Results 1,701-1,720 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: This is a very difficult issue because we have a lot of underfunded defined benefit schemes in the country. How can the underfunding of such schemes be resolved by arbitration? How should that be done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: Is Mr. Collins saying the employer has an obligation to make good any deficiency in a defined benefit scheme? Is that ultimately-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: I am just trying to understand this. As I understand it, what is happening is people are living much longer-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: -----than at the time the commitments were made. At the time, they probably said in good faith a contribution of X by the worker and Y by the employer will fund this. In many of these funds that is not proving sustainable. Is Mr. Collins saying arbitration in all cases means the employer has to make good the deficit?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: This issue is much wider.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: It seems employers have made promises they cannot fulfil in these commitments. Mr. Collins says the matter should be resolved by arbitration but it seems the only outcomes can be either the employers make bigger contributions or the workers make bigger contributions to top up a fund in deficit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: That is a fairly substantial change in policy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: However, this is what makes the issue so difficult; it is opening up this territory. On Waterford Crystal, a ruling was made that the Government had an obligation to have a compensation fund where the fund has run out. I want to get an understanding of the situation. The Waterford Crystal Pension Action Group is a group of workers who were excluded from getting the benefit because they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: What was the scale of the commitment the European Court of Justice ruled the State had? I think one of the witnesses mentioned a figure of 49%. Was the ruling of the court that the Government should pick up half the deficit? Does that court case set a precedent?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: That was funded by every employer. It was a global fund with a new PRSI levy or something.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: To meet the group's need, if I understand this correctly, would probably require a new scheme that covers not just Waterford Crystal but a general scheme. I take it this is the challenge for the Government. It is not just one case, it is probably about setting up a scheme that covers all similar cases that could arise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Discussion (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: I am conscious of time and I want to share time with Deputy Stanton.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: I want to ask a very basic question. When you look at the Article 4(1) of that regulation, you have types of infrastructure such as investment, technologies, inputs and sensitive information. There is a huge range of potential areas of investment. It goes into water and energy. Virtually any infrastructure is open to consideration under this Act. Does this require the Minister to examine...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: I am just reading the section -----

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: I appreciate that, but they define critical infrastructure as "whether physical or virtual, including energy, transport, water, health, communications, media, data processing, storage, aerospace, defence, electoral or financial infrastructure and sensitive facilities, as well as land and real estate crucial to the use of these infrastructure.". That is only one of the elements. It seems an...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (25 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: The offence will be failing to notify. That would be a breach in the guidelines.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuels Functions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: When a proposal such this, which increases the non-renewable percentage of fuel, is being introduced, there would normally be a regulatory impact assessment, RIA, of some sort. Some of these things can be quite expensive, and the least we can do is look at alternatives. The section does not include provision for an RIA. Would an RIA be carried out without the need to have it specified in...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuels Functions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: It should be a matter of course. The Government should undertake an RIA rather than expect it to be done through a process of people making submissions. It is necessary, but it is an expensive option. As a result, there is a need to at least look at alternatives or assess whether what is proposed is justified. There are physical constraints on what can be done in respect of these fuels....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuels Functions Bill 2023: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2023)

Richard Bruton: Does the Government have a list of critical services already extant or is that something that continues to evolve?