Results 11,501-11,520 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Ministers of twenty-seven EU Member States reached political agreement at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 9/10 June 2008, on the longstanding issues of the Temporary Agency Work and the Working Time Directives. The Council Common Position on both these Directives will now be submitted to the European Parliament, as foreseen by the co-decision procedure....

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The number of calls/visits/inspections carried out in relation to the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 during which breaches of the Act were detected and the number of prosecutions initiated is as follows:- in 2006: 2,002 calls/visits/inspections were undertaken; in 104 cases breaches were detected and in one case a prosecution was initiated. in 2007: 1,942 calls/visits/inspections were...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Actual Redundancies 2002-2008: Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Actual 24,432 25,769 25,041 23,156 23,684 25,459 13,564 These figures show the number of employees on whose behalf claims were submitted for statutory redundancy lump sum payments. They do not reflect those who lost their jobs with less than two years service in an employment. My Department carried out an analysis last...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: In accordance with commitments given under Towards 2016, the Social Partnership Agreement, the number of Inspectors was scheduled to increase from 31 to 90 Inspectors by the end of 2007. Competitions were held in 2007 for the recruitment of the additional fifty-nine Inspectors provided for under the Social Partnership Agreement Towards 2016. Fifty- six inspectors have been assigned to NERA...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I am concerned at the level of fatalities in the transport and storage sector. The Health and Safety Authority, which shares my concerns, continues to work with this sector to reduce accident rates and improve the health and safety of all those involved. The number of workers who have died in the transport and storage sector in accidents involving vehicles in and around workplaces was —...

Written Answers — Wage Differentials: Wage Differentials (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Data from the CSO quarterly industrial survey shows that average industrial earnings per hour for male industrial workers on adult rates in June 2007 was €16.62. For female industrial workers the average rate was €12.73. From the CSO National Employment Survey for March 2006, average hourly earnings were €20.59 for males and €18.22 for females. These latter figures cover the entire...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Mr. Juan Somavia, Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in his keynote address on 9 June 2008, referred to the building of a global social floor as one of the four strategic objectives of the ILO through which the Decent Work Agenda is expressed. As the ILO Director General acknowledged, building a global social floor could be done in a step-by-step way according...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 115 together. Ireland ratified the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention 1948 (No. 87) and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention 1949 (No. 98) on 4 June 1955. Ireland only ratifies those ILO Conventions which are in conformity with our existing national law and practice. To that extent, in...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Industrial relations are the relations between employers and their workers. The resolution of industrial disputes is a matter for the parties to the dispute. In the case of the company referred to by the Deputy, I understand that the principal method of regulating industrial relations is collective bargaining i.e. the company engages in direct negotiation with the representatives of the...

FÁS Training Programmes. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Given the significant reduction in construction-related activity and the subsequent increase in the numbers of construction workers who have been made redundant, I am very conscious of the need to try to accommodate apprentices in the completion of their apprenticeships. To achieve this, both my Department and FÁS have been actively examining this issue and we propose a series of actions to...

FÁS Training Programmes. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Redundancies have occurred and approximately 950 apprentices have presented themselves to FÁS in recent months. FÁS is very conscious of this issue and we want to retain the skills net. There is not much point investing a great deal of time, effort and money in training people to trade level and have them fail in the final few months prior to obtaining their accreditation. FÁS is...

FÁS Training Programmes. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I get nervous when I have to answer the Deputy's questions.

FÁS Training Programmes. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The issue has been raised in correspondence by a number of Deputies and I will follow up on it. As the Deputy said, these people are fully trained and they have an entire set of skills but they fall foul in the academic area. The director general of FÁS is examining this issue. I will contact him to let him know the Deputy raised this in the House.

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 27 together. I consider that the appropriate mechanism for the consumer perspective to be channelled into the partnership process is via the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with the support of the National Consumer Agency, NCA. Towards 2016 recognises the importance of competition and providing a fair deal for consumers. In this regard,...

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The broad spectrum of society is represented at partnership talks. Regarding the NCA, that comes through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment which is directly represented at the table in the context of partnership discussions. IBEC, trade unions and the voluntary and community sector advocate lower prices for consumers in their various guises in the social and community...

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Obviously, any organisation can make representations and submissions to partnership. There is a broad spectrum of representatives around the table already. Anything that contributes to a positive outcome and decisions by social partnership is welcome. Regarding ISME, this Department is very conscious of its role in ensuring the removal of regulatory burdens. We have a commitment to reduce...

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Any organisation or individual body wishing to join partnership can make an application to the Department of the Taoiseach.

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: On the broader issues——

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Partnership has served this country very well. I do not wish to hear a historical lesson again——

Social Partnership. (19 Jun 2008)

Billy Kelleher: ——because, as I previously pointed out, we only talk about the past with the Deputy opposite. He seems to forget that the fundamentals of partnership are about consensus and decisions. The Government is the lead player in social partnership talks. There is a broad spectrum of representation, from business, trade unions and farmers to the social and voluntary pillar, which collectively...