Results 9,321-9,340 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

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 cannot say it because I have no evidence of it. The courts will decide that, which is what the liquidation process is about. The Duffy Cahill report made recommendations around preventing companies that might engage in that practice but that is not to say the companies we are discussing have engaged in it. That is an opinion. Some Members of this House have made assumptions, rightly or...

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: On that last point, that is probably where we think the benefit might be regarding having a visible list of agreements that have been reached. Again, they are private agreements reached in private companies. The State does not have an involvement. They are private arrangements in private companies but it would beneficial for all involved - certainly employees and everyone else - if we can...

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 welcome all of the Deputy's suggestions and will take them on board and look through them because, again, we are trying to draw on international experience referenced by others. In respect of employees taking out insurance for redundancy, the State does provide that insurance in terms of statutory redundancy and every other entitlement such as holiday pay and outstanding wages. The State...

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 say two things. The authors themselves have said the terms of reference were very narrow so I am just quoting what they said. The Senator is disappointed with my statement and that is his opinion. I am engaging in a process in the Department that is not finished; we are in the middle of it. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to come in and say that this is what I, or...

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 discussed this in the Dáil a few times. The Taoiseach has referred to it, as has the Tánaiste, myself and others. The Senator assumes that the Duffy Cahill report would be of assistance to the Debenhams workers.

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: No, I am sorry-----

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: Am I allowed to answer the question, Chairman?

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 are very clearly saying we do not see how it assists. I think the authors have said so as well because the Senator has tried to get them to say so, from what I could see from reading the transcripts. They did not say that their report was applicable to the Debenhams situation. Their report was about companies in deficit situations. They have indeed referred to some cases where that...

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: To be clear, the State does honour statutory entitlements. It always does and it will do in every case. It pays out.

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 am sorry, the Senator made-----

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: To clarify again, the State pays out. In relation to Debenhams, over 1,700 applications have been made and they have been paid out in most cases as well. We understand the plight of the workers there and we will try to work with them as best we possibly can. We will try to engage with the unions who are still engaging with liquidators trying to see if they can source extra funds to pay out...

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: As soon as they are ready. Our hope is to have a lot of this work completed towards the end of December. Certainly if it is in conjunction with the review of the company law review group which is targeted for the end of December. We should be in a position to do that. As soon as we have it I am happy to engage at the committee. This is a very open and transparent process we are involved...

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 all understand how difficult it is for all those involved in Debenhams or who are in any situation like that. It is not a nice place to be and, certainly, the workers feel strongly about it. As the Senator said, they have been out on the picket lines for more than 200 days. I have met and engaged with some of the employees and with the unions quite a lot around this. I fully understand...

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: What was important for me was that the Debenhams workers and the unions had been negotiating with the liquidators and were, on the face of it, making progress. An offer was put on the table earlier in the summer. That was not accepted, or was not deemed to be enough. That was not my decision. It was up to the employees, shop stewards and unions to make a decision on that. Negotiations...

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 see why that should not be the case. There were some complicated cases but we are working through those. The Department of Social Protection has gone through most cases and a commitment has been made in that respect. In the majority of cases, payment is made in less than eight weeks. The most recent figure I saw is that more than 750 payouts have already been made under the two...

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: The Senator will be familiar with the position relating to sick pay. She and others introduced a Bill, which we debated, and the Government gave a commitment to enter into a process to bring that to a conclusion. The Tánaiste stated that he wanted to see changes in the area of sick pay and committed to introducing a sick pay scheme. That kicked off a process spanning a few months...

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: The process is under way.

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 are far-reaching consequences in that regard. That is why it is important to look at company law and employment law together to get the balance right. Nessa Cahilll is right that some of these recommendations could be implemented but Ms Cahill and Mr. Duffy also said-----

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: -----that the existing legislation covers the majority of cases. It is not a case that there is no law in place.

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 wrote to the stakeholders again this week with a list of other questions to be teased out. Deputy Louise O'Reilly and other members asked about the fund and we want to tease that out more and get views and other questions. A few suggestions have been made today. In my letter, I asked for a report by, I believe, 11 December. We should be in a position to have another meeting on 15 or 16...