Written Answers Nos. 42 - 50
42. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation as the Minister responsible for the recommendation in the cost of motor insurance report, the progress on publishing the heads of a Bill to enhance the powers of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, PIAB; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14454/17]
View answerOne of the recommendations in the Cost of Insurance Working Group Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance published on 10 January 2017 by the Minister for Finance, Mr Michael Noonan T.D., and the Minister of State for Financial Services, Mr Eoghan Murphy T.D. is to publish Heads of a Bill to enhance the powers of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board.
In June 2014, Minister Bruton, the then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation commenced a public consultation on the operation and implementation of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Acts, 2003 and 2007, with a view to identifying any areas relating to the scope, powers or operation of the legislation which might require change. The 2003 Act had been in force for over eleven years and it was considered timely to take stock of how the legislation is operating in practice.
Twenty nine submissions were received from a range of interests including Government Departments and agencies, industry, insurance and legal interests, and individuals. The Department has been examining these submissions with a view to identifying areas which might require change. The General Scheme of the Bill is now being prepared and it will have regard to the relevant recommendations of the Report of the Cost of Insurance Working Group. It is hoped to seek Government approval for the drafting of a Bill in the second quarter of this year.
44. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the policies her Department has in place to address the issue of under-employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8360/17]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs, which was introduced in early 2012, is one of the Government's key instruments to support job creation. It is a whole–of-Government, multi-annual initiative which mobilises all Departments to support job creation. The Action Plan for Jobs is working.
Since the first Action Plan for Jobs was launched in early 2012, almost 206,000 more people are at work. Over 66,000 jobs were created during 2016, well in excess of the APJ 2016 target of 50,000 new jobs. Employment growth is spread across all regions and all sectors of the economy and society. The annual increase in employment was 3.3%. Full-time employment increased by 4.7% while the number of part time workers declined by 1.4%, based on seasonally adjusted data. Almost four out of every five part-time workers are working part-time by choice. The number of under-employed part-time workers declined by 11.5% during 2016. Under-employed refers to those who would work longer hours if available.
On the 1st February, we published the Action Plan for Jobs 2017. This Government's goal is to achieve sustainable full employment so that all of our people have the opportunity to enjoy rewarding work and to participate and contribute to their full potential to our economy and society.
The 2017 Plan sets out a range of measures to address the immediate challenges of the UK’s decision to leave the EU and also in response to a more volatile and changing external environment by strengthening the resilience and agility of our enterprise base. This includes actions to drive innovation, grow and scale Irish businesses, diversify our exports, promote entrepreneurship, improve our competitiveness performance, deliver the skills needs of our growing economy and ensure finance is available at competitive cost to support and underpin growth.
Securing full, sustainable employment in the face of global uncertainty will be challenging. I will work closely with colleagues across Government to ensure the effective delivery of the 2017 Plan to keep us on track to deliver on our 2020 target to have an additional 200,000 people at work, including 135,000 people outside of Dublin.
45. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the provision of a sectoral employment order in the bus industry; if she will engage with unions and management in the area to work towards providing these agreements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14242/17]
View answerThe Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act of 2015 provides for a new statutory framework – Sectoral Employment Orders - for establishing minimum rates of remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment for a specified type, class or group of workers. This is in effect a framework to replace the former sectoral Registered Employment Agreement (REA) system which was found to be unconstitutional in 2013 in McGowan-v–The Labour Court.
The new framework sets down a mechanism whereby at the request, separately or jointly from organisations substantially representative of employers and/or of workers, the Labour Court can initiate a review of the pay and pension and sick pay entitlements of workers in a particular sector and, if it deems it appropriate, make a recommendation to myself as Minister on the matter. If I am satisfied that the process provided for in the 2015 Act has been complied with by the Labour Court, I can then make the Order. Where such an order is made it is known as a Sectoral Employment Order (SEO), will be binding across the sector to which it relates, and will be enforceable by the Workplace Relations Commission.
To-date four applications for SEOs have been made to the Labour Court – one was withdrawn and one was rejected. The remaining two are being considered by the Labour Court. No application has been made by or on behalf of workers or employers in the Transport Sector.
In situations such as the Bus Eireann dispute I would always advise and appeal to parties to use the offices of the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court and they have done so on this occasion. I would encourage both sides to continue to engage with the Workplace Relations Commission to try to resolve this dispute.
46. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the request from an organisation (details supplied) for her Department to ease restrictions on the issuing of work permits for foreign workers in the racing industry. [14435/17]
View answerThe State's general policy with regard to the employment of non-EEA nationals is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of Ireland and the European Economic Area. The employment permits system is intended to offer an interim solution for employers where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA. The system offers a route into the Irish labour market for non-EEA nationals with in-demand skills. It is operated as a vacancy-led system. Vacancies must be for eligible occupations – the system is ordered by the use of lists of highly skilled and ineligible occupations, which are reviewed bi-annually.
Work riders are currently included on the Ineligible Categories of Employment List, as research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which underpins the review of the lists, has not indicated that there is any shortage of such workers.
The next review of the lists is due to commence in April, and at that time, submissions to the review will be invited from interested parties – this is the mechanism whereby stakeholder input to the review process is accessed. The organisation in question may wish to make a submission to the review at that time. An official of my Department will advise this organisation when the requests for submissions is opened.
47. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14600/17]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that disciplinary matters within An Garda Síochána are governed by the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations 2007. They are a matter in the first instance for the Garda Commissioner.
I have been advised by the Garda Commissioner that this case is ongoing and that the matters referred to in the details supplied with this Parliamentary Question relate to proceedings currently being conducted under the Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations 2007. As the matter is currently being dealt with under these Regulations, I am not in a position to comment further.
48. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding members of the An Garda Síochána who were injured seriously in the line of duty and have been accommodated with their employment and in situations in which an arrangement has been put in place for lighter duties; the number of such instances in place in An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14605/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible the allocation of all resources, including personnel, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I have requested the specific information sought, from the Commissioner and when it is to hand I will forward it to the Deputy.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
As previously advised the Commissioner is responsible for the allocation of all resources, including personnel, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I am advised by the Commissioner that employees of An Garda Síochána are facilitated, when necessary, with accommodations in workplace arrangements following periods of absence, on medical advice. Such accommodations may include adapted patterns of working time, modifications of duties, which are afforded to employees to facilitate their reintegration into the workplace.
I am further advised that An Garda Síochána is committed to supporting all employees for medical or recuperative reasons following injury or a period of illness and will continue to afford all reasonable accommodations to employees as deemed necessary in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer.
I am informed that as of 31 December 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the number of Garda members, being facilitated with light duties or restricted hours, as a result of an injury on duty, and on the recommendation of the Chief Medical Officer, was 134.
49. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the refurbished Garda College swimming pool and gym could be made open to members of the public residing in Templemore and surrounding areas on allocated hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. [14643/17]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources available to An Garda Síochána, including the College and its facilities, and I as Minister have no role in the matter.
The Deputy will be aware that the College is in the ownership of the Office of Public Works which has the responsibility for the maintenance of the College and its facilities. I am advised by the Commissioner that the policy and protocols surrounding the use of the sporting facilities at the College by members of the public are currently the subject of an ongoing review by Garda management.
50. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the total moneys collected by An Garda Síochána in respect of moneys paid by event organisers for the provision of security services and the policing of sporting and other events for each of the years 2015 and 2016; the total amount of moneys collected for both years which was subsequently re-allocated to members of the Garda Reserve for duties carried out in respect of such events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14691/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and distribution of Garda resources and I, as Minister, have no role in the matter. I have asked the Commissioner for the specific information requested by the Deputy and, when it is to hand, I will inform him accordingly.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
The table outlines the amount of money recouped by An Garda Síochána in accordance with Section 30 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005, for the provision of security services and the policing of sporting and other events for 2015 and 2016.
|
Year |
Sporting Fixtures |
Concerts/Festivals |
Other Events |
Total |
|
2015 |
€1,498,834 |
€1,142,733 |
€2,002,462 |
€4,644,029 |
|
2016 |
€1,418,701 |
€1,280,215 |
€2,514,031 |
€5,212,947 |
