Results 5,041-5,060 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Employment Support Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Many other proposals are being worked through other parts of the economy. This is only one part of the solution to the difficulties we face. There is a suite of Government proposals, including pilot schemes which we hope will work out well. Pilot schemes such as the graduate placement programme and the training initiative for people in part-time work, which was proposed by the Labour...

Departmental Programmes. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: My Department and I closely monitor the operation of FÁS and the implementation of its labour market programmes. The medium-term policy direction of FÁS is set out in its multi-annual statement of strategy, which is developed in close co-operation with officials in my Department. Overall responsibility for the management of FÁS lies with its board. Its internal governance structures...

Departmental Programmes. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We had better differentiate between the FÁS programme and that of Science Foundation Ireland. The latter has been absolutely superb, not without the Minister of State and me keeping a cute eye on expenditure and determining where commercialisation opportunities arise. Our focus is certainly on enterprise. The Science Challenge programme was established to encourage education and research...

Departmental Programmes. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I asked for the evaluation within my own Department. I would have to consider whether I should publish it. The most important point is that I made a decision on it as soon as I received it, and we are progressing accordingly. As everyone knows, on the basis of matters that were brought to my attention, investigations have been carried out. The Comptroller and Auditor General carried out...

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The considerable increase in the number of redundancy payment claims lodged with the redundancy payments section of my Department in the latter part of 2008, and to date in 2009, is unprecedented and is giving rise to delays in the processing of redundancy payments for individuals and companies within acceptable timeframes. The scale of the challenge is evident from the statistics for the...

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Acute eyes.

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I should have said sharp eyes. He is cute all right but not in that way.

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy is right. Had we discussed this four or five years ago the complaint would have been that the work permit section was not delivering quickly enough. We have transferred many of those people to the redundancy section. Following further meetings with the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, we have not just added 20 staff but transferred an additional 14. I have also requested...

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Although we do not have electronic funds transfer from one to the other we do facilitate a full offset, at the employer's request, of the amount against its tax liability.

Redundancy Payments. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Yes. The Revenue Commissioners do not mind.

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Technical, Engineering & Electrical Union took strike action on Monday, 6 July 2009. This action follows the breakdown of talks at the Labour Relations Commission. The National Implementation Body issued a statement on the dispute on Friday, 3 July urging the parties to re-engage with the LRC to explore the full range of issues at the centre of the dispute, with a view to averting...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: All Members are anxious that this matter be brought to resolution. Contrary to what Deputy Bannon thinks, my head is not in the sand.

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Perhaps the Deputy is not familiar with all of the issues and complications which have been part of this registered employment agreement, REA, for a considerable time, the amount of litigation which has taken place, the deliberations of the Labour Court and its recommendation that there be further consideration, particularly on the question of pay but also on the reform of the REA. The Labour...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I concur with the Deputy, in that people cannot start with the polarised views being expressed by both sides in public. Naturally, the argument has two sides. The Oireachtas has an expectation that the registered employment agreements, REAs, and joint labour committees, JLCs, should be shored up by the Industrial Relations Act. We look forward to the discussion on this point. It may be...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Given the context and principle of the Deputy's questions, I agree that it is a time for cool heads. An escalation on either side through words or actions would not bring us to where we want to be. I agree that the temperature in the House, although freezing thanks to the air conditioning, is calm and measured. We would all agree that we wish to see this dispute resolved as quickly as...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: A number of companies that contacted my office directly expressed grave concern over the impact of the strike on their productivity and jobs. I am aware of this and have had discussions with a number of companies that are not in the dispute. Two companies have decided to seek injunctions and put staff on protective notice. Workers and all of us in this House take this matter very...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I do not disagree with that view and we do not want a race to the bottom. However, the simplification of the REA is very important and will provide greater clarity. That will be the next step. I am sure both parties would like a resolution in this regard and I am not aware of people being against simplification. I have not been in direct contact with either party in the dispute but I have...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt the decision to be made tomorrow on Diageo given that a temporary injunction has been granted. However, we desire a de-escalation of the entire dispute and that people on both sides step down such that the Labour Relations Commission can mediate. I hope this will occur. The simplification of REAs and EROs will be discussed in the context of the...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: This difficulty between the employers has been going on for some time and has been dragged through judicial review and through the High Court and the Labour Court. There was a hearing at the beginning of the year on whether the registered employment agreement should be removed or amended, which took some time. The Labour Court made its determination and the majority agreed that we had to...

Electricians' Strike. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It would not be prudent to make any assumptions. We hope that people will come together under the LRC and that we can have a meeting of minds. I hope that contingency plans will not be the order of the day.