Results 701-720 of 1,075,962 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Jack Chambers OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Patricia Ryan)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That action is taken by the individual worker. What I am saying is, that is not ideal. There should be a role for the WRC inspectors in this regard. I am going back a while now to 2006 and the negotiation of the Towards 2016 national wage agreement. I think 90 inspectors were recommended at that stage but we are not yet up to that and the workforce has increased massively. Even if it were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: In terms of collaboration with Revenue and the Department of Social Protection, I assure the Deputy that does happen. On 11 July, I chaired a meeting with officials from the Department of Social Protection and Revenue looking at the issue the Deputy described and the determination of the employment status working group. The working group had been set up on foot of the Supreme Court ruling...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Is there a timeframe for that code of practice?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: How soon will this new SEO be operational?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: It will come into effect in August.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: In the meantime, will there be no SEO?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: No, the current SEO has not expired. The new one will be in place from next August and will also allow for increased remuneration the following August. One reason we tend to sign the SEOs about six months in advance is to give employers enough notice to take account of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Does the Minister of State know what the increased sick leave entitlement is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: The weekly contribution coming into effect from August 2025 will be €2.37 for employers and €0.63 for employees, which means the total weekly contribution will be €3.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: I am pleased to hear the Senator wants this to be passed quickly. That is absolutely our intention. For his son who is a third-year apprentice, this will mean he will be at 75% of the craft rate from August 2025, or 75% of €23, which is about €17.25. This is, I hope, good news for the Senator's son and all apprentices in his position. Where somebody is being paid below that,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: Their trade union is there for that reason. That is why people organise in a collective way. Five trade unions were at the table to negotiate this and have worked closely with employers in this sector to agree terms and conditions. Employers will now be legally and statutorily bound from August, once we sign this into law, to pay appropriately in that regard and unfair dismissals...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

David Stanton: I welcome the Minister of State. This hearing is just to give the order fair wind. As the Minister of State has said, she has no real role in the substantive issues. I have one question. In her submission, the Minister of State said: At times when the sector is buoyant, it is expected that most employers will exceed these minimum rates. The real importance of the SEO is to ensure that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: The CSO does research on the sector but it is not broken down by craft. We have given a breakdown by craft, so it is a bit difficult to compare and contrast. Ultimately, we saw that the construction sector was a very unfavourable one in which to work during the recession and that this had a considerably negative impact on the pipeline of apprentices. It took Ireland a long time to recover...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

David Stanton: We are now in a different position because the sector is extremely buoyant. I understand there are many vacancies in it at the moment, which would lead one to conclude that most employers will exceed the minimum rates to hold on to workers. There is competition between employers at present. I am curious as to whether there is any information on this. The Minister of State mentioned...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: One of the things we have done through the negotiations is set out a stepped pay scale for apprentices. In year one, apprentices are paid one third of the craft rate, but when they get into year two, they are paid half of it. They are paid 75% of it in year three and 90% in year four. This is to recognise the training, development and additional skills they gain each year. Although...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

David Stanton: I support that initiative. It is a very positive one. Well done on it. The cost of tools and such things can have an impact. Overall, we need to encourage more people to become apprentices, stick it out and become qualified. I understand that both sides have agreed on this matter. I commend the Labour Court and the Department on the work they have done in this regard. I have no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank Deputy Stanton.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Senator. We expect this problem to be resolved very shortly. The WRC inspectorate is staffed by civil servants from my Department. The staff are ranked at executive officer and higher executive officer levels. Resources at inspectorate level in the WRC have increased by almost one third since 2020, with the WRC now having been sanctioned for 80 inspectors, representing an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Messages to Dáil and Seanad (6 Nov 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank everybody involved, including the five unions, employers, officials in my Department and the Labour Court. We have got to a good place and I will be happy to sign the statutory instrument.