Results 11,801-11,820 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (31 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The information recorded by the Tribunal is set out in the Tabular Statement below. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 (at 26 October) Applications Received* 3,754 3,727 3,480 2,630 Applications Disposed of** 3,625 3,467 3,169 2,261 Sittings (Hearings)*** 1,108 1,141 1,062 963 OutstandingApplications**** 776 1,104 1,379 1,701 *Applications can be lodged under a number of legislative instruments...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (31 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Government is committed to a two-pronged approach to achieving the goal of making workplaces more family friendly — the provision of statutory entitlements through legislative measures, and promoting a partnership approach at the level of the enterprise. Legislative measures which provide for statutory entitlements include maternity leave, adoptive leave, carer's leave and parental...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (25 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Council Directive 96/82/EC on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances as amended by Directive 2003/105/EC, [known as the Seveso Directive], applies to all establishments where the inventory of dangerous substances exceeds specified thresholds, not just to chemical treatment plants. I am informed by the Health and Safety Authority that there are 89 such...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (25 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I can confirm that the person (details supplied by the Deputy) has been summonsed to appear at Carndonagh District Court on the 20th of November 2007. As the matter is effectively sub-judice, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further.

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The number of workplace inspections/visits undertaken by the Inspection Services (during and after normal business hours) and prosecutions initiated in respect of the years 2002 to 2006 and to date in 2007 are set out in the following tabular statement. I am pleased to say that almost 8,000 inspections/visits have been undertaken in the year to date. I am advised by the Director of the...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Government is committed to delivering the key package of measures agreed under the chapter dealing with Employment Rights and Compliance in Towards 2016 In this regard the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) has been established on an interim basis since February 2007. NERA has Department of Finance sanction for 141 staff, including an increased complement of 90 Labour Inspectors....

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: In November 2006 the Labour Court recommended that the Minimum Wage should be increased to €8.30 per hour from 1 January 2007 and to €8.65 from 1 July, 2007. The Minister for Labour Affairs decided that, having regard to the fact that it had been 20 months since the minimum wage had last been increased and having regard to the period for which the new rates could be expected to remain in...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The numbers of actual redundancies notified to my Department for the period 1 January to 30 September for the years 2002-2007 are as follows: Actual Redundancies 2002-2007 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Actual 19,073 19,170 19,631 17,325 17,324 19,218 This compares with the full year figures for the years 2002-2006 which were: Actual Redundancies 2002-2006 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005...

Written Answers — Average Wage: Average Wage (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Data from the CSO quarterly industrial survey show that average industrial earnings per hour for male industrial workers on adult rates in March 2007 was €16.44. For female industrial workers the average rate was €12.53. From the CSO National Employment Survey, March 2003, average hourly earnings were €17.74 for males and €14.93 for females. These latter figures cover the entire...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The tabular statement sets out, insofar as sectors covered by the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 are concerned, the number of inspections/visits, the number of inspections/visits during which breaches were detected and the number of prosecutions initiated for breaches of that Act for the year 2006 and to date in 2007. The primary role of the Labour Inspection Services, now encompassed by the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 126 and 128 together. As part of the Government's commitment under the partnership agreement — Towards 2016 — I am currently considering the final elements of proposals for the draft Scheme of a Bill to regulate the employment agency sector. I intend to submit a Memorandum to Government very shortly seeking approval to have the Bill drafted by the...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The delivery of commitments on employment rights under Towards 2016 is a key priority for Government. The necessary resources to ensure their delivery have been provided. In relation to the Labour Inspectorate, the Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" provides that the number of Labour Inspectors would be progressively increased from 31 to 90 by end-2007. Recruitment of the additional...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: As I have already advised the house, my priority is to secure the enactment of the Employment Law Compliance Bill 2007 and the Employment Agencies Regulation Bill 2007, so as to give effect to commitments for new legislation in Sections 11 to 16 and 21 of Part 2 of "TOWARDS 2016" — 10 Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement 2006-2015. Work on preparing both Bills is advancing for their...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I am aware of the allegations referred to by the Deputy in relation to false or bogus self-contracting within certain sectors. The Government recognises that an effective response to these allegations requires a whole of Government response across the relevant agencies and in particular the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the new National Employment...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services was transposed into Irish law by the Oireachtas by Section 20 of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 which came into effect on 20th December 2001. For the purposes of the Directive and the transposing legislation...

Written Answers — Workplace Accidents: Workplace Accidents (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Figures published by the Health and Safety Authority, show that in 2006 there were 50 recorded fatalities in Ireland as a result of work-related accidents, compared to 74 work-related deaths in 2005, 50 in 2004 and 68 in 2003. The same industry sectors of construction and agriculture remained the most dangerous throughout this period. As regards construction, there were 12 fatalities in 2006...

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, which implemented EU Council Directive 93/104/EC, of 23 November 1993, concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time, provides for an entitlement to nine public holidays per annum. Publication of data by the European Employment Observatory shows that there is a wide variation in the number of public holidays among EU member states....

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Will the Deputy send me a copy of that?

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Deputy might raise that again in the context of where we are and what we are trying to achieve. Certainly it was Irish workers who answered the clarion call many years ago when we had major difficulties in the economy and they have worked progressively and are very efficient. We want that to continue to be the case in the context of a very open economy. The Deputy's suggestion can be...

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: This is something that may be discussed at a later date. The social partners did not raise this issue and it is not a burning issue at my clinics. While it is nice to raise this issue, we must acknowledge the workers and avoid imposing any further risks, particularly on small and medium sized businesses.