Results 1,201-1,220 of 4,715 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Fairs (7 Mar 2023)

Neale Richmond: Both Enterprise Ireland and the IDA have advised that they have no client companies participating in the IDEX 2023 arms fair in Abu Dhabi. Enterprise Ireland is precluded from promoting military arms, unless sanctioned by the Government. Similarly, in line with legal constraints on its remit, IDA does not target companies producing military goods.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (7 Mar 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that there are currently no delays processing applications for this role. Applications for the role are being processed in line with normal processing timelines. The current processing dates as of 3rdMarch 2023 for each Employment Permit type is as follows: Applications Date Standard new...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (2 Mar 2023)

Neale Richmond: The table below gives details of the total number of Employment Permit applications that issued, the number that were refused and the number that were withdrawn, in respect of Non-EEA nationals for employment in companies in Limerick city and county in 2022.  Year 2022 Limerick Issued Refused Withdrawn...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (1 Mar 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The Commission’s core services include the inspection of employment rights compliance, the provision of information, the processing of employment agency and protection of young persons (employment) licenses...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (28 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Employment Permits Section of the Department informs me that, on 3rdOctober 2022, a General Employment Permit application for the person concerned (in the details supplied) was received. On 23rdNovember 2022 the General Employment Permit application was refused. A request for a review of the refusal decision was subsequently submitted and is currently under consideration by the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (28 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: On 3 August 2022, the former Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail announced his intention to issue an Order to give effect to a statutory recommendation of the Labour Court concerning minimum rates of remuneration and other terms and conditions in the Security Sector. The Order was to apply from 29 August 2022. On 24 August 2022 my Department was informed that High Court had...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (28 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: Much has already been done to improve the employment permit system and my Department is always focused on improving the service, with initiatives such as the Trusted Partner Registration system, and the introduction of the electronic employment permit and the Multi-Site General Employment Permit for Doctors. Waiting times for Employment Permit processing have been greatly reduced over the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Relations (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputy for this question. I do not think either of us thought it would be reached, but it is good it has been. This was discussed quite recently at a meeting of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, between Ministers, employer representatives and representatives of trade unions. The high-level working group's recommendations will now be taken into consideration. They...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Relations (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: -----but we are ahead of some EU member states. There is an appetite between the employer group representatives and the trade unions to work with the Government to make sure we can achieve this in a timely manner.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Relations (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: I fully agree with the Deputy. An efficient collective bargaining system is not just in the interest of the workers but also in the interest of the employers and, most importantly, the interest of the economy and society as a whole. We appreciate, and I agree with the Deputy, that 80% will be a challenge, but it is a challenge the Government is very much keen to rise to. The process has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Relations (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: As I mentioned, the Labour Employer Economic Forum discussed this last month. There will be a meeting of the subgroup to discuss this in March. Following that meeting, we will look at any legislative process, but that will be in discussion with European colleagues to see if we can meet the European ambitions as were announced at the Council meeting just two weeks ago.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: It is a combined response to this question and the previous one. We both have to be careful in our language when we are talking about reports or anecdotal evidence versus empirical evidence. We do not want people to go out thinking that this is used across any sector, retail or otherwise, as suggested in terms of lower pay and the way hours are being allocated. There have been some reports...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: The Deputy knows all the arguments from the Low Pay Commission as well as I do. She knows the reasoning as to why this was introduced in the first place. She knows what the response would be to the points she has made about other jurisdictions that have changed this. What I will repeat is that the Low Pay Commission has been asked to look at the matter by the previous Minister. It will...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: As I said, serious concerns with the Bill were raised by my predecessor, and those concerns remain. While we are sympathetic to the plight and the case of the individuals who have been involved in drafting the Bill, many of whom I met as both a Senator and a Deputy, whether because they are my constituents or because they are members of other representative groups, there are several serious...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: As outlined, I have met the groups previously in my capacities as a Senator and a Deputy, and I would be more than willing to meet them again with the Deputy. There are serious concerns about this approach and the serious impact it would have on the industrial relations mechanism. It is in all our interest to work towards a solution relatively quickly, and I am prepared to do that with the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: The minimum wage for those aged 19 and under is less than the minimum wage for those aged 20 and over, given that sub-minimum, or age-based, pay rates are in force. The latest figures available from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, using the labour force survey quarter 3 of 2022, show that there are an estimated 91,000 employees aged between 16 and 19. Of these, the CSO estimates 19,600...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Deputy for her kind welcome. Consistency is not a bad thing in life. From the outset, I can confirm that I have read Mandate's report, Smoke and Mirrors: The Facts About Retail Workers' Incomes in Ireland. Indeed, Mandate raised it with me directly when I met them a week prior to its publication. We had a discussion then and we have had subsequent discussions via email and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: The review will be quick, but most importantly it will be thorough. We are dealing with legislation that was described as groundbreaking by Mandate when it was introduced. We owe it the duty of care to make sure there is a thorough review that addresses real, statistical issues. The report is very welcome and there is a lot of interesting data in it, but it must also be looked at in the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: Very briefly, there is not much difference here between the Deputy and me, which is welcome. The workers will appreciate that politicians from all corners are here to try to get better conditions for them and to work with employers to make it sustainable. There is not low pay in the retail sector, because the average is €17 per hour, but there is an issue with hours. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Pensions Reform (23 Feb 2023)

Neale Richmond: I understand the Deputy has already engaged quite a bit with the Department in relation to this Bill, which is very welcome and I encourage that going forward. As the Deputy is aware, the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment met in public session on 25 January to discuss detailed scrutiny of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired...