Results 281-300 of 29,149 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

National Workplace Strategy. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Question 65: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for the delivery of a national workplace strategy, as outlined in a recent report of the Forum on the Workplace of the Future, particularly in relation to the work and life balance aspects of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12452/05]

National Workplace Strategy. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the report but we have heard the same comment for many years. In 1997, the OECD Ministers, including our own, said they would put a particular urgency on trying to bring flexible work arrangements and work-life balance into the workplace. In 2002, the then Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, the Minister of State's predecessor, said that providing flexibility was an essential part of...

National Workplace Strategy. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: To be practical, on the issue of parental leave, for example, the Minister rightly said we have a social partnership model here. In the negotiation on that Bill, which is one aspect of the type of work-life balance arrangements we could set in place, IBEC almost ruled out any possible changes despite the fact that we are one of the few countries in the European Union that does not allow for...

National Workplace Strategy. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: "Pathetic" is the word.

Labour Force Survey. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Will the Minister agree that in the interests of joined-up thinking, it would be good to know not just the numbers of migrant workers coming in but also to have some indication where they are working? The national spatial strategy is now being treated more or less as a joke by reasonable commentators. From what the Minister says, we are possibly looking at 60,000 to 100,000. If a significant...

Flexible Work Practices. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: The Minister of State's response to this question makes an utter mockery of his reply to my priority question earlier. This is so if we are to take a leading role, as described in the work place strategy paper already referred to, in providing the flexible working environment that will aid competitiveness and help keep people in the economy who otherwise might leave. Is the Minister of State...

Flexible Work Practices. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Leave it to the market. That is the Fianna Fáil approach.

Economic Competitiveness. (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: A total of 87% of our energy needs are met by importing fossil fuels. Since the National Competitiveness Council's report was published last October there has been another spike in oil prices. The price is $55 per barrel today. Does the Minister agree that this is a major threat to our competitiveness? We are uniquely exposed. What analysis has the Minister carried out in that regard and what...

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Question 111: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the recent research by the Air Transport Users' Council regarding charges that are added on to advertised airfares; if he is planning to take action on the basis of the AUC's findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12188/05]

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (20 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Question 216: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will amend his reply of 24 February 2005 to questions regarding increasing the powers and number of labour inspectors, in view of the recent report by inspectors and of the string of recent cases of abuse of workers' rights; if he will continue to maintain that the current slow augmentation of the labour...

Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Is the Minister concerned that a massive training process will have to be put in place for the new staff — 220 — to be appointed to replace the shortfall in the transfers? Will the Minister agree that the process of transferring staff will lead to a remarkable loss of experience and knowledge in matters of defence. Does the Minister believe the figure might be higher than 78? Is this the...

Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Will the Minister agree that certain expertise is built up in an area? A civil servant from the Department of Agriculture and Food will not slip immediately into procurement assistance of military aircraft to the Defence Forces? Will there be transfers at assistant secretary and principal officer level or are those 78 positions from the lower grades in the Department?

Common Foreign and Security Policy. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: This institute is, according to the same Council joint action, an integral part of the new structures that support the further development of the European security and defence policy. Will the Minister confirm that the study published by this institute in October 2004 called for a comprehensive armament programme for the European Union's world role and, in the course of discussing various...

Common Foreign and Security Policy. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: The Minister appears to acknowledge the truth that should we proceed as proposed with the European Union common defence, as set out in the proposed EU constitution, we will be joining a defence policy that has a serious nuclear component, given the inclusion of British and French nuclear armaments in their defence capabilities.

Common Foreign and Security Policy. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: The proposed White Paper, as the Minister said, includes the possibility of a nuclear option or the use of nuclear armaments in defence actions.

Common Foreign and Security Policy. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: This report is not from an independent think-tank but was commissioned by the European Commission. The institute has an integrated statutory role within the structures of the European Union security and defence policy. This is not a think-tank, it is the future.

Military Escorts. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Question 8: To ask the Minister for Defence the costs to his Department for providing military escorts to banks; the reviews of this practice that are in progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12398/05]

Military Escorts. (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Given the remarkable series of bank raids recently, is the Department of Defence considering increasing the level of Army cover in such raids? Why was the charge not increased since 1995? What is the negotiating position of the banks? Given that the precedent of 72% of the total cost was set in 1995, what possible argument can be given by the banks not to return to that percentage?

Written Answers — Air Corps Equipment: Air Corps Equipment (21 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: Question 37: To ask the Minister for Defence the current and planned helicopter fleet in the Defence Forces; which elements of this are available for air ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12397/05]

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (26 Apr 2005)

Eamon Ryan: I support Deputy Howlin's amendment. In many areas it is impossible to know what is Government policy or opinion. In some instances, there might be two or three different opinions. To gag someone against commenting on Government opinion is to impose an unfair burden on that person because it would be impossible for anyone to divine what is Government policy, much less comment on it.