Results 4,881-4,900 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: Before we move on to the further scrutiny of COM (2013) 813, which relates to the protection of trade secrets and is listed in Schedule A for decision, I propose that we deal with nine proposals and four early warning notices that are listed in Schedule B for decision. Is it agreed that COM (2014) 1 be sent for further scrutiny? Agreed. Is it agreed that the other proposals listed in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: The next topic is a discussion with Mr. Aidan Gough, director of strategy and policy at InterTradeIreland, and Dr. Eoin Magennis, policy research manager at InterTradeIreland, on the report entitled Access to Finance for Growth for SMEs on the Island of Ireland. I welcome Mr. Gough and Dr. Magennis to the meeting. It is timely for the witnesses to be appearing before the committee because...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: I thank Mr. Gough.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: There were many questions. Perhaps you will reply to them before we move to the next speaker.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: Our colleagues in the North have specifically asked that we would work with them on Horizon 2020. I believe InterTradeIreland is also involved because it mentioned it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: At our last meeting with our Northern Ireland Assembly counterparts, they asked that we would come together jointly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: It was said that much work was put in at an early stage on Framework Programme 7 funds in the South. Our success goes back to those seven or eight years and it took a long time to get this far. Likewise, if the model can be copied the draw-down will grow in Northern Ireland. The InterTradeIreland representatives are right: there must be a realistic plan. We are looking forward to working...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Report on Access to Finance for SMEs: InterTradeIreland (25 Mar 2014)

Damien English: That concludes today's session. I thank both witnesses for attending. Their report was very informative and will be very useful to our discussion in the next couple of months. The report is very clear and the summary and recommendations set out the three areas on which we have to focus, namely, information, financial capability and diversity. We have argued for a long time that financial...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: This meeting is with Ms Dorothea Dowling, chairperson, Mr. Joe O'Toole, vice chairperson, Ms Patricia Byron, chief executive, and Mr. Stephen Watkins, board secretary, of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board to discuss the board's contribution to the economy and opportunities ahead for both citizens and the State. They are all very welcome and I thank them for coming. We had a chance to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: I thank Ms Byron. The work the board has done for the past ten years has led to impressive results. Ms Dorothea Dowling, as chairperson of the board, her board members and Ms Byron, the chief executive, have done great work. They are flagging very important issues on which we must work in the future. The results speak for themselves. As a committee, we should certainly be taking the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: We have come across some of its personalities in the past; therefore, we are not surprised.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: Do members have any other questions? I thank our witnesses for their presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: That is why we invited the PIAB in. It is important to get the story.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: It is a credit to the witnesses and it is timely to hear from them given the changes in the board due in the next couple of weeks. In following up we always consider presentations and see what areas on which we can focus. There have been some very good suggestions and we need to push forward on them. It is our job to see if we can put on a bit of pressure, along with the witnesses, to have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: Does Ms Byron have any further comments?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Damien English: I thank the board members for their work. We will be in touch about some of the suggestions which we will try to follow up. We will try to work with the board over the coming years in this regard.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality; and Defence: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (2 Apr 2014)

Damien English: In the minute I have, I rise to speak in favour of Deputy Alan Shatter as Minister for Justice and Equality. I direct Members opposite to listen back to the Marian Finucane show of last Sunday. The guests were James MacGuill, a solicitor, Richard Moore, advisor to a former Fianna Fáil justice Minister, Harry McGee and Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness. They joined Ms Finucane to talk...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (3 Apr 2014)

Damien English: 75. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options available to a person (details suppled) in County Meath to apply for accreditation for a language school to teach English as a foreign language in view of the fact that the access to the ACELS recognition is now closed and the new IEM is not due until 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15719/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (8 Apr 2014)

Damien English: We are now in public session to consider the scrutiny of four EU legislative proposals. Proposal COM (2014)1 relates to trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment or torture, is listed on Schedule A for decision. The remaining three proposals are Schedule B items. I propose to deal with Schedule B items first. Schedule B: COM (2014) 85 is a proposal for a Council...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Investment Commitments to SME Sector: National Treasury Management Agency (8 Apr 2014)

Damien English: In our discussion on investment commitments to the SME sector, Mr. Eugene O'Callaghan, director of the National Pensions Reserve Fund, NPRF, will discuss how SMEs can access other money as opposed to the usual banking finance. This is part of the ongoing discussion on SME financing. I welcome Mr. Eugene O'Callaghan, investment director, Mr. Nick Ashmore, deputy investment director and Ms...