Results 9,361-9,380 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Damien English: I am sorry that I will not have time to answer everyone's questions but I will come back on specific questions and I will try to cover some of the topics. I thank the Senators for the debate, which has certainly been worthwhile. There are ongoing negotiations through the various subcommittees, there will be the Cabinet today and tomorrow and we will also be dealing with NPHET. I will feed...

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Damien English: There is an issue that Senator Ahearn raised with me. The regulations state that the restrictions are until 12 o'clock on 1 December. The Cabinet is very well aware of this and the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said they will bring absolute clarity to this tonight or tomorrow when making their announcement. People are wondering whether it is 1 December or 2 December. That will be...

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Dec 2020)

Damien English: I thank Deputy O’Reilly for bringing forward this Bill. It provides me with an opportunity to update the Dáil on recent regulatory changes and to facilitate a valuable exchange of views on the matter of Covid-19 in the workplace. I am sure that I am not alone in expressing my thanks and gratitude to all those who have worked tirelessly on the front line, in our hospitals, care...

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Dec 2020)

Damien English: If I could have a couple of minutes, yes. Deputy Ó Ríordáin asked me what I was referring to earlier when I spoke about misinformation or the perception being given. It was repeatedly stated that Covid-19 is not notifiable, which gives the impression that nobody is told of incidences of Covid. That is not the case. The appropriate authority is our public health authorities...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (9 Dec 2020)

Damien English: Joint provisional liquidators have been appointed by the High Court to the four Irish operating companies that are part of the UK fashion group Arcadia. It is a real worry for the workers in all of these stores, who are in danger of losing their jobs. I fully appreciate, as do the Government and the Department, how difficult this is for those involved and their families, not least at this...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Industrial Disputes (9 Dec 2020)

Damien English: I will try to respond to some of the questions. The PUP entitlements is not an issue I was aware of. It is certainly something I can check out, if Deputy Conway-Walsh wants to give me the details. I will certainly discuss that with my ministerial colleague behind me, Deputy Humphreys. We can certainly look at that, if there is any issue with PUP entitlements and unfairness. In fairness,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: The restart grant and restart grant plus schemes were designed to help small and medium-sized businesses through the exceptionally difficult time since the Covid crisis hit the country last spring. The restart grant scheme was launched on 15 May with a budget of €250 million originally. The restart grant plus scheme was launched on 10 August, with an additional budget of €300...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for highlighting those two cases. While I do not have details of individual cases, we certainly value every job that is out there and every business that creates those jobs. During the Covid period and as we enter into the post-Brexit situation, we recognise how important it is that we, as a State, support businesses and jobs. That is what we use taxpayers' money for and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: We review all our schemes regularly anyway. Since the Covid pandemic hit, we have constantly reviewed the support schemes and adapted them where it made sense to do so and where there was evidence to back it up. That happened in regard to bed and breakfast businesses. We are constantly reviewing all of our schemes. As I said, we are doing so again to see whether there are particular...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Company Law (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. We had a good committee discussion on this recently and the Deputy might have had a chance to review the transcript of that. The Government has committed in the programme for Government to review whether the current legal provisions surrounding collective redundancies and the liquidation of companies effectively protect the rights of workers. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Company Law (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: We have had many discussions on Debenhams in this House and we have had a committee discussion on Cahill Duffy. The authors of the Cahill Duffy report have not backed the Deputy up on his claims that the implementation of the recommendations would effect any case in Debenhams. My colleagues and I have looked at this quite a lot over the last couple of month and I see no evidence that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Company Law (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: If the Deputy was here for all the questions, he would know the Tánaiste was here for the last hour and a half, so could not be reading correspondence from trade unions. As I referenced in the Arcadia conversation last week, we ask that people who find themselves in difficult situations of insolvency or companies being liquidated listen to the advice of the unions. Unions are...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (17 Dec 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. The talks facilitated by the Chair of the Labour Court, Kevin Foley have now concluded and he has issued a report reflecting the outcome of that process. I want to thank Kevin Foley for his efforts and encourage all sides...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (17 Dec 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. The talks facilitated by the Chair of the Labour Court, Kevin Foley have now concluded and he has issued a report reflecting the outcome of that process. I want to thank Kevin Foley for his efforts and encourage all sides...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Driver Test (17 Dec 2020)

Damien English: The Road Safety Authority has the statutory responsibility for driver testing, under the auspices of the Minister and Department of Transport. That responsibility includes decisions on the location and resourcing of driver testing facilities, in North Kildare and elsewhere in the country. It is important to place any concerns about driver testing availability in the wider context of the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (28 Jan 2021)

Damien English: My thanks to Deputy Cronin for raising the issue. She has touched on several cases. I probably cannot comment on all of them because they are simply examples the Deputy is picking out. I am not familiar with the various stories but I will try to talk in general about the issue. Certainly, we can follow up on specific cases if the Deputy wishes. There are protocols in place and methods...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (28 Jan 2021)

Damien English: I am not sure what the Deputy is trying to get at by taking a swipe at the Tánaiste, my party leader. We have tried at all times to introduce a balance as to how we deal with Covid. At all times it has favoured public health first while protecting people from the threat of the virus, saving as many lives as we possibly can and stopping the spread of the virus. It is also unfair to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Employment Rights (28 Jan 2021)

Damien English: The Deputy is right, however, and I will agree with her on this, that it is a matter of all of us following the best advice. That is how we will stop the spread of the virus. It is not a blame game but a matter of all of us adhering to the advice and the guidance as best we possibly can.

Seanad: Remote Working Strategy: Motion (15 Feb 2021)

Damien English: We will manage. The Leas-Chathaoirleach can give me a kick to remind me when we are nearer the time. I thank all the contributors to this debate and Senator Currie for bringing forward the motion to give us the opportunity to have this conversation.

Seanad: Remote Working Strategy: Motion (15 Feb 2021)

Damien English: Could we not push it to 7 p.m.? No, there is no problem with that. I am conscious of the rules in having to finish by 6.30 p.m. I compliment Senator Currie on bringing forward the motion. This is a conversation that we need to have as a country. It is one we have been having over the past 12 months, but it had started before that. We need to build on what has gone before. Senators...