Results 1,661-1,680 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: As in all other cases involving the administration of statutory legislation, the application of penalties for conviction for breach of the Safety, Healthy and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and other occupational safety and health legislation is solely a matter for the Courts to determine in accordance with the provisions of the legislation in question. Section 78 of the 2005 Act sets out detailed...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: A claim for payment of a statutory redundancy lump sum in respect of the person concerned was received in the Redundancy Payments Section of the Department at the end of March 2006. A query arose in connection with the claim which had to be cleared with the employer. The matter has now been resolved and the payment is now being processed. The person concerned should receive his statutory...

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: Data in relation to the numbers in employment, which is available from the Quarterly National Household Survey since 1997, is as in the table. Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Number (million) 1,467.7 1,547.1 1,647.4 1,712.6 1,759.9 1,782.3 1,828.9 1,894.1 1,980.6

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The total cost to the Social Insurance Fund of providing for statutory redundancy payments for the first three months of 2006 was €36.1m. Of this, expenditure on employer rebates of 60% where the employers paid eligible employees their correct statutory redundancy lump sum entitlements amounted to €34.2m. Expenditure arising from direct payments by the Department from the Fund to...

Written Answers — Employment Regulation Orders: Employment Regulation Orders (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Court receives proposals from Joint Labour Committees, on foot of which it makes Employment Regulation Orders (EROs). EROs are statutory instruments which set out terms and conditions applying to specified workers in a particular sector. The registration of Employment Agreements and the maintenance of the Register of such agreements is also a matter for the Labour Court. I have no...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: A demonstration to mark workers memorial day took place outside the Health and Safety Authority on Friday, 28 April. The centrepiece of the event was a minute's silence to honour the memory of those killed in the workplace. The event was supported by BATU and the construction branch of SIPTU. Key organisers of the event were the family of Mr. Justin Foley, who was killed in a workplace...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: As the Deputy is aware, the issue was debated when the Bill was going through the Dáil. The matter is entirely appropriate to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform but there are penalties under the new legislation that are considerably stronger than those provided for previously. The issue of the corporate manslaughter debate is one for the Department of Justice, Equality and...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The current specific regulatory provisions on the reporting of occupational accidents and specified non-injury dangerous occurrences to the Health and Safety Authority are set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 1993, SI 44 of 1993. Under those provisions, an accident is reportable where it results in a fatality or where the injured employee is...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Deputy's question is timely, given that the general application regulations are under consideration and that specific definitions are included in the 2005 Act. There are two current provisions relating to asbestosis, for example, but they require updating. Deputy Morgan is right in saying that we need far better research in this area to enable us to draw up regulations that are suitable...

Health and Safety Regulations. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The construction regulations are with the parliamentary counsel. I expect the Health and Safety Authority to submit a draft of the general application regulations soon, which will be forwarded to the parliamentary counsel. I wrote to the clerk of the Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business offering to give a briefing to that committee on the construction regulations and to hear its...

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I join my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, in welcoming Deputy Quinn's return to an area in which he has a particular interest and his attempt to tee up a good news story for me. 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...

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: As the Deputy is well aware, there are considerable benefits to employees in the policies pursued by this Government. An enormous amount of work is done on the area of work-life balance. The report on the working place of the future makes 46 recommendations, among which is not numbered a proposal to create an additional public holiday. The Deputy is aware that it has been the practice in this...

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I wish to address a number of issues in the short to medium term on the quality of working life. Among them is an issue recently addressed by the Government, namely, increasing the entitlement to carer's leave. I would like to pursue a number of other issues in that area.

Public Holidays. (17 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: In that context, I have no difficulty in considering the creation of additional public holidays. However, I believe social partnership plays an integral and important role in our lives. It has been a major contributor to the success of the economy and the country. I would not be happy to take an initiative without reference to the social partners, notwithstanding the fact that the Government...

Written Answers — Employment Standards: Employment Standards (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Minister has had no specific consultations with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in relation to the issues raised by the Deputy. As regards investigating anti-competitive activity, the Competition Authority is an independent statutory body responsible for the enforcement of competition law in the State. Accordingly, any allegations of anti-competitive...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 272 together. A lack of clear communication and of understanding in any workplace could potentially pose a risk to the health and safety of the workers therein. It is clear that in the construction sector there are many workers who do not have English as a first language and, accordingly, it is appropriate that employers and those who are in control of...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Health and Safety Authority began a consultation process with the Social Partners and key players in the construction industry on proposed new Construction Regulations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work legislation in 2003. The Authority undertook public consultation during a 6-week period towards the end of last year. A total of 46 submissions were received during this latter...

Written Answers — Social Partnership: Social Partnership (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The Labour Relations Commission commissioned the University of Limerick to carry out a review of the Joint Labour Committee system in 2005. Arising from this review and following bilateral consultations with the social partners and stakeholders, the Department prepared a paper as the basis for implementation of the review in further consultation with the social partners and stakeholders, in...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: The total number of employees made redundant from the 1st January 2002 to 30th April 2006 was 106,121. The annual break-down is as follows: Year 2002 24,432 2003 25,769 2004 25,041 2005 23,156 Sub Total 98,398 2006 January-April 7,723 Total 106,121 This figure shows the number of employees who actually qualified for statutory redundancy lump sum payments. It does not...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (16 May 2006)

Tony Killeen: It is already open to a safety representative who has the necessary qualifications and experience to apply for vacancies which are advertised by the Health & Safety Authority. There is a staffing grade structure within the Authority which has been agreed by management with the staff unions. I am not aware that the Authority or the staff unions have any proposals to specifically recruit safety...