Results 61-80 of 5,165 for speaker:Billy Kelleher in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: In November 2006 the Labour Court recommended that the Minimum Wage should be increased to €8.30 per hour from 1 January 2007 and to €8.65 from 1 July, 2007. The Minister for Labour Affairs decided that, having regard to the fact that it had been 20 months since the minimum wage had last been increased and having regard to the period for which the new rates could be expected to remain in...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The numbers of actual redundancies notified to my Department for the period 1 January to 30 September for the years 2002-2007 are as follows: Actual Redundancies 2002-2007 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Actual 19,073 19,170 19,631 17,325 17,324 19,218 This compares with the full year figures for the years 2002-2006 which were: Actual Redundancies 2002-2006 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005...

Written Answers — Average Wage: Average Wage (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Data from the CSO quarterly industrial survey show that average industrial earnings per hour for male industrial workers on adult rates in March 2007 was €16.44. For female industrial workers the average rate was €12.53. From the CSO National Employment Survey, March 2003, average hourly earnings were €17.74 for males and €14.93 for females. These latter figures cover the entire...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The tabular statement sets out, insofar as sectors covered by the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 are concerned, the number of inspections/visits, the number of inspections/visits during which breaches were detected and the number of prosecutions initiated for breaches of that Act for the year 2006 and to date in 2007. The primary role of the Labour Inspection Services, now encompassed by the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 126 and 128 together. 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...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The delivery of commitments on employment rights under Towards 2016 is a key priority for Government. The necessary resources to ensure their delivery have been provided. In relation to the Labour Inspectorate, the Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" provides that the number of Labour Inspectors would be progressively increased from 31 to 90 by end-2007. Recruitment of the additional...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: As I have already advised the house, 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...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I am aware of the allegations referred to by the Deputy in relation to false or bogus self-contracting within certain sectors. The Government recognises that an effective response to these allegations requires a whole of Government response across the relevant agencies and in particular the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the new National Employment...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services was transposed into Irish law by the Oireachtas by Section 20 of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 which came into effect on 20th December 2001. For the purposes of the Directive and the transposing legislation...

Written Answers — Workplace Accidents: Workplace Accidents (24 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Figures published 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 and 68 in 2003. The same industry sectors of construction and agriculture remained the most dangerous throughout this period. As regards construction, there were 12 fatalities in 2006...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (25 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Council Directive 96/82/EC on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances as amended by Directive 2003/105/EC, [known as the Seveso Directive], applies to all establishments where the inventory of dangerous substances exceeds specified thresholds, not just to chemical treatment plants. I am informed by the Health and Safety Authority that there are 89 such...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (25 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: I can confirm that the person (details supplied by the Deputy) has been summonsed to appear at Carndonagh District Court on the 20th of November 2007. As the matter is effectively sub-judice, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further.

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (31 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: Specific data in the format requested by the Deputy are not available. However, since the introduction of the national minimum wage legislation in April, 2000, three surveys of firms have been carried on behalf of my Department by the Economic and Social Research Institute. The studies estimated, inter alia, how many employees were on the minimum wage. The table below shows the number of...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (31 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The actual redundancies for the years 2004, 2005, 2006 and year to date are laid out in tabular form below. The Deputy should be aware that all of these figures are available on the Redundancy home page of the Departmental website-www.entemp.ie. Actual Redundancies 2004-2007 Year Number 2004 25,041 2005 23,156 2006 23,684 2007 19,218 (Jan-Sept)

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (31 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The information recorded by the Tribunal is set out in the Tabular Statement below. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 (at 26 October) Applications Received* 3,754 3,727 3,480 2,630 Applications Disposed of** 3,625 3,467 3,169 2,261 Sittings (Hearings)*** 1,108 1,141 1,062 963 OutstandingApplications**** 776 1,104 1,379 1,701 *Applications can be lodged under a number of legislative instruments...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (31 Oct 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Government is committed to a two-pronged approach to achieving the goal of making workplaces more family friendly — the provision of statutory entitlements through legislative measures, and promoting a partnership approach at the level of the enterprise. Legislative measures which provide for statutory entitlements include maternity leave, adoptive leave, carer's leave and parental...

Written Answers — Labour Inspections: Labour Inspections (1 Nov 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The National Employment Rights Authority's Inspection Services undertakes both day-time and night-time inspection activity in respect of enforcement of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996. The night-time element of Inspectors' activities has an exclusive focus on such enforcement. Inspection Services initiate prosecutions in all cases where breaches are detected (subject to...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (6 Nov 2007)

Billy Kelleher: There is no provision in employment rights legislation imposing a compulsory retirement age in relation to employment in the private sector. The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004, among other things, protect against discrimination on the ground of age in relation to access to employment. However, Section 34(4) of the Employment Equality Act 1998 allows an employer to include a specific...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Nov 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The draft EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work has not yet been adopted and, as such, the transposition of its terms into Irish law does not arise. It is currently, however, under consideration having been placed on the table for discussion by the Portuguese Presidency. Ireland continues to adopt a constructive role in these discussions. Some key outstanding issues include the review of...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (8 Nov 2007)

Billy Kelleher: The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body which is bound to act judicially. It was set up to provide individuals with a forum to seek remedies for infringements of their statutory employment rights. I understand that the practice is that Tribunal members do not hear cases where a relationship exists between them and a party or witness to a case. If a member becomes aware that...