Results 9,421-9,440 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for businesses and their customers across the country and would like to thank them for their continued support of the national effort through this unprecedented public health crisis. Under Level 5, in line with public health guidelines, only essential retail outlets will remain open and the current temporary restrictions in Level 5 will...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Supports (21 Apr 2021)

Damien English: Enterprise Ireland’s Ready for Customs grant provides companies with financial assistance to cover the costs of taking on much needed additional customs clearance staff. This grant is open to enterprises that are currently engaged in the movement of goods to, from, or through the UK and which will require new or increased customs clearance capacity. These include enterprises that are...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for businesses and their customers across the country and would like to thank them for their continued support of the national effort through this unprecedented public health crisis. Under Level 5, in line with public health guidelines, only essential retail outlets will remain open and the current temporary restrictions in Level 5 will...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I understand this is an incredibly difficult time for businesses and their customers across the country and I would like to thank them for their continued support of the national effort through this unprecedented public health crisis.  Under Level 5, in line with public health guidelines, only essential retail outlets will remain open and the current temporary restrictions...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Apr 2021)

Damien English: As you are aware, following the advice of NPHET, the Government made the decision to move the entire country to Level 5 of the Framework for Living with COVID-19 (COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021: The Path Ahead) and for essential retail and services (including childcare) to remain open. This has been followed by the recent Government announcement of a phased easing of public health...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (22 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I fully appreciate the difficult circumstances that employees are facing. The purpose of the emergency measure which relates to redundancy entitlements following temporary periods of lay-off and short-time work due to Covid-19 was to mitigate the serious risks to businesses and jobs and to ensure employees have a continued link to their employment. The measure was brought into effect from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Chairman and members for giving me the opportunity to address them on the draft Regulations on the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) 2021. The draft regulations are before the committee by virtue of the procedural requirements of section 28 of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996. This provides...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Louise O'Reilly for her questions. I agree with her in that we hope it is not overly common that young people are working in this sector. I do not have the number but I will try to get the Deputy some figures. We believe there are very few involved but it is important that the legislation be in place and very clear. We can communicate that. The directive is from the EU, so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: They have that right and they carry out a high number of inspections in this area, some being targeted and some not necessarily based on information. We reckon that more than 98% of the ships and boats involved in the sector are checked regularly through our various agencies. The definition of light work is in the regulation but we will make every effort to make sure it is communicated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy. I agree the majority that we are aware of are Irish. Again, I do not have the numbers in the sector but I can discuss it with the lead Minister. It generally reflects family situations and people working for families but it is still important that we have a very clear directive. People might want to bring forward cases to us and this will strengthen the national law to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: It is not my area of expertise but one of our officials states people can build up credentials in the sector linked to the Departments of Transport and Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Work at night-time has been on very rare occasions. Some part of the training might involve night-time activity but we believe it should be extremely limited. Again, this is dealt with in the regulations. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I believe there is but its regulation does not fall to my Department. I suspect anybody involved in working on a boat has to go through such training. I can get the Deputy a note to clarify it. I assume it is the case because there is a lot of legislation and guidance to protect everybody operating a boat, no matter what age they are and certainly those in employment. It does not fall to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Senator. There is a definition in the Act and the directive and I can send her a full copy. It is important to read the regulations in the context of the overall Act, where definitions of rest periods and night-time work are dealt with. It is notifiable and there must be notification before a young person engages in night-time work. It is also enforced through investigation....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: It is in the marine Acts. For clarity, I can send on the exact piece that is referenced.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: It is governed by the Marine Survey Office. It does not fall to the Workplace Relations Commission or the Department but it is there and it is enforced and investigated. I will send on the references to the Senator with regard to the Marine Survey Office.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: There are 227 people on the scheme. Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Justice administer the atypical scheme. Officials in my Department sit on the relevant group. The case referenced by the Deputy is being investigated and has kicked off a number of other investigations. On the sector generally, this is not an area in which I am an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: The Deputy has correctly identified that further detail on this issue is a matter for the Minister for Transport. My understanding is that there are approximately 170 boats in the scheme. The Deputy may have more up-to-date information, but that is the information in my possession. My understanding is that those boats generally are not operated by non-EEA officials. There are regulations...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: I cannot speak directly to any particular case, but what the Deputy suggests is, in general, what would happen. When there is a an investigation ongoing, a stamp 4 is issued while the issues are being dealt with. In regard to the other protections, it is the job of various Departments to protect and look after people in this situation. I am not speaking about any particular case because it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2021 (27 Apr 2021)

Damien English: The Deputy raised a couple of issues. He asked if this regulation will have any affect on or be a deterrent to casual labour take-up. It already exists within EU law. In terms of what we are doing today, we are transposing it into Irish law to strengthen the position of workers and to provide clarity. The protections we are bringing in today are already in place and, I hope, are being...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Apr 2021)

Damien English: S.I. No. 168 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) Regulations 2021 () clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5. A list of essential services can be found at and the list of essential retail outlets at Level 5 can be found at Under Level 5, in line with public health guidelines, only essential retail outlets will remain open and the...