...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, line 30, to delete “An employee’s entitlement” and substitute “Subject to subsection (7), an employee’s entitlement”. We have covered the intention behind amendments Nos. 6 and 7 as well.

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I move amendment No. 7: In page 5, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “(7) For the purposes of this section, where an employee ceases to be the employee of an employer and, not more than 26 weeks after the date of cesser, the employee again becomes the employee of the employer, the period of service of that employee with that employer before the date of cesser shall...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Amendments Nos. 11, 13 and 14 would disrupt the balance in the Bill that protects the rights and obligations of both employers and employees. This is a progressive Bill and will ensure that all employees will have financial protection from day one of a medically certified absence. However, the Government does not want to jeopardise jobs by placing an unsustainable cost and administrative...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On Committee Stage, the Minister of State, Deputy English, signalled our intention to move an amendment on Report Stage to address the issues raised by the Deputies. The purpose of the amendment is to eliminate uncertainty as to the entitlement of certain workers to sick leave. Section 5 is linked to the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973. This means that an employee will not...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The argument I am making, which I often make, is one in favour of incremental progress. I appreciate that for many people progress is too slow, but I have a responsibility as Minister to listen to all sides of the argument and to look at it from the point of view of employers as well as that of employees. In my view, the most important workers' right is the right to work, and I want to...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank Deputies for their contributions. I have been very clear on the medium-term plan, which is to make sure that employers know what their obligations will be and that employees know what their rights are. The statutory entitlement to sick pay will be phased in as part of a four-year plan. The initial entitlement would be to three paid sick leave days per year once the Bill is enacted...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Development (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Regional development is at the centre of IDA Ireland's current strategy “Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021-2024”. Under this Strategy, which seeks to further enhance FDI’s place at the centre of a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive Irish economy, the IDA is targeting half of all investments to regional locations. As the Deputy may be aware, IDA Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: On February 9th, the Minister for Finance and I announced the launch of the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme which has a strategic emphasis on attracting new fund managers to the Irish equity ecosystem and opening new pipelines for finance. This programme is a fund of funds, which is an indirect form of equity financing for SMEs. SMEs will not directly apply for funding through this...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Low Pay Commission (18 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to "request the Low Pay Commission to examine universal basic income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government". In 2021, I formally requested that the Low Pay Commission examine this commitment. To inform its considerations, the Low Pay...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Information and Communications Technology (17 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: My Department contracts an accredited electronic waste disposal service provider to securely collect all old computer hardware. The service provider is committed to continuously working to reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste. Where possible, old computer hardware is refurbished and offered for resale. When this is not possible, all components are recycled in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (17 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 employers are obliged to provide reasonable accommodations to both employment candidates and employees with disabilities, unless these measures would impose a disproportionate burden on them. The factors to be taken into account in assessing whether a reasonable accommodation request would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer include,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Living Wage (17 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: In 2021, I asked the Low Pay Commission to examine the Programme for Government commitment to progress a living wage over the lifetime of the Government and to make recommendations to me on how best we can achieve this commitment. Following this request, the Low Pay Commission commissioned a team of researchers in the National University of Ireland, NUI Maynooth to conduct research on the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: We have had a huge increase in the number of applications for work permits and work visas and, in response, we have trebled the number of staff working on issuing work permits and work visas and are automating some processes. We are starting to see improvements in waiting times. For critical skills permits, the waiting time is now back to six or seven weeks, which is pretty good. For the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: The short answer is "Yes". I think there is a role for Enterprise Ireland in that regard, and for IDA Ireland because sometimes, when new companies invest in Ireland for the first time, they want to set up in an available premises with a small number of staff before they develop their headquarters. There is definitely a role for both agencies in that regard and that will form part of my...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (12 May 2022)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government is very concerned about incidents of knife crime in Ireland. I am aware of the sad case of Jennie Poole and extend my condolences to her family and friends. As a member of the Government, I have not seen that legislation yet. I am not sure what its status is or whether it has been published. I do not think it has been published...