Results 4,161-4,180 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I welcome the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, and his officials, Ms Clare Dunne, assistant secretary general, Mr. Dermot Sheridan, principal officer, Ms Áine de Bairtiséil, assistant principal officer, and Ms Claire Madigan, assistant principal officer. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the reform of national micro and small business...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: Deputy Dara Calleary apologised for having to leave before the Minister's presentation. I call Deputy Tóibín.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: Will the Deputy try to keep to today's discussion, which is about small business?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: You have raised the issue. It is not fair to the other members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: If I allow questions that are not part of the main discussion, every member will ask three or four additional ones. We will continue with the conversation on LEOs, if that is acceptable, and then ask the Minister to give answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: If we open up a discussion on every issue, we will not conclude the main topic. We are supposed to be considering the proposed changes regarding the LEOs. Deputy Collins is working on a report and I want to address that. If there is time remaining at the end, we will return to the other issues. Deputy Tóibín will be on top of the list.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I am conscious that Senator Mary White must leave shortly, so I call on Deputy Lawlor, Senator Quinn and Senator Mary White, in that order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I allowed Deputy Tóibín to raise an issue on banks and I allowed Deputy Michael Conaghan to make a contribution ahead of me. I will allow more comments on banking in a few minutes. I remind members that Senator Mary White is in a hurry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: A number of questions have been put, but could we deal with the local enterprise offices aspect first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: No. Senator, to be fair-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: Senator White, in fairness to other colleagues, Senator David Cullinane is waiting to contribute on LEOs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: There are three Deputies who are to come back in with other questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: That issue is not part of today's discussion. There are a few other questions as well. The Minister may answer whatever questions he can and if he does not have the information he can forward it at a later stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I am conscious that many of these questions are not for today's discussion. The Minister is welcome to come back to the committee with the replies if he does not have the answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Structures: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I thank the Minister and his officials for attending. We dealt with more issues than were listed on the agenda, which is typical. I also thank members for their contributions.

Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (6 Feb 2013)

Damien English: Shane truly was a unique person, colleague and friend. He was a committed and passionate man whether for family, politics, football, community or, as Shane would say, parish. He was a gentle giant with a huge presence in Meath and the country. His passing is a huge loss to his family, our county and all of us here. I did not know Shane before the 2005 by-election. I knew of him, as...

Promissory Notes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Feb 2013)

Damien English: Should I put that on my CV? I welcome the chance to say a few words on this matter. If I had more time I would go into bashing those who tabled the motion, but I will not do so. I understand what the Opposition is doing here, however, and why it has tabled this motion. There is unbelievable anger out there about the promissory notes and banking debt.

Promissory Notes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Feb 2013)

Damien English: I share it and hate every bit of it. I wish that none of the debt had anything to do with us. Intelligent Members of the Opposition, which most of them are, will recognise that when the previous Government gave the guarantee, it made it our sovereign debt. As much as we may dislike it, it became Irish debt. I hate it as much as those who voted for me and whom I represent in here, but I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (12 Feb 2013)

Damien English: The committee will undertake scrutiny of three EU proposals and will note one adopted measure. COM (2012) 372 is a directive of the European Parliament and Council on collective management of copyright and related rights, and multi-territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online uses in the Internal Market. This proposal is generally welcomed by stakeholders and by the...