Results 141-160 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (4 Jul 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Figures to be published shortly by the Health and Safety Authority show that in 2006 there were 50 recorded fatalities in Ireland as a result of work related accidents, compared to 74 work-related deaths in 2005, 50 in 2004, 68 in 2003 and 61 in 2002. The same industry sectors of construction and agriculture remained the most dangerous throughout this period. As regards construction there...

Written Answers — Public Holidays: Public Holidays (4 Jul 2007)

Billy Kelleher: 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 time, provides for an entitlement to nine public holidays per annum. Publication of data by the European Employment Observatory shows that there is a wide variation in the number of public holidays among EU Member States....

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (5 Jul 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Irish employment rights do not apply to the employees of ships that are not registered under the Irish flag. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment therefore does not have any power to enforce Irish employment rights legislation on board these ships. The ship to which the Deputy refers is registered in Belize. The responsibility for the safety, rates of pay and living and working...

Industrial Development. (26 Sep 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I congratulate Deputy Calleary on his election to the House. His family has a proud tradition of representing Mayo and I wish him well. The management of IDA Ireland's property portfolio, including the development of industrial parks in particular areas, is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency and not a matter in which I or my Department have a statutory function. Overall, IDA...

Irish Sign Language. (26 Sep 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I am responding on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science in relation to Irish sign language. As the Deputy may be aware, section 2 of the Official Languages Act 2003 states that "the official...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Sep 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 541 together. Primary responsibility for this sector rests with the Minister and Minister of State at the Department of Transport. I can advise the Deputies however that the terms and conditions of employment on board ferry vessels are linked to the State in which the ship is registered. In the case of workers employed on Irish registered vessels, the...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (26 Sep 2007)

Billy Kelleher: A revised Code of Practice, under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, for employers and employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Workplace Bullying, was published in April 2007. It replaces and updates the previous Code in operation since 2002 and it provides practical guidance for employers on identifying and preventing bullying at work arising from their duties under the...

Job Losses. (27 Sep 2007)

Billy Kelleher: On 29 August last, the company in question announced all manufacturing and distribution operations in Drogheda, County Louth would close in September 2008. The company had decided it no longer needed three operations in Ireland. The reason given for closing the Drogheda plant was that the high-capacity plant in Ballina, County Mayo and the specialised plant in Athy, County Kildare had...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (27 Sep 2007)

Billy Kelleher: In accordance with commitments given under Towards 2016, the Social Partnership Agreement, the number of Inspectors is scheduled to increase to 90, from the starting position of 31, by the end of 2007. The number of Labour Inspectors appointed with the National Appointment Rights Authority (NERA) currently stands at 51. Preliminary interviews for the recruitment of a further 10 Inspectors...

Written Answers — Fire Service: Fire Service (2 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I understand that retained fire fighters are employed directly by the local authorities. Neither my Department nor the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government nor the local authorities have guidelines on the question of the release of retained firefighters to carry out their fire fighting duties. However, I further understand that there is an onus on retained fire fighters...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (16 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The number of prosecutions initiated by Inspection Services for each year from 2002 to 2006 and to date in 2007 is set out in the table that follows this reply. The primary role of Inspection Services, encompassed within the new National Employment Rights Authority, in the case of breaches of employment rights legislation is to seek compliance and rectification of any breaches identified,...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (18 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Construction Industry (Pension Assurance and Sick Pay) Registered Employment Agreement (REA) requires employers in the construction sector to become and remain a party to a contributory pension scheme approved by the Revenue Commissioners and sets out the conditions upon which pension and mortality payments are payable and the associated minimum amounts and benefits. The REA does not...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (18 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together. From 1 November 2007, new Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007), made under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, relating to First-Aid at places of work, generally replace and revoke similar provisions in the 1993 Regulations of the same name (S.I. No. 44 of 1993). The...

Written Answers — Employment Regulations: Employment Regulations (23 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Ireland's comprehensive body of employment rights legislation, which protects employees against arbitrary behaviour by employers, applies to all workers employed on an employer-employee basis in Ireland. The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, 2001 provides that all employee protection legislation applies to a person who has entered into a contract of employment that provides for...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (23 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: My priority is to secure the enactment of the Employment Law Compliance Bill 2007 and the Employment Agencies Regulation Bill 2007, so as to give effect to commitments for new legislation in Sections 11 to 16 and 21 of Part 2 of TOWARDS 2016 — 10 Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement 2006-2015. Work on preparing both Bills is advancing for their publication as quickly as possible. I...

Employment Rights. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: As part of the Government's commitment under the partnership agreement, Towards 2016, I am currently considering the final elements of proposals for the draft scheme of a Bill to regulate the employment agency sector. I intend to submit a memorandum to Government very shortly seeking approval to have the Bill drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government. The Bill as drafted will...

Employment Rights. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The previous Government responded quite quickly in respect of the Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act and the Irish Ferries workers. Obviously, Ireland will play a very constructive role in any discussions that take place at European level and this has been well acknowledged in Europe. In respect of agency workers, let us be under no...

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: 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 time, provides for an entitlement to nine public holidays per annum. Publication of data by the European Employment Observatory shows that there is a wide variation in the number of public holidays among EU member states....

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Will the Deputy send me a copy of that?

Public Holidays. (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Deputy might raise that again in the context of where we are and what we are trying to achieve. Certainly it was Irish workers who answered the clarion call many years ago when we had major difficulties in the economy and they have worked progressively and are very efficient. We want that to continue to be the case in the context of a very open economy. The Deputy's suggestion can be...