Results 1,581-1,600 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Written Answers — Construction Industry: Construction Industry (6 Jul 2006)

Tony Killeen: I understand from the most recent statistics available from the Central Statistics Office that there are 253,800 people employed in the construction industry. I do not have details according to work category within the sector. The assignment of previously announced additional Labour Inspectors was completed in November 2005. That brought the complement of serving Inspectors to 31 Officers....

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (6 Jul 2006)

Tony Killeen: The assignment of previously announced additional Labour Inspectors was completed in November 2005. That brought the complement of serving Inspectors to 31 Officers. The increase in staffing represents almost a doubling of the number of Labour Inspectors in the last 2 years. A major package of measures has been agreed by the parties at the recent Partnership negotiations, including the...

Written Answers — Pay Differentials: Pay Differentials (6 Jul 2006)

Tony Killeen: Primary responsibility for policy in relation to equal pay is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Addressing the factors behind the gender pay gap is, however, a multi-faceted task involving a number of Government Departments. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment undertakes the following actions. The National Framework Committee on...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (6 Jul 2006)

Tony Killeen: This Department has not in the last 20 years been asked by the Employment Appeals Tribunal to refer a matter on a point of law to the High Court. The tribunal established by section 39 of the Redundancy Payments Act, 1967, known as the Redundancy Appeals Tribunal was changed to the Employment Appeals Tribunal by section 18 of the Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977. The Department is unable to trace...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (6 Jul 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Prosecution and Enforcement Unit of the Department deals with the enforcement of determinations of both Labour Court and Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT). Eight applications seeking enforcement of a determination of the EAT under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 have been received since this Act came into force. None have been in respect of a Government Department or a...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (5 Jul 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Health and Safety Authority has responsibility for the administration and enforcement of legislation dealing with the protection of the public and employees from the risks of exposure to asbestos fibres. A range of detailed legislation currently applies, comprising— (i) European Communities (Protection of Workers) (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 1989 (S.I. No. 34 of 1989), (ii)...

Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Government has proposed the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal (Amendment) Bill 2006 to provide for the establishment of an insurance scheme for persons infected by blood and blood products administered within the State. The sad history of the infection of blood and blood products with hepatitis C and HIV will never be erased. Families continue to experience the hurt and sadness these...

Written Answers — Unfair Dismissals: Unfair Dismissals (29 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2001 protect employees from being unfairly dismissed from their jobs by laying down criteria by which dismissals are to be judged unfair and by providing an adjudication system and redress for an employee whose dismissal has been found to be unfair. To qualify under the Unfair Dismissals Acts, an employee is normally expected to have at least one year's...

Written Answers — Office for Employment Rights Compliance: Office for Employment Rights Compliance (28 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, sets out a number of commitments with regard to employment standards and compliance including a commitment to establish an Office of the Director of Employment Rights Compliance. The Office will be established through the enactment of primary legislation and will be led by a Director at senior management level together with administrative...

Criminal Law (Home Defence) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: I wish to make it clear the Government is also mindful of the concerns raised by Deputies in the debate on this Private Members' Bill in the name of Deputy Jim O'Keeffe. It is fair to say concern for the safety of law-abiding people in their own homes is not the sole preserve of any party or Deputy. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is already on record stating...

Written Answers — Flexible Work Practices: Flexible Work Practices (27 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Carer's Leave Act 2001 applies to all employees and, by extension, their employers. The Act sets out the procedures to be followed by employees who wish to avail of carer's leave. The Carer's Leave Act 2001 was amended by Section 48 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 (No. 5 of 2006) which increased carer's leave entitlements to workers from 65 weeks to 104 weeks with...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (27 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 provides that a part-time employee is an employee whose normal hours of work are less than the normal hours of work of an employee — defined as a comparable full-time employee — in relation to him or her (i.e. that part-time employee). The 2001 Act provides that a part-time employee shall not be treated less favourably than a...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Health and Safety Authority were involved in 40 legal proceedings — 22 summary and 18 on indictment in 2005. The overall conviction rate was 85%. In addition to the prosecution options, the Health and Safety Authority also has a range of other enforcement remedies available to it, including the seeking of a High Court Order to have a dangerous workplace closed down and the issuing of...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 101 together. The Expert Advisory Group's Report on Workplace Bullying was launched and published by me on the 17th August 2005. The 2005 Report follows on from a 2001 Report by the Taskforce on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying. The recommendations of the 2001 Taskforce were implemented; the main ones being, ∙the publication of the dignity at work...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: It is a matter for the Courts to determine the application of penalties on conviction for breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and other occupational safety and health legislation. Section 78 of the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act sets out detailed provisions relating to the penalties that may be applied by the Courts for breaches of that Act. Where the...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 93, 99 and 122 together. The National Employment Survey, which is conducted by the Central Statistics Office, provides more detailed comparisons than previously available of employees' earnings. This Survey is a valuable source of information and will help in the consideration and development of policies in the relevant areas. Primary responsibility for...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The fact that there is a disproportionately high level of fatal injuries in the workplace among non-Irish nationals is a cause of considerable concern both to me as Minister for Labour Affairs and to the Health and Safety Authority, the State body charged with overall responsibility for administration, enforcement and promotion of workplace safety and health. A total of 9 non-Irish national...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 104 and 123 together. The Law Reform Commission in its report on corporate killing in October 2005 recommended that as the current law of corporate liability for manslaughter does not provide a clear basis for constructing liability, a new basis, in legislative form, is necessary. The Commission also recommended that there should be individual statutory...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The enforcement of Employment Rights Compliance is primarily based around the legislative provisions governing the statutory records that employers are required to maintain. The generality of investigative work undertaken by Labour Inspectors does not require that they be competent in a variety of languages. Where the need for interpretation services are required, such as in the area of...

Written Answers — Industrial Disputes: Industrial Disputes (21 Jun 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Court operates as an industrial relations tribunal, hearing both sides in a trade dispute. It then issues recommendations setting out its opinion on the dispute and the terms on which it considers the dispute should be settled. In line with the voluntarist nature of the industrial relations system in this country, Labour Court recommendations for the resolution of trade disputes...