Results 1,281-1,300 of 2,156 for speaker:Tom Parlon

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: On the quality of consultation, I do not know the quality of discussion within the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. However, the procedure was discussed with the Minister's representative, Deputy Brian Lenihan, and, through him, no issue was found to arise. That is my understanding.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: We base the power to dismiss on the power to appoint in this case. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission agreed with these arrangements for consultation in the course of dealing with the 2003 Act and, additionally, agreed that the Taoiseach would be the appointing authority for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. This is why we have devolved——

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: In terms of the appointment of the——

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: It was set up under the 2003 Act.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: The Act appointed the commission, which agreed the matter afterwards. The Act decreed that the Taoiseach be the appointing authority.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission agrees with these arrangements.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: If it were not for the fact that Deputy Howlin is sitting in for Deputy Burton, we would not be privy to the nature of the discussions, if any, of the commission.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: The Deputy has taken me up wrongly.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: The Act decreed that the Taoiseach be the appointing authority. The commission agrees that the Taoiseach should also be the dismissing authority. This is why such provision is being made in this Bill. The commission has no difficulty with the establishment of the Taoiseach as the appointing authority in the 2003 Act. It is also saying the Taoiseach should also be the dismissing authority.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: I am prepared to accede to Deputy Bruton's proposal. I will withdraw all the amendments in the group.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: I move amendment No. 13: In page 12, to delete line 49 and substitute the following: "(7) The provisions of this section are without prejudice to any other provision of this Act or such other disciplinary measures as may be specified in the Civil Service Disciplinary Code. (8) The provisions of this section are without". These are significant changes in human resource management which will...

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: I move amendment No. 14: In page 12, after line 50, to insert the following: "11.—Section 16 of the Principal Act is amended by substituting the following subsections for subsection (2): '(2) A period when a civil servant refuses to carry out the duties of his grade shall as respects the civil servant concerned be considered to be a period of unauthorised absence from duty. (3) If any...

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: As I stated, we have learnt from the court judgment, subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled that, under section 16 of the current Act, the Department may not remove from the payroll staff who are physically present in the workplace, even if they are not performing their duties. This is an unsatisfactory position. As Deputies will recall, the case in question involved...

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: A civil servant refusing to perform duties as part of industrial action is considered to have a reasonable excuse for so doing. Equally, it is reasonable for the employer to stop paying the civil servant while the industrial action continues. The absence of duty line in the Bill reflects the decision of the court and means that job holders who are not carrying out their duties have some...

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: My apologies for not responding to the Deputy but if someone is temporarily suspended from the payroll and he takes up a job——

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: I saw media coverage of the situation the Deputy referred to where a person had retired. That is where the two-year provision arises.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: We are dealing with a temporary removal from the payroll so it would not apply at all.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: Yes, it does.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: No. An extension was considered but it would be difficult to uphold a period longer than two years because it might be possible to challenge it in the courts.

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Tom Parlon: We are not prepared to accept Deputy Howlin's amendment for the reasons I have given at great length. I see where he is coming from but we are satisfied that we have gone as far as possible on the issue.