Results 5,161-5,180 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Boards (17 Jul 2014)

Damien English: Last week I was sitting in the Gallery wondering if I would ever be here and now I am. I also thank Senator Wilson for his kind comments. I appreciate them. It will be nice to work with him on matters such as this, which affect us all. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the position on the planning for training provision in the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Boards (17 Jul 2014)

Damien English: We have been informed that there have been extensive discussions and engagement, which there should have been. The Senator has put it on record here that the opposite is the case, so I will check it out.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Boards (17 Jul 2014)

Damien English: People must work together to maximise resources, and the Senator's county colleagues started the process. It is important that there are discussions and the initiative is implemented correctly, thus allowing everyone to have their say. We want to bring the service back to the user, and maximising resources will help to prepare people for a job, which is key. I will check out the situation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: It is a change.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: I congratulate the Chairman on her new role. As the change happened very fast, I thank my colleagues for the work done by this committee over the past couple of years. I thank the clerk and the committee team for the excellent service. We had a very businesslike committee which worked very well. I think the Chairman will find that as well. There is plenty of ground to cover. I do not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: Deputy Lawlor raised a point and he is right. Nearly every business that one visits - it certainly applies to those I have visited in recent months since I took up this role - has a need for certain skills and can create jobs. What is important is that through the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Education and Skills we respond to this and ensure that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: There is a concern that all the research funding is being directed towards commercialisation. I can confirm that the same amount of money will be spent on basic research. We are not turning away from that; it is needed. We are asking all the players in this area to show the impact of their basic research into the future. We are trying to ensure greater use of taxpayers' money and that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: We could do a visit as well. The key is to see how the negotiations go and how the projects fits into the criteria that have set out. There is scope to be able to do it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: I dealt with that question in a speech I delivered recently and will provide the Senator with a copy. To the best of my memory, there have been 1,028 high-potential start-ups since 2000. The target for this year is 95 and we have reached 50 so far. We expect to reach the target by year end. It has been quite successful in that respect. The Minister referred to something which I said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: The recovery has meant that there is greater interest in research and development in industry. There will be more money available through companies seeking to match State funding in this area. A lot of the money spent on research, particularly through SFI, attracts matching private funding. That is the key - to stretch taxpayers' money as much as possible. There is definitely an increased...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: Yes, definitely. There are always calls for more centres. We are prioritising and trying to focus our spending. SFI is working through seven centres at the moment and hopes to make announcements on additional centres in the future. It is trying to target its resources carefully. Members of this committee visited the Tyndall National Institute research centre and saw the great bang we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: That is a good question and one which I would have asked myself. We do not have a figure for number of jobs created but if one looks at the companies who are availing of the tax credits one sees that they have been very successful in winning export markets and creating employment. Basically, the companies who are availing of the credits are performing better. That, for me, is a fairly good...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Review of Vote 32: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (16 Sep 2014)

Damien English: I appreciate the time to be here and to work through the issues. We will try to build on the working relationship. There has been quite a good relationship between the Department and the committee when working on these issues. The briefing has always been quite good as well. I hope we can keep that going and try to work out solutions and ideas as we go along.

Topical Issue Debate: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: I apologise on behalf of my line Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who cannot be here as she is out of the country on a trade mission. For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances as either students dependent on parents or legal guardians or independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has...

Topical Issue Debate: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: That is a separate issue altogether, but it is no harm for Deputy Nolan to take the opportunity to raise it. It is something we would all like to avoid if we could. When the contribution came in and the plan was made to increase it every year, the context was one of very tight budgetary constraints. Those have not yet gone away, and we must be very careful. Although things have improved...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Proposed Legislation (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: The Report of the Copyright Review Committee Modernising Copyrightwas published on 29 October 2013. The Report contains in excess of 60 recommendations covering a diverse range of copyright issues which are being reviewed and evaluated in my Department. A number of the recommendations touch also on areas of responsibility outside of my Department's remit and these Departments have also been...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Unified Patent Court (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: As the international Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPC) entails the transfer of jurisdiction in respect of certain European patent litigation from the Irish courts to the Unified Patent Court, the issue of Ireland’s participation in the Court is, as the Deputy will be aware, subject in the first instance to the carrying of a Referendum. The nature of Ireland’s proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: Community Training Centres (CTCs) are funded through the Education and Training Boards. They are managed and operated by independent local Boards of Management and each CTC is a separate legal entity. The staff are employed by these groups and as such do not have an entitlement to redeployment. My Department does not have a direct role in staffing and employment issues relating to these bodies.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: Bus Éireann's School Transport online Application and Ticket Payment system affords persons of all ages greater convenience and transparency in school transport related interactions than ever before. The new system enables families to manage all aspects of their applications for school transport, including registration, amendments and payments, using contemporary online features. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (17 Sep 2014)

Damien English: The provision of school transport for the individual referred to by the Deputy is being examined by my Department. Any changes which result from this examination will be notified to the Deputy.