Results 281-300 of 1,050,807 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Kathleen Funchion OR speaker:Seán Crowe)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: There was a cut in non-rostered ambulance cover. I am concerned as to whether that will impact on this service. The worry is that if something happens to a person in Tralee and the ambulance is on call in Killarney, it will take a long time for that person to receive assistance. How will this affect the Pathfinder programme? The fact that it is not part of the service plan raises...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: If we are not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: It is common belief among all parties and none that this is clearly a key component if we are talking about saving money. The fact that we are not valuing it by funding it or putting it in our plans for the future is a mistake and a retrograde step. That may be something that can be looked at. I am going to move back to members now. I call Deputy Durkan, who might give us a few...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: I am conscious that we got a briefing. The committee asked for an update on this and it is on the system there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: I call David Cullinane. I will take Róisín Shortall then, and I presume John Lahart is looking in. Is five minutes each okay?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: Yes, I know, but I did not know John was coming in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: We are over time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: Deputy Shortall's colleague wants to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: I apologise to Deputy Lahart. He can come in now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

John Lahart: I had 12 questions but I will put the rest of them in writing as I am trying to prioritise one question. I thank both witnesses. In my experience on the health committee, they are the most progressive pair of witnesses leading their teams in here. Despite what people say, clearly there are challenges but there has been a lot of progress. I am particularly interested in the digital aspect,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Productivity and Savings Task Force: Discussion (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Crowe: I thank the officials from the Department of Health and the HSE for their assistance on this important matter of the progress being made by the productivity and savings task force. Given the ongoing importance of this matter, the committee will continue to monitor the progress being made in this regard and looks forward to future updates. Before we finish the meeting, I again wish Mr. Ray...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank the witnesses for the information they have brought with them. In the final paragraph of his written submission, Mr. Smyth asked for time to conduct the review. What kind of time is he looking at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Is that work under way at the moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Okay, that is interesting. Let us imagine that tomorrow morning the Minister picks up the phone and says he is minded to abolish sub-minimum rates of pay, that all of them should be gone and he wants to do it. Would the Department do that via this legislation or would Mr. Smyth feel it necessary to draft the Department's own legislation? If there is a difference, the witnesses might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I appreciate that but sometimes we discuss legislation here and we are mindful of potential knock-on consequences. Are there no stumbling blocks other than it being subject to legal advice? I am not asking for a specific legal opinion. Ms Pyke's instinct is that it would be-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Exactly, and that is my view as well. I sometimes think that, with legislation, less is very often more. The more you put in, the more likely it is you could be tripped up. The opening statement states, "the incidence of sub-minimum youth rates may increase during recessionary periods". That happens because things are tight during recessionary periods and employers will, by necessity...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I understand that. I do not want to put words in the mouths of the sponsors of the Bill but I think what they want to do is take away from an employer the option of having the facility there to access cheaper and cheaper labour. The Department's submission refers to those who advocate for the retention of these rates doing so because they believe they are necessary to reflect different...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Ms Pyke is making my point for me. There is no academic evidence; there is only a feeling. If we speak to someone working on a shop floor they will often say that what a person might lack in experience they will make up for in other ways and it will even out. That there are training rates, and that making a link to experience could not be done, points to the fact that experience is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sub-Minimum Rates of the National Minimum Wage: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Sep 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: There is no evidence to support not eliminating this. When I look around for evidence, employers cannot provide it but they say they feel it. It is little bit like when the minimum wage was introduced and we heard terrible tales of woe about all of the businesses that were going to close but it did not happen. Perhaps there is a little bit of that with the people who are arguing against...