Results 141-160 of 5,165 for speaker:Billy Kelleher in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (12 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I presume the Deputy is referring to the regulation of employment agencies. The Employment Agency Act 1971 currently provides such regulation. Following a period of extensive consultation, proposals for an Employment Agency Regulation Bill which will modernise the regulation of the employment agency sector and which will repeal and replace the Employment Agency Act 1971, have now been...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The National Framework Committee for Family Friendly Policies was established by the Social Partners in 2000 under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The Committee was continued and renamed in 2003 as the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance Policies under Sustaining Progress. The remit of the Framework Committee has been continued under the current national partnership...

Written Answers — Company Closures: Company Closures (13 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The Statutory Redundancy Payments Scheme is operated by my Department strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967-2007. There is no record in my Department of any statutory redundancy claims or payments having been made to date on behalf of the employees of the company mentioned. The Insolvency Payments Scheme, operated under the Protection of Employees...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (13 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. I have noted the decision reached in the High Court on 7 February to quash the Employment Regulation Order, relating to minimum remuneration of workers, made by the Labour Court on foot of proposals from the Hotel Joint Labour Committee on 5 November 2007, and to remit the matter back to that Committee. The implications of the issues...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (13 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Under Article 40.6.1 of the Constitution, the State guarantees liberty for the exercise, subject to public order and morality, of, inter alia, "the right of citizens to form associations and unions". In this case, I understand that the company does not object to its workers joining a trade union, but the company has refused to recognise the trade union for collective bargaining purposes. It...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (19 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides that a person found guilty of an offence under the Act shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €1,904.61 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to both. A person convicted on indictment shall be liable to a fine not exceeding €12,697.38 or, at the discretion of the court,...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (19 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: In 2007 the National Employment Rights Authority carried out 1,942 inspections/visits in relation to the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000. The majority of the inspections/visits undertaken were part of a focused employment rights compliance inspection campaign in sectors covered by the National Minimum Wage. In 192 cases, breaches were detected for offences such as failure to pay the...

Written Answers — Trade Union Recognition: Trade Union Recognition (19 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: It has been established in a number of legal cases that the constitutional guarantee of freedom of association does not guarantee workers the right to have their union recognised for the purpose of collective bargaining. The system of industrial relations in Ireland is essentially voluntary in nature. In line with this voluntarist approach, a High Level Group comprising representatives from...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals: Employment Appeals (20 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 to 225, inclusive, together. Claims on age, racial or gender discrimination are not made directly to the Employment Appeals Tribunal but can be factors in cases under the Unfair Dismissals Acts, the Redundancy Payment Acts, the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts and the Organisation of Working Time Act lodged with the Tribunal. The Tribunal does...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (21 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I have delegated authority under the Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions)(No. 3) Order 2007 (S.I. No. 561 of 2007) to appoint the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Ordinary Members to the Employment Appeals Tribunal in accordance with section 39 of the Redundancy Payments Act, 1967 (No. 21 of 1967), as amended. The Ordinary Members are appointed on the nomination...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (21 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Under the Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No.3) Order 2007 (S.I. No. 561 of 2007), the Minister for Labour Affairs has delegated authority to appoint all members of the Labour Court, including the Chairman and Deputy Chairmen, under the terms of the Industrial Relations Act, 1946 and the Industrial Relations Act, 1969.

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (21 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Under the Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No.3) Order 2007 (S.I. No. 561 of 2007), the Minister for Labour Affairs has delegated authority to appoint the Board of the Health and Safety Authority (formerly known as the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health). The Board consists of 12 persons — a Chairperson and 11 Ordinary Members —...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The Government is committed to delivering the key package of measures agreed under the chapter dealing with Employment Rights and Compliance in the National Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, and in this regard the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) was established on an interim basis in February 2007. In accordance with the Towards 2016 commitment, NERA is progressively...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The Government is committed to delivering the key package of measures agreed under the chapter dealing with Employment Rights and Compliance in Towards 2016 and in this regard and as part of the Government decentralisation programme, the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) established its headquarters in Carlow at the end of July 2007. NERA's regional inspection services office for...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: In 2007 the National Employment Rights Authority carried out 1,942 inspections/visits in relation to the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000. The majority of the inspections/visits undertaken were part of a focused employment rights compliance inspection campaign in sectors covered by the National Minimum Wage. In 192 cases, breaches were detected for offences such as failure to pay the...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (26 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The primary role of the National Employment Rights Authority, in the case of breaches of employment rights legislation, is to seek compliance and rectification of any breaches identified, including redress for the employees concerned and payment of any arrears due to those employees. It should be noted that in the majority of cases employers rectify breaches of employment law and pay arrears...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (27 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I suggest that the matter at issue here relates to all workers and not just to workers from outside the State, since our laws apply equally to all who are in employment here, including persons working in the services sector. I assume that the Deputy is referring to breaches of employment law, or of employment-related legislation. A large body of employment rights legislation covering areas...

Written Answers — Employee Facilities: Employee Facilities (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Primary responsibility for policy in relation to Childcare is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children, at the Department of Health and Children. The Childcare Directorate of that Office has responsibility for implementing the National Childcare Strategy 2006-2010. The strategy aims to further develop the childcare infrastructure to meet the needs of children and their parents for...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The Social Partnership Agreement 'Towards 2016' provides for greater co-ordination between organisations concerned with employment rights compliance, with a view to realising the considerable potential for synergy that exists in this area. In particular, the agreement provides that authorised officers of the new National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) will join with officers of the...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 46 and 47 together. The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) has been established on an interim basis since February 2007. The Authority will be established on a statutory basis on the enactment of new Employment Law Compliance legislation which I propose to publish shortly. A budget allocation of €8.553 million was provided for NERA for 2007 and...