Results 15,581-15,600 of 15,792 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (30 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: In a reply given in regard to the company in question on 16 June last, I outlined the criteria in relation to the right of employees to receive redundancy entitlement under the Redundancy Payments Acts, 1967 — 2007. This provides that employees who have two years continuous service with an employer, are aged 16 years or over and are in employment which is insurable for all benefits under...

Written Answers — Work Placement Programme: Work Placement Programme (30 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: In order to respond effectively to the growing numbers of unemployed through the provision of work placements I, in conjunction with my colleague the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Mary Hanafin jointly launched the work placement programme on 27 May last. The proposal by the City and County Managers Association and other similar proposals were considered as part of the...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (30 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: FÁS is aware of a number of sitting Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas being on the sponsoring committees of community employment projects. The Community Employment Operating Guidelines state that the work programme of a sponsor should not involve any specific promotional-advocacy of a specific political party or the policies of a specific political party. Sponsors applying for a...

Written Answers — Insolvency Payments Scheme: Insolvency Payments Scheme (30 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that between March and May of this year, my Department has received 1,623 applications under the Insolvency Payments Scheme for Arrears of Wages, Holiday Pay and Minimum Notice on behalf of the former employees of Waterford Crystal. These claims are currently being processed. It has however been necessary to seek further information from the Receiver and a response is...

Written Answers — Work Placement Programme: Work Placement Programme (30 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: I have no plans to amend the rules governing the entry requirements to the work placement programme at this time. The objective of the work placement programme is to provide work experience for unemployed persons, including graduates, to improve their skills and to help them into employment as soon as possible. Specifically focusing on persons who have been on the live register for a period...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (25 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: Under the Redundancy Payment Scheme, Employers who give proper notice of redundancy (at least two weeks) to employees, and pay the statutory redundancy entitlement to those employees, are entitled to receive a 60% rebate from the Social Insurance Fund into which employers make regular payments through P.R.S.I. contributions. The attached table sets out the monetary value of Rebate and Lump...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (25 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that between March and May of this year, my Department has received 1,623 applications under the Insolvency Payments Scheme for Arrears of Wages, Holiday Pay and Minimum Notice on behalf of the former employees of Waterford Crystal. These claims are currently being processed. It has however been necessary to seek further information from the Receiver and a response is...

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (11 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: I wish to share my time with Deputy Margaret Conlon and the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Martin Mansergh.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (11 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: The horrors outlined in the Ryan report and on the airwaves, as well as the events described by Deputy Kenny this morning, are wretched. One cannot imagine how hard it must have been for the children who suffered these nightmares. I agree with Deputy Jim O'Keeffe and others who have described what happened as a holocaust. I reiterate the Taoiseach's apology to every person who marched...

Small Claims (Protection of Small Businesses) Bill 2009: Second Stage (10 Jun 2009)

Dara Calleary: I, too, appreciate the efforts made by Deputy Varadkar in introducing the proposal. Within the House, we all acknowledge that small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the economy, representing 97% of all businesses, and employing 800,000. We share a pro-business policy environment which has been in place for many years. Our enterprise development agencies and our tax system offer...

Cross-Border Investment Programmes. (27 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment. The comprehensive study on the all-island economy was commissioned by the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and was completed towards the end of 2006. This blueprint for all-island economic co-operation set out the economic rationale for North-South collaboration, as well as concrete proposals for economic initiatives....

Social Welfare Benefits. (27 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: The transfer of the domiciliary care allowance scheme from the HSE to the Department of Social and Family Affairs arises from a Government decision on 28 February 2006 to reallocate certain functions between Departments and agencies as part of the health service reform programme. The domiciliary care allowance scheme, since its transfer to the Department, has been placed on a statutory basis...

Special Educational Needs. (27 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I thank Deputy Feighan. I am taking this Adjournment Matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, Minister for Education and Science. The outreach classes referred to by Deputy Feighan are attached to St. Joseph's Special School, Ballytivnan, County Sligo. The children attending these outreach classes have a diagnosis of moderate to severe to profound general learning disability...

Work Permits (27 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I am grateful to Deputy Higgins for raising this issue and I thank him for his good wishes. Since 2004 Irish policy has been to have, where possible, our general labour and skills needs met from within the workforce of the EU. For strategic skills and labour shortages in designated occupations in key economic sectors such as healthcare, information technology and financial services, our...

Work Permits (27 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: No, I will not.

Order of Business (14 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: Is Deputy Ring still in Fine Gael? I thought he had joined the Labour Party.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (7 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I join colleagues in supporting the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, and the amendment to the motion. It is important to recall that in the recent budget in excess of €1 billion was allocated to support children and adults with special educational needs. While a great deal of this debate has focused on events that occurred during the past decade, it is important to place this matter in a...

Job Protection. (6 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I thank Deputy Breen for his good wishes and for raising this topic. This is an important issue and, consequently, it is being closely monitored and acted upon by the Government on an ongoing basis. However, I would encourage all to take a measured view of yesterday's developments. While the Government is treating the matter seriously, this is not simply an issue for Ireland. This is...

Army Barracks. (6 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. One of the downsides of my new job is that I am no longer a member of the Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which he has expertly chaired for the past two years. The Minister for Defence has asked me to convey his regrets at being unavailable to take this Adjournment matter in person. However, he is grateful to the Deputy for giving him...

Water and Sewerage Schemes. (6 May 2009)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for his good wishes, which were extended previously. I extend good wishes to him in regard to his activities next weekend. We have been working on this issue together since our election in 2007. The Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009, which was published in September 2007, includes 20 major water and sewerage schemes at various stages of planning and...