Results 4,781-4,800 of 6,307 for speaker:Gerald Nash

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pension Provisions (28 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: I fully appreciate the concerns of retired and deferred members of pension schemes whose schemes are being restructured, particularly where such restructuring may impact on existing or potential pension benefits. In this regard, the question of pensioner groups having access to the State’s industrial relations machinery in pursuing pension scheme grievances is an issue to which...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Unfair Dismissals (21 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The Deputy will understand that I cannot provide legal advice in relation to the law applying to any particular situation, or the interpretation of legislation. Independent legal advice should be sought if an individual has concerns about a specific employment situation. The Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2007 lay down criteria by which the fairness or otherwise of dismissals are...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (21 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: As the Deputy will appreciate, neither I, nor any of my Cabinet colleagues, can provide legal advice or an interpretation of the law and its application in relation to individual circumstances.Apart from public sector employees, where certain statutory retirement ages may apply, there is no statutory retirement age for employees in Irish legislation. A contract of employment will generally...

Leaders' Questions (16 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The ones Sinn Féin bought into.

Leaders' Questions (16 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The kids in west Belfast would recognise it. The worst deprivation levels in the UK and Northern Ireland are in West Belfast.

Leaders' Questions (16 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: We will be ruined.

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: Further, the minimum wage in Ireland is relatively high by international standards. The most recent figures published by EUROSTAT show that Ireland's rate is the fifth highest among the 22 EU member states that have a minimum wage. When the cost of living is taken into account, Ireland's rate is the sixth highest. It must be remembered that in the global competition for foreign direct...

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: That is not simply my or my Department's position; it is confirmed by a 2003 European Commission report on the implementation of the directive. I do not want anyone in this House to take lectures from Sinn Féin on employment protection in general or low pay in particular. Sinn Féin poses as the worker's friend in this part of the country, but in Northern Ireland it is a party...

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: While it is true that wages here fell 2.1% per year between 2009 and 2013, wages fell by a massive 13.4% in the same period in Northern Ireland according to the Resolution Foundation. The same independent body says that since the downturn, workers in Northern Ireland have experienced the sharpest fall in living standards of anywhere in the UK. Northern Ireland's households now have the...

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: I welcome the opportunity to outline the progress being made on foot of actions being taken by the Government to improve the lives of our people and to protect the most vulnerable. I am not impressed, however, by the pretence of Sinn Féin and its southern leadership that one side of this House has a record in government to protect and the other does not.

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: Down here, Sinn Féin is a party of protest, the worker's friend. In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin is a party of government, with a record of its own to defend on the North's low-wage economy. Down here, Sinn Féin pretends it would storm the barricades while up North it is busy defending the battlements. As far as this part of the country is concerned, as the Minister, Deputy...

Fair Pay, Secure Jobs and Trade Union Recognition: Motion [Private Members] (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: They speak with a forked tongue.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Registered Employment Agreements (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The Government has approved the drafting of the legislation to provide for a revised legislative framework to replace REAs. This follows the 2013 judgement by the Supreme Court in the McGowan case which made the registration of employment agreements, including those governing sectoral terms and conditions, invalid. The main purpose of the legislation is twofold. Firstly, it will provide...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Proposed Legislation (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: Cabinet approval was obtained at the end of 2014 to legislate for an improved framework for workers who are in dispute with their employer regarding their terms and conditions in situations where there are no arrangements with their employer to resolve the matters through collective bargaining. When enacted, this legislation will mark the fulfilment of one of the most significant commitments...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: While the Acts referred to by the Deputy contain various references to the commencement of the employment and references to a contract of employment having been entered into, these Acts do not contain a specific definition for commencement of employment. Under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994, one of the particulars of information to be provided to the employee in the written...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The Deputy will be aware that I recently commissioned the University of Limerick (UL) to carry out a study into the prevalence of zero hour and low hour contracts and the impact of such contracts on employees. The appointment of UL follows a competitive tendering process. The key objectives of the study are: - To fill the gap in knowledge that currently exists in terms of the hard data...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: In accordance with the Statement of Government priorities, I recently commissioned the University of Limerick (UL) to carry out a study into the prevalence of zero hour and low hour contracts and the impact of such contracts on employees. The appointment of UL follows a competitive tendering process. The key objectives of the study are: - To fill the gap in knowledge that currently exists in...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Disputes (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 226 together. I understand that the current dispute revolves 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 trade union is seeking to engage with the company on these issues and the matter was referred by the union...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Directives (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 (the 2001 Act) implemented EU Council Directive 97/81/EC into Irish law. The purpose of the Directive was to implement the Framework Agreement on part-time work concluded by the European cross-industry organisations UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC. The purpose of the Framework Agreement, which was annexed to the Directive, was to eliminate...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: EU Programmes (15 Apr 2015)

Gerald Nash: The new EaSI programme 2014-2020, managed by the European Commission and totalling EUR 919 million, consists of three axes which build on previous EU programmes, namely PROGRESS, EURES and Progress Microfinance. Under EaSI,Progress Microfinance has become Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship.Organisations that can apply for funding under the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis...