Results 14,781-14,800 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: That would make perfect sense if that was solely the case. However, that is not what I have been told or what has been put in the public domain, which I will get to shortly. What is Ms Forbes's understanding of the difference between a contract of service and a contract for service? Is she aware of the distinction between the two?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: A contract of service would be for somebody who is an employee, while the other is a contract for a service.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: In an organisation like RTÉ, it might suit both the employee and the employer to have a contract for service. However, it has been suggested, even on one of RTÉ's programmes, that it is much wider than that and that many of RTÉ's employees are being coerced into accepting contracts for service. It was described by one of the Ms Forbes's colleagues as rife within RTÉ....

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: What are those issues?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: No, I am not talking about gender at all. That is important, however, because there was an issue relating to gender pay. There was a report on it. Ms Forbes need not answer questions on that, although some other members might take up that matter. It is an important issue, and I welcome the fact that there was a review and a report. However, I am talking about bogus self-employment and...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: What does having issues mean? How does that differ from it being rife? Is Ms Forbes saying it is not rife or is she just saying that RTÉ has some issues?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: Before Ms Forbes does so, I wish to play a clip from one of RTÉ's programmes in order to provide some context. Before I do that, I should point out that the 472 people Ms Forbes refers to as contractors do not see themselves as such and do not want to be contractors. In fact, they are being forced into being contractors and self-employed. I have met a number of them and they have...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: He said that this is "rife". He spoke directly to people. Many of them were fearful about coming forward. That was his view. He went on to say that people were fearful about talking to him, although some people did. That was my experience when I dealt with people who came to me after I raised these issues. They privately expressed concern to me that if they raised any issues, their...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: Ms Forbes has accepted that it is a view, but if I were the head of an organisation, I would be concerned.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: I would want to know.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: I welcome the fact that Ms Forbes is concerned and is looking at this. The perception is that these people are being forced into these contracts. As a consequence of being forced into these contracts, they are essentially being asked - the word "coerced" was used during the programme in question - to surrender rights. If any other organisation were doing this, it would be looked at by...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: -----if it may be guilty of the same thing.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: I will play a second clip, which further illustrates what Mr. Boucher-Hayes says is the extent of the problem.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: The final clip I would like to play features Mr. Boucher-Hayes interviewing Mr. Dooley of the National Union of Journalists. Ms Forbes has said that she wants to talk to the unions as well.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: It is clear from these clips from one of RTÉ's own programmes, which was based on research done by of its own employees, that the individual in question is of the view that there is a problem. I have spoken to people who say there is a problem as well. As there are consequences in terms of PRSI contributions, which are different for the self-employed, there may well be a cost to the...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: The employees on these contracts, those who spoke to Mr. Boucher-Hayes and those who are concerned would say that a review is all well and great, and might well show up that there is a greater use of these self-employment contracts and that people are more likely to be described as contractors, but they want to know whether all of this is going to change. Is the review simply a fact-finding...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: For some-----

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: I ask the Chair to put me down for a second round of questions.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: Ms Cusack is right when she says there are people who find being a contractor very lucrative. Most of the ten most highly paid people in RTÉ are on contracts and are paid through companies. I have raised this previously with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. When these companies are established, the person is not paid directly. The company is paid. After the person...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (3 May 2018)

David Cullinane: How many of them are paid through companies? That was the question.