Results 1,401-1,420 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

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

Tony Killeen: Article 40.6.iii of the Constitution of Ireland guarantees the right of citizens 'to form associations and unions'. The Irish Courts have found that the explicit right to associate contained in the Constitution is matched by an implied corollary right to disassociate. Accordingly, it is a matter for an individual to decide whether or not to join a trade union. Trade unions are a vital part...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: 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 defines a posted worker as " a worker who, for a limited period, carries out his work in the territory of a Member State other than the State in which he normally works." The Directive guarantees workers posted to a Member State...

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

Tony Killeen: The registration of Employment Agreements and the maintenance of the Register of such agreements is a matter for the Labour Court and one in which I have no direct function. Currently I understand that there are 45 Employment Agreements registered with the Labour Court. Information in relation to REAs, and on those which have been registered or varied in recent years, is available on the...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: Some months ago, I asked the Health and Safety Authority to update the 2002 Code of Practice on Workplace Bullying in light of the updated requirements in the new Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The Health and Safety Authority in 2006 has since developed a draft "Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work" to be published in...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The Report of the Expert Advisory Group on Workplace Bullying was launched and published by me on the 17th August 2005 and it follows on from a 2001 Report by the Taskforce on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying. A recommendation contained in that Report was that a follow up survey on workplace bullying, similar to that commissioned for the 2001 report, be conducted as soon as practicable...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The total number of redundancies for each year from 2002-2006 is as follows:— Year Total 2002 24,432 2003 25,769 2004 25,041 2005 23,156 2006 23,684 Figures for actual redundancies are collected monthly and are not yet available for January of this year. I propose to provide a statement in tabular form separately to the Deputy in relation to the sectoral breakdown requested. ...

Written Answers — National Training Fund: National Training Fund (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The National Training Fund allocation for the training of people in the workforce in 2007 is €195.718m and is allocated as follows: Agency €000 Beneficiaries FAS — Training People in Employment 167,635 31,900 Training Networks Programme (Skillnets) 13,500 18,000 IDA Ireland — Training Grants to Industry 2,500 1,300 Enterprise Ireland — Training Grants to Industry 3,160 1,000...

Written Answers — Immigrant Support Services: Immigrant Support Services (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: Primary responsibility for general English language training rests with the Department of Education and Science who deliver such training through the adult literacy programmes delivered by the Vocational Educational Committees. They report that resources provided for "English for Speakers of Other Languages" courses has expanded considerably in recent years in response to increased demand....

Written Answers — Skills Requirements: Skills Requirements (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 1136 together. In the rapidly changing global environment in which Ireland competes, the changing skills needs of the economy are difficult to predict with certainty. However it is possible to identify trends to assist us make informed policy decisions aimed at minimizing skills shortages in the future. These trends indicate that the skills required...

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

Tony Killeen: On 26 April 2006, the Labour Court made a recommendation regarding the redundancy terms for Irish Sugar workers at the Mallow plant. The court has issued three clarifications of its recommendation since April, butthese failed to achieve a resolution to thedispute. Ireland's system of industrial relations is, essentially, voluntary in nature and responsibility for the resolution of industrial...

Written Answers — Redundancy Entitlements: Redundancy Entitlements (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: In April 2001 the ceiling on weekly wages used in calculating statutory redundancy lump sums was €507.90. Payment was then calculated at a half week's pay per year of service under the age of 41 and a full week's pay per year of service over the age of 41 plus one extra week's pay. Redundancy entitlements were discussed in the context of Sustaining Progress and agreed at two weeks pay per...

Written Answers — Workplace Inspections: Workplace Inspections (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The number of workplace inspections/visits undertaken by the Labour Inspectorate in 2006 amounted to 15,855. Breaches were detected in 2,250 of these cases. The primary objective of the Labour Inspectorate in the case of the breaches detected was to seek compliance and rectification of any breaches identified, including redress for the individual/s concerned and payment of any arrears due to...

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

Tony Killeen: I have read the report and noted the allegations contained in the magazine article. I have also noted that the company has denied the allegations. The wages and employment conditions of workers employed in Retail Grocery are governed by the Retail Grocery and Allied Trades Employment Regulation Order. I would urge any employee or former employee who is of the view that their employer is not...

Written Answers — Redundancy Claims: Redundancy Claims (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The Online Redundancy Payments System (RPS) has been fully operational since June 2005. From June 2005 until 31 December 2005, a total of 2,648 online claims were received, this represents 19.14% of the total claims received for the seven-month period (13,837). 10,610 claims were submitted online in 2006, representing 45% of the total of 23,684 claims received. The average online processing...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Authority: Health and Safety Authority (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The current Chief Executive's term of office does not end until 31st January 2007. Accordingly, a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Health and Safety Authority has not yet been appointed. The appointment of a Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, including a remuneration package, is in the first instance a matter for the Board of the Authority in accordance with the...

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

Tony Killeen: Towards 2016 contains, inter alia, a commitment by the Government to increase the staffing resources of the Employment Rights Bodies generally in order to accelerate the processing of cases through the adjudication and redress system. Included in this section is a commitment that an additional 5 Rights Commissioners will be provided, increasing, as necessary, in line with the Commissioners'...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The handling, use and disposal of explosives are covered under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Extractive Industries) Regulations, 1997, the Mines and Quarries Act, 1965 and its related regulations, and the Explosives Act, 1875. The Quarries (Explosives) Regulations 1971 as amended (S.I. No. 237 of 1971), which are made under the Mines and Quarries Act 1965, make provision for the...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 provides that the annual leave of an employee who works 10 hours per week is 8% of the total number of hours he or she works in a leave year subject to a maximum of four working weeks. These hours of annual leave are converted into days in accordance with the normal number of hours the employee works per day. The leave year means a year beginning on...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: I, along with my colleagues the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Micheál Martin TD and the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mr Brendan Smith TD met with representatives of workers at Castlemahon Foods in October 2006. Subsequently, talks were arranged at the Labour Relations Commission with Castlemahon's parent company regarding non-statutory...

Written Answers — Compensation Payments: Compensation Payments (31 Jan 2007)

Tony Killeen: There have been no developments in this case since my response to the Deputy's previous question. The Department referred the file in this case to the Chief State Solicitor's Office in October 2005 to institute legal proceedings against the employer. The Chief State Solicitor's Office in turn referred the file to the State Solicitor for the area in which the employer concerned normally...