Results 61-80 of 519 for speaker:Mary Ann O'Brien

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I met that person this morning. I can introduce Senator Cullinane to both of these companies.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: As the leader and founder of my own company, I often speak in public. I have been very fortunate to be given a few awards. There is no "I" in team. I am only here because of my workers. I adore, revere and respect my workers. I am very proud that we take great pains with the law and with the right advice on how to treat our workers. I am here today to try to legislate a perfect balance...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: In the wake of Senator David Cullinane's contribution, I wish to put a question to the Minister of State. The Senator has indicated that temporary agency workers should have the same rights as temporary workers. What will an employer or an agency do if there is no temporary worker in a company? What will be the position if a company wishes to confer equal rights in circumstances where...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: In the context of full-time agency workers, I met representatives of a company last night and the only comparable, full-time employee in the company has been working for it for 15 years. What should employers or agencies do in such circumstances? I apologise for giving the Minister of State a migraine.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I apologise for intervening when I did.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: We do not know how that would turn out.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Having handed the Minister of State a nice puzzle to mull over, I do not propose to repeat myself. I will, however, refer to the case of a company in north Dublin on the edge of the senior Minister's constituency. A representative of the company which is American and has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio was with me last evening. As I stated, it operates a red, amber and green system. In...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I move amendment No. 5: In page 8, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following subsection: "(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) of section 7, where more than one employee is a comparable employee by reference to subsection (1) and different comparable employees are entitled to different basic working and employment conditions, then an agency worker shall be entitled to the basic...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will withdraw amendment No. 5 while reserving the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I move amendment No. 6: In page 9, lines 3 to 12, to delete subsection (1) and substitute the following: "7.—(1) Subject to any collective agreement for the time being standing approved under section 8, the basic working and employment conditions to which an agency worker is entitled shall be the same as the basic working and employment conditions to which a comparable employee would have...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Grey areas and a lack of clarity have appeared this morning. I second Senator White's proposal to pause this for a little longer in order that the Minister of State would have the time to consider the position. He made an extremely good suggestion for me to go back to my three real company stories, and with all due respect, I make the same suggestion to the Minister of State. He should go...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: To clarify, six years ago I took this contract in America off the Belgians and I have no intention of giving it back to them.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will not press the amendment today, as I wish to reserve the right to retable it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will withdraw it but I have a question. During the wretched years of 2008 and 2009, when everything came crashing down and the unemployment numbers started to rise to the current horrific level, how many people in permanent jobs were made redundant in order that companies would become lean and competitive and survive, and how many were taken back as temporary agency workers? The three...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will be as concise as possible. I thank the Minister for coming to the House. As I travel around the country visiting my colleagues, associates and friends, small-business owners and people who would like to start a business, one of the points I keep hearing is the terrifying amount of administrative compliance required and the knowledge, time, energy and talent needed to deal with it....

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I am just giving the Minister the background information. I ask for clarity on the Government's position regarding this directive. I would hope the Government would sign up to this worthwhile proposal which will make a significant difference to business owners who are the life, soul and blood of this economy. I ask the Minister to be vigilant and tough in his dealings with the banks such...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I wish to bring two matters to the attention of Senators. Some may be aware of the European Court of Justice ruling last week that could see hoteliers being required to pay for their guests' use of copyrighted material. This means any hotel with radios and televisions in its bedrooms would be forced to pay royalties. I was under the impression that a hotel bedroom was a private space....

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I would like to hear the reaction of the Leader to the suggestion that there be a one-stop shop for businesses. I encourage him to speak to the appropriate Minister, probably the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, with a view to setting up such a system.

Seanad: Human Trafficking and Prostitution: Motion (18 Apr 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thank the Minister for coming to the House and for his obvious commitment and comforting words. If I was one of the very dangerous organised criminals who are obviously at the top of the pile, profiteering from these vulnerable and frightened people, I would be pretty happy because I would have another 12 months at least to continue to profiteer. A lot of what I was going to say has been...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Apr 2012)

Mary Ann O'Brien: It saddens and angers me greatly to observe the ongoing debate on the domiciliary care allowance. The problems in this regard are clear to me from speaking to nurses with the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation. We have 288 families under our wing, including babies whose development has been severely delayed as a result of brain damage, many of whom are adversely affected by delays of up to...