Results 161-180 of 5,165 for speaker:Billy Kelleher in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I am satisfied that sufficient priority is being given to the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 insofar as the inspection activities of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) are concerned. This is demonstrated by the number of National Minimum Wage Act inspections undertaken by NERA, amounting to 2,002 and 1,942 in 2006 and 2007 respectively, and by the breach...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 31 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 the Joint Labour Committee. The implications of the...

Written Answers — Employment Appeals Tribunal: Employment Appeals Tribunal (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body under the aegis of the Department. As an independent body, I have no role in relation to the day-to-day operation of the Tribunal. I understand that the Tribunal has been taking steps to reduce waiting times, including targeting areas of the country where the waiting time is longest. For example, as the longest waiting period with the...

Written Answers — Industrial Relations: Industrial Relations (28 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". It has been established in a number of legal cases that the constitutional guarantee of the freedom of association does not guarantee workers the right to have their union recognised for the...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 58 together. The number of deaths recorded in workplace accidents during 2007 was 67 compared to 51 fatalities in 2006. Of these 18 were in construction in 2007, an increase of 5 on 2006. In terms of injuries, there were over 7,000 non-fatal work injuries overall reported to the Authority in 2007. The most common non-fatal accident triggers for all...

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

Billy Kelleher: My Department does not have specific data relating to the changing work status of persons in the construction sector to which the Deputy refers. Accordingly, I am not in a position to comment on claims to the effect that there is an increase in agency working in construction at the expense of full-time employment. However, my Department is always interested in monitoring changing work...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Data from the CSO quarterly industrial survey shows that average industrial earnings per hour for male industrial workers on adult rates in June 2007 was €16.62. For female industrial workers the average rate was €12.73. From the CSO National Employment Survey for March 2006, average hourly earnings were €20.59 for males and €18.22 for females. These latter figures cover the entire...

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

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 55 together. The pay and conditions of employment of workers in the hotel industry are governed by the full range of employment rights legislation, including the National Minimum Wage and Employment Regulation Orders in respect of hotels outside of Dublin, Cork and Dun Laoghaire. Labour Inspectors in the National Employment Regulation Authority (NERA)...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The numbers of actual redundancies notified to my Department for the years 2002-2008 are as follows: Actual Redundancies 2002-2008 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Actual 24,432 25,769 25,041 23,156 23,684 25,495 2,789 % Increase/Decrease on previous year 51.9% 5.5% -2.8% -7.5% 2.3% 7.5% These figures show the number of employees on whose behalf claims were submitted for...

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

Billy Kelleher: The progression of the discussions on the proposed EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work is a matter, in the first instance, for the European Union Presidency in consultation with the European Commission. I understand that the Slovene Presidency is willing to take the work forward and, in the light of the 5th December Council, is at present reflecting on how this might be achieved. While...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 65 together. The number of inspections undertaken by NERA inspectors to check compliance in 2007 amounted to 14,425. Of these inspections no breaches were detected in 8,556 cases while breaches were detected in 2,353 cases. The number of inspections in 2006 amounted to 15,855. Of these inspections, no breaches were detected in 10,113 cases while...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: 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 finalised. In accordance with standard practice and procedure a Memorandum will now be submitted to Government seeking approval for the drafting of...

Written Answers — Trade Union Recognition: Trade Union Recognition (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: 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 IBEC, ICTU, and various Government Departments and agencies and chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach was established under Partnership 2000 to consider proposals submitted by ICTU on the recognition of unions and...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (28 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'. In accordance with the 'Towards 2016' commitment, NERA is progressively increasing the number of labour inspectors from 31 to 90. Recruitment processes to select an additional 59 inspectors...

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

Billy Kelleher: I am not aware of any such situations as outlined in the Deputy's question. However, more generally, matters relating to discrimination come within the remit of my colleague Mr. Brian Lenihan, TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Neither my colleague nor I have had discussions with the companies in question either before or after their announcement of the loss of 580 jobs. The company did, however, on 15 February 2008, notify the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment of its intention to seek redundancies in the order of 586 people, in accordance with the requirements of the Protection of Employment Act 1977...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (28 Feb 2008)

Billy Kelleher: On 15 April 2004, the person to whom the Deputy has referred received his statutory redundancy entitlement payment of €26,918.70. The ceiling on weekly wages used in calculating statutory redundancy lump sums at that time was €507.90. Payment was then calculated on two weeks pay per year of service plus one extra week's pay. It is the responsibility of my Department to ensure that every...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Payment of statutory redundancy is, in the first instance, a matter for the employer. There is no record in my Department of an application for statutory redundancy on behalf of the person to whom the Deputy has referred. If the Deputy requires further information on the Redundancy Payments Scheme, he may contact Ms Ingrid Haughney of my Department at 01-631 3051.

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (4 Mar 2008)

Billy Kelleher: The National Employment Rights Authority has been set up on an interim basis with the full powers of the State's labour inspectorate, pending enactment of legislation later this year to place it on a statutory footing. NERA's role includes checking that employers are applying appropriate rates of pay to employees and that employers are providing other entitlements, as appropriate. Towards...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (5 Mar 2008)

Billy Kelleher: Payment of statutory redundancy is, in the first instance, a matter for the employer. There is no record in my Department of an application for statutory redundancy on behalf of the person to whom the Deputy has referred. If the Deputy requires further information on the Redundancy Payments Scheme, he may contact my Department at 016313051.