Results 10,561-10,580 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Senators will forgive me if I sound a little confused. We should not dismantle or raze to the ground the employment protections in place for workers on the basis of the current economic climate. We must strike a balance, which is what we seek to do in the legislation.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: To be fair, the Government is doing its best to create employment and the conditions for employment. While I note the points made by Senators, I respectfully suggest they should be made on the basis of the amendment under discussion. If someone starts speaking about dismantling the joint labour committee architecture, that is another issue. For the purposes of the discussion of this...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: On amendment No. 15, the guidance document could clarify the matters raised by Senator Walsh.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: With due respect, I have made known my views.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: That is one of the most patronising comments I have heard in a long time. I am a Labour Party Minister of State who shares my Department with a senior colleague from the Fine Gael Party. We are completely ad idem on this issue. I am not here to do my master's bidding. An agreement has been reached as to how these issues are transposed.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: One must have regard to the points that were made by those such as Senator Quinn and Senator O'Brien in terms of their experience as business people and given Senator Quinn's long-standing membership of this House as a legislator. One has to have due regard and respect for that and for everything he says. If we strip out all of the rhetoric, the verbose language and the accusations, which I...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I will not be dragged into a debate on the last Government's performance and its relationship with the European Union-----

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: -----or the nature of our own relationship with the European Union. I happen to believe we are members of the European Union - that is factual. As such, we have signed up to a process of consultation through co-decision procedures and interaction with the Council of Ministers and the Commission. When the Commission makes a legislative proposal, if there is a co-decision procedure to be...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: -----and in regard to the nature of employment. He has provoked good debate, which is what we need in this country. However, there is no evidence to date that in the UK, job losses have occurred as a result of the same directive that must be transposed into UK law. I am not aware of any evidence on the record of this House or the Dáil in respect of utterances by the Minister, Deputy...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The proposed amendment which has been ruled out of order seeks to move beyond the scope of the requirements contained in the directive. The directive seeks only to set a floor of entitlements in respect of basic working and employment conditions. Article 3.2 allows member states, in their national law, to determine the definition of pay, as well as other elements. Under Article 5.4, member...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Perhaps I might deal with it later then.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Yes, I will be obliged to do so.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I will begin with the last point. If the lights are flashing amber or red in Columbus, Ohio, and the company to which the Senator referred is IDA Ireland supported or other State agencies have been actively involved with it, I suggest the State agencies talk to representatives of the company. The Senator should approach the State agencies to discuss potential difficulties the company may...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Senators for tabling the amendment. I appreciate their concerns about the intention to have the Bill apply retrospectively from 5 December 2011, the transposition date of the directive. On Second Stage earlier this week the Minister indicated that he was in receipt of legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General to the effect that the legislation should, on enactment,...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (29 Feb 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The European Union (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2012 have today been signed and simultaneously I have launched the next stage of the Copyright Review Committee review of Ireland's copyright legislation, aimed at removing barriers to innovation. I acknowledge the desire of some interested parties that this instrument be more detailed and more prescriptive. However the High Court...

Written Answers — Innovation Initiatives: Innovation Initiatives (29 Feb 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Taskforce's recommendations outlined a whole of Government approach to realising an important strand of Ireland's economic recovery and made a wide range of recommendations in areas such as intellectual property, venture capital, the higher education system, procurement, convergence, sectoral issues, taxation, enterprise agency supports and structures, broadband infrastructure, marketing...

Job Protection (29 Feb 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Supports to business by successive Governments over many years have focused on supporting viable businesses in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, where the benefits to the economy of such supports significantly exceed their cost. In continuing that approach, this Government's objective is to facilitate the creation and maintenance of the maximum number of...

Job Protection (29 Feb 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I take the point the Deputy is raising. We are being imaginative in ensuring there is a micro-finance fund for small businesses. The new partial credit guarantee scheme is designed to help the SME sector. If one talks about the direct subsidisation of a business - I take the point made by the Deputy on the encouragement or retention of employment within existing businesses - one must be...

Job Protection (29 Feb 2012)

Seán Sherlock: To be fair and objective about this, we are thinking outside the box. Research and development tax credits will encourage greater business growth.

Job Protection (29 Feb 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Revenue job assist scheme will also help, while PRSI programmes entice employers to retain employees and there is a tax break for that purpose. On the demand and supply side we are trying to encourage companies to retain people in jobs. It is an extremely difficult thing to do because one must adhere to State-aid rules in doing so. We have been imaginative in trying to get people back...