Results 9,281-9,300 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (10 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I again thank the Deputy for raising this because it helps us bring the focus onto this. We totally agree with him. From a departmental point of view, we want companies to engage and recognise how serious this is. We acknowledge that, since February, companies have had a great deal thrown at them in regard to Covid and they are trying to manage their way through that. However, Brexit is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Daly for asking this question. Under level 5 of the plan for living with Covid-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open. The regulations clearly set out the temporary restrictions and it is important to reinforce the point that they are temporary. The regulations list the essential services and retail outlets under level 5 that can open. Level 5 does not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for his comments. Naturally, all areas for controlling the virus and its spread are being observed and dealt with by the Department of Health and all other Departments, in conjunction with NPHET. All of the evidence is being considered and it all indicates that the best way of stopping the virus is to limit and reduce our contacts, be that in a social, shopping or working...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Damien English: That is our focus as a Department, working with the retail sector, the business community and all those enterprises that are involved in providing products and services, some of which will be in greater demand around the month of December and for the Christmas season. We are working and will work with all those sectors through the various Departments on a range of supports and initiatives....

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Brexit Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Damien English: My Department and its agencies have put a wide range of Brexit enterprise measures in place, covering potential Brexit impacts. We have introduced a Brexit Readiness Checklist which highlights some of the key actions businesses can take to prepare for the changes Brexit will bring from 1 January 2021. The Border Enterprise Development Fund, administered by Enterprise Ireland,...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Company Liquidations (10 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I extend my sympathies to the workers in Debenhams who have lost their jobs. I fully appreciate how difficult the situation is for those involved and their families. Many have been striking for over 200 days. It is disappointing that talks facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission facilitated last week did not succeed in agreeing a way forward between the parties. ...

Working from Home (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Labour Party for initiating this debate today. The discussion on its proposed Bill is focusing our minds on the issue of remote working, the benefits of which we all understand. There is no doubt that working from home or working remotely, even in non-Covid times, when properly planned can provide significant benefits such as a better work, life balance for everyone, with...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: Does this concern Part 4?

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I can. I apologise as I have only just walked into the Chamber for the debate and I believed we were dealing with section 4. Part 4 of the Bill provides for amendments to the Companies Act 2014 to facilitate the operation of a substitute securities settlement system compatible with the law of the EU after the transition period. The settlement of securities trades, whereby securities are...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: On the question of relevance, it will come into play in March, perhaps. Until now, the system was operated under the UK's central bank. Owing to the changes because of Brexit, we are moving to a Belgian bank. This was dealt with in legislation by the Department of Finance last year. The UK system was paper based. The changes to companies law are to facilitate electronic transfers in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Chairman for the invitation to attend today. I will address the committee on my own behalf and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Robert Troy, as we both work in this area in relation to the review of Duffy Cahill report and the other necessary discussion and debate around insolvency and redundancy. The committee invited me to discuss the implementation of the Duffy Cahill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: There have been a few letters going to and fro on the details of the potential of doing it. It was also raised at one of the Labour Employer Economic Forum meetings. As soon as we had the transfer of functions to cover employment law and company law, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and I brought together a number of stakeholders to discuss a range of ideas, similar to what the committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I do not have a view.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I do not have an expressed view, apart from stating that if a fund such as this is deemed appropriate, the question would be who pays into it. This is why we have had a discussion. Any decision in this area involves all of the stakeholders, including employers, employees and representatives bodies. We cannot decide out of the blue to have a fund. We have to work out who would pay into it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: It certainly was and if the Deputy suggests we take a broader policy view on it, that would be a separate discussion from what is recommended in the Duffy Cahill report but it is certainly something that can be looked at in the long term. It is not something that could be decided in the month of August or September. The Deputy referenced Debenhams and the letters. We are undertaking this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: We have legal advice on that which states that in this case it would not be retrospective. I do not see how we could make it so, but all that will certainly be considered. We took legal advice but we have not found a way that it could be made retrospective.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: It is the legal advice our Department has. I can share it with the Deputy. I am doing so now. The legal advice is that it would not be retrospective. We may all have a different view on that. I am again-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I will check-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: It is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Damien English: In all these areas legal advice can be sought by anyone. We looked at this in probably August or September. Naturally, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and I have said at every occasion that anywhere we could help in the Debenhams case we would, within the law. That is what we have checked. Again, however, we have to be very clear here as to what this...