Results 1,861-1,880 of 2,156 for speaker:Tom Parlon

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The Bill requires that the commission establish standards of probity, merit, equity and fairness to be followed in the public interest in the recruitment and selection of persons for positions in the public service. These principles must be reflected in codes of practice which dictate how recruitment must be conducted by licence holders. In this way the licence holder must adhere to the...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Subsection (1) provides that every code of practice shall include requirements relating to "knowledge and ability to discharge the duties of the post concerned, suitability on the grounds of character and suitability for the post concerned in all other respects".

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The regulations to which the Senator refers are attributed to the Minister for Finance, who laid them down. They are not included in the Bill, which will not have any bearing upon them.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: Yes.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: The amendment proposes arrangements for performance-related pay in the public service, something with which I agree wholeheartedly. As I said on Committee Stage, this subject matter is entirely outside the remit of the section, which deals with the board of the PES. It is also outside the remit of a Bill dealing with recruitment in the public service. Perhaps the Senator should take this up...

Seanad: Commissions of Investigation Bill 2003: Second Stage. (1 Jul 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank Senators for their contributions to the debate. I am very pleased that the Bill has been broadly welcomed on all sides of the House. This indicates that it is not only a timely measure but that it addresses many of the major concerns about current arrangements. This Bill is very significant reforming legislation and in the fullness of time it will be seen as a major step forward in...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I thank all Senators for their contributions to the debate on this Bill. Without attempting to be patronising, they were much more thoughtful and positive than in the Dáil. Despite the fact that I attempted to avoid decentralisation as an issue, the Senators rightly identified it as being part of this. I have no problem with that, but I did feel that some of the debate in the Dáil centred...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I congratulate him all the same.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: Senator Higgins wondered if the current system was not broken then why fix it. He also referred to the issues that I raised concerning speed and flexibility. If anything has been around for 80 years, there is a general consensus that it is time for change, not for its own sake but in order to move forward. I reiterate what I said in the Lower House. The 1999 PricewaterhouseCoopers strategic...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: One of these God awful places.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: Is it a godforsaken place?

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I am pleased to introduce the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003 to Seanad Éireann. The Bill has been amended in Dáil Éireann and I will draw Senators' attention to these amendments when I describe the Bill in detail. The Bill is an important step in the reform of the public service. Our public service has a major role to play in the economic and social life...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: That is if they are married in the first place.

Written Answers — State Properties: State Properties (17 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: On the basis of current records, the following is a list of coast guard stations which are currently in the Office of Public Work's property portfolio. Doolin, County Clare Ballycotton, County Cork Baltimore, County Cork Barry's Cove, Lisbevane, Bandon, County Cork Rosscarbery, Clonakilty Road, Castlefreke, County Cork Crosshaven, Myrtleville Road, Crosshaven, County Cork Leap, Glandore...

Written Answers — State Properties: State Properties (17 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: The examination of the State property portfolio by the Commissioners of Public Works with a view to identifying vacant, under-utilised, under-developed or surplus property is continuing. In all cases it is very important to have perfection of title. This may involve long, tedious investigation of burdens, covenants, ground rent etc., and in many cases involves the registration of property....

Seanad: Adoptive Leave Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I cannot accept the amendment. The advice of Parliamentary Counsel is that it is necessary to include the term "AND TO PROVIDE FOR CONNECTED MATTERS" in the Long Title of the Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Adoptive Leave Act 1995. However, it also makes amendments to the Unfair Dismissals and Redundancy Payments Acts. The proposed amendment would give rise to an incomplete...

Seanad: Adoptive Leave Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: As indicated on Committee Stage by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, the review of statutory periods of leave such as adoptive, maternity or parental leave is a matter for consultation and negotiation by Government with the social partners through the partnership process, where the views of all relevant stakeholders can be taken into consideration. The...

Seanad: Adoptive Leave Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I cannot accept this amendment. It would result in granting bereaved adopting fathers a more generous leave entitlement than that of a bereaved natural father. As stated on Committee Stage, the maternity working group considered the periods of maternity leave available and made recommendations to increase both maternity leave and additional maternity leave by four weeks each. These increases...

Seanad: Adoptive Leave Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: I reject the amendment. The Adoptive Leave Act 1995 already makes provision for leave prior to placement in the case of a foreign adoption. Section 8 of the 1995 Act provides that in the case of a foreign adoption, an employed adopting mother or sole male adopter may avail of some or all of her eight weeks additional unpaid adoptive leave prior to the placement of the child for...

Seanad: Adoptive Leave Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Tom Parlon: This amendment is rejected. The provision in section 8 of the Bill for termination of additional adoptive leave on the sickness of the adopting parents is consistent with the provisions in section 6 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003, which implements the recommendations of the maternity working group on this matter. The review group recommends that in the event of illness, an...