Results 9,581-9,600 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: Under the rescue plan, the process adviser has the right to repudiate a contract as well, and this also references contracts that are a drain and need to be changed. Ms Keane might want to come in on the specifics because there is an ongoing requirement in regard to the rent thereafter as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: In general, there are a couple of issues we are happy to come back on when we have the full legislation through Cabinet. The suggestion in regard to the list of potential process advisers is a useful one and is something we can work on as well. I cannot promise it will be ready in time for this but it is something that can follow the legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Senator. In regard to the second question, while I was engaged in the preparation of this Bill, I will let Ms Keane comment on whether it was considered, although I am sure it was. The benefit here is to try to encourage everybody to get involved in this process to save the company and protect its ongoing debts in general, so there is a chance of paying them. We hope a majority...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: I will deal with a couple of the issues the Deputy raised Ms Keane will address the issue of the register. To respond in reverse order, the main aim of these structured resettlements is to assist companies with a sound business model and a viable future, as the Deputy identified. It is generally their legacy debts that are the difficulty. The process of putting the rescue plan in place...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The Bill does not deal with access to finance but it is a major issue which we are tracking in the Department. We would be willing to review the credit guarantee and proposals brought through the system with the approval of the House of the Oireachtas. They are working extremely well and de-risk financial providers of those loans, be they credit unions, mainstream banks or others. They are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: We can certainly look into that. It makes logical sense. Part of the directors and creditors agreeing a plan will be around costs and viability. If the costs are excessive, it will not be possible to use this system and save the company, so it is in everyone's interest that the costs are manageable. The Deputy is right that it can be expensive, which we want to avoid. We will track and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Shanahan. There are two issues. Leasing, I believe, is dealt with under head 48 in relation to contracts. There is a process to have a conversation with the landlord. There are two issues. Separate from this legislation, we have had an ongoing conversation with the business community on potential legacy debts from rent and arrears. Since the start of the pandemic, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: Again, it is by agreement. If no agreement is reached, an application may be made to the courts to judge on the matter. Any objector to it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: Everybody, even those who are not part of the simple majority in value, would still have the option to object to the courts. The courts would judge on it. One would have to have specific reasons for objecting. The first phase would involve the making of a judgment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: Does Ms Keane want to answer that question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: I am not sure if there is any magic way we can deal with the concern but having come late into this process, I will discuss it with Ms Keane and Ms O'Dea to see if we can strengthen it. After the legislation, there may be other things we can do as well. I understand the Deputy's concern but I would also say to a lot of companies that it is important to have full professional advice when...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process) Bill 2021: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (15 Jun 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Chairman for his co-operation and for facilitating my team and me. I am happy to address any further individual queries that might come up and will certainly take back the suggestions made today to see how we can enhance it. There will also be an opportunity to debate this informally in the Houses. In respect of the ongoing conversation around the Duffy Cahill report and the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The table below provides the details requested by the Deputy on a per county basis for the SBASC scheme. Details of the small business assistance scheme for COVID per county to date Local Authority Vol of Applicants Value of Applications to date Carlow 35 € 140,000.00 Cavan 31 ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: At the outset I should emphasise that the Workplace Relations Commission inspectorate service is independent in its functions. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) inspectorate contributes to multi-agency efforts to enforce the Atypical Worker Permission Scheme for Non-EEA Workers engaged on certain Irish-registered whitefish fishing vessels which was introduced by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The Enterprise Centre mentioned in the question commenced operations in 2016 and provides fully equipped office space, hot-desking facilities and meeting/training rooms for rent on a monthly, weekly or daily basis. The Centre has achieved almost 100% occupancy for its rented office space with ten tenant companies. The Enterprise Centre is a not-for-profit entity led by a board of 14...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No. 131 of 2003) apply to any transfer of an undertaking, business or part of a business from one employer to another employer as a result of a legal transfer (including the assignment or forfeiture of a lease) or merger. Regulation 8 of the Regulations provides that, in a transfer...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: As Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, I am very proud of our small business community who have shown immense drive, commitment and flexibility during the pandemic. I and my colleagues across Government must now determine how we adapt our current policies to futureproofing Ireland’s workforce. The Economic Recovery Plan focuses on anticipating and responding...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Construction Industry (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The issue of payment disputes under construction contracts is addressed in the Construction Contracts Act, 2013 which applies to certain construction contracts entered into after the 25th July 2016. The purpose of the legislation is to regulate payments, particularly the timing of payments, under a construction contract covered by the legislation. It provides important statutory payment...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2021)

Damien English: The Government’s comprehensive package to help the wide range of businesses during the pandemic, including family businesses and workers, includes 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...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. She will have to forgive me because I only had notice she was going to raise bogus self-employment in the construction sector so I have no data or information on local authorities contracts. That was not mentioned in any clarification to us. I am happy to engage with her on that but I will have to speak more generally because that was all that was...