Results 1,361-1,380 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (20 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: FÁS, the National Training and Employment Authority, is the relevant agency under the aegis of my Department which provides training in information technology to students or adults experiencing learning difficulties or who are affected by illness, who may be classified as, or declared disabled. The remit of FÁS includes the provision of vocational training for the open labour market....

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: I have received a letter from the European Commission on the transposition into Irish law of the Working Time Directive with a request that observations be provided no later than two months from the date of receipt of the letter. I understand that broadly similar letters have issued to twenty-two other Member States. A response is currently being prepared and will issue within the timeframe...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (8 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: As indicated in a previous reply to Dáil Question No. 1137 dated 31st January 2007 there is no record of a redundancy claim having been received in this Department in the respect of the person concerned. On making the person concerned redundant, it is up to the employer to pay the statutory payment in the first instance. If an employee is dissatisfied with the decision of the employer it is...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: 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....

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: Following the identification in early 2006 of anomalies in the employment contracts of some sub-contracted staff at the Moneypoint Environmental Retrofit Project (MERP) site, both the ESB and the Labour Inspectorate conducted investigations into the matter. As a result of these investigations a Memorandum of Understanding between the ESB, the contractor and sub-contractor was agreed in March...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: The merchant vessels referred to by the Deputy are not registered under the Irish flag. The wages and conditions of employment of workers on board those vessels are, therefore, governed by the flag State's legislation (in this case Jamaica) and neither I nor the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have any responsibilities in these matters. I understand that the vessels are subject...

Written Answers — Skills Development: Skills Development (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: The National Development Plan 2007 to 2013 contains a Human Capital Priority Chapter which sets out the broad priorities for investment in the development of Ireland's human resource capability over the period of the Plan. Over €25 billion has been allocated to investment in the Human Capital Priority, of which over €7.7 billion will be invested in the Training and Skills Development...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: The National Minimum Wage Act 2000 requires that an employer must pay the appropriate minimum hourly rate of pay. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that under the provisions of the Act the statutory minimum rate of pay payable to an experienced adult worker was increased to €8.30 per hour with effect from 1 January, 2007. This rate will be further increased to €8.65 per hour with...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: There is no age discrimination in employment rights legislation and there are no provisions in Employment or Equality law that impose a compulsory retirement age in relation to employment. I would point out that the upper age limit of 66 years for bringing claims under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2005 was removed by the Equality Act 2004. The effect of this is that a person who is...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: I am confident that the current legislative base in regard to occupational safety and health sets a sound foundation for implementing occupational safety, health and welfare standards. The Oireachtas enacted the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act in 2005. This Act updates and amends the provisions of previous legislation and is a result of a major review of occupational health and safety...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: The mandatory provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings Directive (Directive 2001/23/EC) were transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003. Article 1(3) of the EU Directive provides that the Directive does not apply to seagoing vessels. However, Article 8 of the Directive permits individual Member States to...

Written Answers — Employment Rights Bodies: Employment Rights Bodies (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: The Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" provides among other matters for the setting up of an office of director of employment rights compliance with an increase from 31 to 90 in the number of Labour Inspectors and 25 support staff including a legal advisor and accountant. An additional 5 Rights Commissioners with 7 support staff were agreed for the Labour Relations Commission; an...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138, 150 and 156 together. . The parties in the negotiations to T2016 recognised that the opening up of the Irish labour market arising from the decision to permit direct access by citizens of the new EU Member States has given rise to concerns about the possibility of the collective compulsory replacement of workers by lower paid workers from these...

Written Answers — Workplace Violence: Workplace Violence (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: I note the recent publication of the "Fourth European Working Conditions Survey" conducted by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The survey, which was conducted in 2005 covering nearly 30,000 workers in 31 countries, shows that bullying or harassment, violence or the threat of violence, and various forms of discrimination all contribute to...

Written Answers — Employee Rights Protection: Employee Rights Protection (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 361 together. I presume that the questions posed by the Deputies refer to junior doctors, also known as non-consultant hospital doctors. By virtue of not being excluded by the terms of Section 17 of the Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003, junior doctors are covered by the provisions of the 2003 Act. The inclusion of junior doctors under...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: On the 26th of April 2006, the Labour Court made a recommendation regarding the redundancy terms for Irish Sugar workers at the Mallow plant. The recommendation provided that redundancy should be 5 weeks' pay per year of service, where a week's pay would be defined as actual finishing salary, excluding overtime, plus statutory redundancy entitlement, plus a bonus payment for an orderly...

Written Answers — Employment Rights Protection: Employment Rights Protection (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: Irish employment rights law makes a distinction between a contract of service, which applies to an employer-employee relationship, and a contract for service, which applies in the case of an independent sub-contractor. In effect, employment rights legislation does not apply to independent sub-contractors with the exception of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 and the Equality...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: The former Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority resigned with effect from 31st January 2007. A new Chief Executive for the Health and Safety Authority has not yet been appointed. The appointment of a Chief Executive of the Authority is a matter for the Board of the Authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 39 and Schedule 6 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: There is no specific employment rights legislation governing the payment of overtime. While the Organisation of Working time Act 1997 regulates rest breaks and maximum weekly working hours it does not cover overtime payment. Employees do not have a statutory right to overtime pay except in certain employments covered by employment regulation orders or registered employment agreements. Policy...

Industrial Relations. (6 Mar 2007)

Tony Killeen: Section 2 of the Industrial Relations Act 2001 as amended provides that the Labour Court may, at the request of a trade union or excepted body, investigate a trade dispute where it is satisfied that, inter alia, it is not the practice of the employer to engage in collective bargaining negotiations in respect of the group of workers party to the dispute and the internal dispute resolution...