Results 261-280 of 3,872 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: First, I will comment on the motion without debate on planning and development, to point out Sinn Féin's perspective. We need to give this issue more time for it to be discussed and considered fully. That is Sinn Féin's position on that motion. I will raise the issue of firefighters. My union, SIPTU, has recommended that the Labour Court proposals be rejected. In my experience,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: All three. We are just putting it on the record.

Seanad: Situation in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory: Statements (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: Situation in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory: Statements (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I welcome the Minister of State. I listened carefully to his statement and I do not disagree, as such, with anything he said. However, the key message I would like to get across to him today is that, right now and for some time since, words are not and have not been enough, not when we see the horrors being inflicted on the Palestinian people. Patricia McKeown of the Irish Congress of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I thank our guests for their fulsome presentation and answers. I hope that trend will continue with the question I am going to ask. I have the raised the issue of European works councils both at this committee and via Seanad Commencement matters on a number of occasions but have had no satisfactory answers to date. Infringement proceeding INFR(2022)4021 from the European Commission in 2022...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Yes, that would be helpful. My understanding is that those infringement proceedings have not been called off, and they are still in play. Am I correct in saying that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: It is helpful to get that response. SIPTU met with the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Mr. Nicolas Schmit, a few weeks ago and he expressed his concern that the Department has not moved forward on this issue. However, Mr. Mulligan has told me that the Department has heard nothing from the Commission since November. Is that what Mr. Mulligan is putting on the record here today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: That is fine. I will bring that back up with our colleagues in the union movement. I appreciate that the witnesses have given me some answer today. I thank them for that. The second matter I want to raise is the concern I have, as to many others, regarding the issue of bogus self-employment. A reference was made to the construction sector a little earlier. I can tell the witnesses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I have one last question, if I may. I want to understand where we are up to with the issue of collective bargaining. I know the LEEF talks have produced recommendations in that regard. As the witnesses will know, we are an outlier in Europe in terms of not having a right to collective bargaining in this State. When are we going to see draft heads of the Bill to implement a strategy for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Do the witnesses expect to see legislation, that is, heads of a Bill, forthcoming and, if so, when? That is my final question. I thank the witnesses again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: That is very welcome. At the same time, Mr. Hughes has not given me anything specific with regard to the issue of bogus self-employment, which is an absolute plague across the construction sector. Does the Department have any plans for a specific campaign around that issue?

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (11 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: It is nice to see the Minister of State. I do not have anything prepared. I will be frank. I was not due to be here today, but when I saw Senator Clonan's email saying that the Government was going to try to delay the Bill for 12 months, I thought it was important to come to the Chamber to show solidarity and express my own full support for the Bill, even though we are probably going to...

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (11 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: It is such a missed opportunity. By getting behind Senator Clonan and the excellent work he has done for so long, we could have sent a powerful message to Government and, indeed, Opposition that finally, we have to be absolutely serious about giving rights to people with disabilities, and not just talking about it and making promises without timelines and firm commitments. I am hugely...

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (11 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (11 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: There is an idea.

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (11 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Hear hear.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mortgage Interest Rates (6 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I thank the Minister of State for stepping in to take this Commencement matter. I raise the mortgage interest rate increases which have been ongoing for the best part of a year. There have been several hikes in mortgage interest rates since last year. Last week AIB announced it was increasing its fixed rate by up to 0.7% and its standard variable rate by up to 0.65%. First-time buyers are...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mortgage Interest Rates (6 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I have to say that I have rarely had a more depressing response from a Minister. I appreciate it is one that has been handed to the Minister of State by the Minister for Finance. In a situation where tens of thousands of hard-pressed mortgage holders are struggling to pay the interest each month are being charged between €4,500 and €6,000 more a year, the Minister of State has...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Hear, hear.