Results 9,501-9,520 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (18 May 2021)

Damien English: The COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme was introduced in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, to help businesses seeking to innovate, change or adapt to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Loans under the scheme range from €25,000 to €1.5m, for terms of up to three years. Loans of up to €500,000 are available unsecured and the maximum interest rate under the scheme is 4%....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Ireland (18 May 2021)

Damien English: My Department working through our agency Enterprise Ireland (EI), supports job creation nationwide. Total employment in Enterprise Ireland supported companies was 220,613 at the end of 2020. EI supported jobs by County for 2020 are outlined in the following table. By County Number of EI Client Companies Sum of 2020 Total Jobs Carlow 89 ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (19 May 2021)

Damien English: I recognise that this is a most challenging time for employees of KBC Bank. I encourage all sides to make every effort to reach a resolution by agreement and with the help of the industrial relations machinery of the State. The WRC is available to any interested parties who may require it. As part of its functions, the WRC provides information relating to employment entitlements and...

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

Damien English: The requirement that an employee should use personal protective equipment (PPE) in the carrying out of work activities is determined in the first instance by their employer through the completion of a risk assessment which is then recorded in the workplace safety statement. The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that the duty is on the employer to supply PPE to employees...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (19 May 2021)

Damien English: Ireland’s employment permits system is by design, a vacancy led system inclusive of all sectors of the economy, driven by the changing needs of the labour market, expanding and contracting in tandem with its inherent fluctuations. The system is managed through the operation of the critical skills and the ineligible occupations lists which determine occupations across all sectors that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Proposed Legislation (20 May 2021)

Damien English: The Government is committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme in Ireland and work is well underway in this regard with Heads of Bill currently being drafted. Officials from my Department have held several meetings in recent weeks with the Department of Social Protection and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to finalise the design parameters of the scheme. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Trade Unions (20 May 2021)

Damien English: Ireland's system of Industrial Relations is based on voluntarism. While the right of workers to form associations and join a trade union is enshrined in Article 40 of the Irish Constitution, under Irish law there is no obligation on employers to recognise any union for the purposes of collective bargaining. This dispute is essentially a matter for the company and its employees to resolve. I...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Damien English: I thank Members for the lengthy discussion we had last Monday. My understanding was we had spare slots. There was plenty of time left. I certainly did not cut the debate short and I spent all the time here answering everyone's questions, including about credit unions. There was nobody ducking and diving. This is very much being scrutinised and I am happy to do it. This is similar to...

Seanad: Loan Guarantee Schemes Agreements (Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 May 2021)

Damien English: It is 5%.

Seanad: Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Damien English: I thank Senators Bacik and Sherlock for this Bill. I thank the Labour Party in general for its work in this area. I am glad to have a chance to be part of this discussion but I am probably more glad to be able to listen to the discussion, for once. Without a doubt, we are all supportive of the need to introduce change in this area as quickly as possible. I had a great chance just to sit...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Intellectual Property (25 May 2021)

Damien English: Universal and equitable access to safe, effective and affordable vaccines, diagnostics and treatments is crucial in the global fight against COVID-19. International Trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties. In exercising that competence at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the European Commission engages with Member States, including Ireland, through a variety of Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (25 May 2021)

Damien English: The ratification of ILO Convention C190 is a matter of priority for Ireland and we continue to work towards being amongst the first ILO member States to ratify, with plans to progress the ratification this year. The issue of ratification by Ireland of International Labour Organisation Convention 190, Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, is being considered in the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Grant Payments (25 May 2021)

Damien English: Enterprise Ireland payments, to the company referred to in the Deputy’s question, for the years 2020 and 2021 to date are listed in the table below. Company 2020 2021 Payments €7,450 €100,000

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2021)

Damien English: It was recently announced that the eligibility criteria for the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC) would be extended to include businesses operating from a non-rateable premises such as a home office or hot-desk. The details of the scheme are currently being finalised by my Department and I expect that full details of the scheme will be announced in the next week and Local...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Schemes (25 May 2021)

Damien English: The Government at its meeting on 18 May agreed to extend eligibility for the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC) to those businesses operating from a non-rateable premises with fixed costs, if such businesses meet all other eligibility criteria for SBASC. This will allow such businesses to apply for a payment of €4,000 when the Scheme reopens for Q2 2021. The...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (25 May 2021)

Damien English: The employment permits system is designed to facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills and/or labour shortages, however, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one. In order to ensure that the employment permits...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Labour Court (27 May 2021)

Damien English: I am statutorily required to give due consideration on whether it is appropriate to give effect to a recommendation from the Labour Court concerning a proposal for an Employment Regulation Order. In considering whether it was appropriate to accept the Labour Court's recommendation, I wanted to ensure that workers and employers in the sector have adequate notice of the changes to the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Vaccination Programme (1 Jun 2021)

Damien English: From the outset of Covid-19, many employers have taken the initiative in line with subsequent requests from the Government to be as flexible and as accommodating as possible with their staff.  Employers have a general duty of care towards their workers and that care is often expressed in the form of understanding, compromise and flexibility. COVID-19 vaccinations are an extremely...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Jun 2021)

Damien English: As you are aware the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the small business assistance scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The second phase of the small business assistance scheme for COVID (SBASC) will be open for applications from early June, with a closing date of 21st July.  Local Authorities will once again be administering this scheme.