Results 9,641-9,660 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for tabling these amendments. I understand what she is trying to achieve. I will try to give her words of comfort. We believe that most of what she is asking for is already in the legislation. I will outline the reasons for that belief. I understand the Deputy's concerns but I remind the House that this is a two-way street and that employers might not want their...

Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2021)

Damien English: As everyone knows, I will talk to anybody, so in any review I have no hesitation in talking to anyone after 12 months, especially those who have been affected by any decision we make here. My officials are the same because in drafting the legislation we have engaged directly with committee members as well as the relevant unions and people involved in this day to day. We are very open on...

Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I confirm that I am speaking on behalf of my Department. My officials are very much disposed towards engaging with everybody on this issue because they want justice to be administered properly and people's rights to be vindicated. We have a concern with the term "chilling effect" being used all the time because we want to encourage people to use the WRC, not to be afraid to use it and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Regulation (8 Jul 2021)

Damien English: The main source of copyright legislation in Ireland is the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 (as amended) (the CRRA). The CRRA provides the means for copyright holders to enter into license agreements with Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) to represent their rights in relation to the public use of their copyright protected works. These organisations are responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I am acutely aware of the ongoing difficulties that businesses continue to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I know some businesses have yet to reopen and in particular businesses who offer indoor hospitality and indoor activities. As you know the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (8 Jul 2021)

Damien English: In March 2020, an Employment Permit COVID 19 Contingency Plan was implemented, with the Employment Permit Section moving seamlessly to a totally remote working environment. Conscious of the impact of COVID 19 on enterprises, my officials have endeavoured to be as flexible as possible within the legislative framework of the employment permit system. The feedback received from enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Jul 2021)

Damien English: The Government recognises that both the travel industry, and businesses connected with it like the one to which the deputy refers, have been very badly effected by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. As you know, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Jul 2021)

Damien English: In response to the urgency required in providing COVID-19 response measures for business, officials in my Department have been drawn from areas within the Indigenous Enterprise, SMEs and Entrepreneurship Division, and the Enterprise Strategy Competitiveness and Evaluation Division, to work on various initiatives since May 2020, including the Restart Grant Scheme and the Small Business...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (8 Jul 2021)

Damien English: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is independent in the exercise of its quasi-judicial function and I have no direct involvement in its day-to-day operations. However, I am informed that the completion of decisions by Adjudication Officers are subject to a range of factors including complexity of legal issues, volume of documentation, length of hearings etc and are generally aimed...

Seanad: Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions Bill) 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I am pleased to introduce the Bill for the consideration of the House. I propose, first, to summarise the background and context of the Bill, the basic aim of which is to ensure the matters of immediate concern identified by the Supreme Court in its majority decision in the Zalewski case are immediately remedied in statute. I will then describe the purpose and reasoning behind each section...

Seanad: Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions Bill) 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I thank all the Senators for their contributions and for assisting us with having a timely debate on the Bill and progressing it this week in order that we can, I hope, get it finalised. We will be back in the House on Thursday or Friday to deal with any amendments they might wish to put forward.Some amendments were put forward in the other House. We dealt with them, went through them and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: Trading online is a very important route for retail businesses to grow and improve and will be an central element in the recovery and transformation of the retail sector in Ireland over the longer term.  The COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme - a competitive scheme, administered on my Department's behalf by Enterprise Ireland - is to support companies in the indigenous retail sector who have...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 181 together. Question No. 159 referred to by the Deputy enquired in relation to the status of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) investigation into the employment of the four fishers referred to. This investigation was requested by my Department in order to inform consideration of a request by the International Transport Workers Federation...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179, 180 and 182 together. Question No. 159 referred to by the Deputy enquired in relation to the status of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) investigation into the employment of the four fishers referred to. This investigation was requested by my Department in order to inform consideration of a request by the International Transport Workers Federation...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together. Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The system is intended to act as a conduit for key skills which are required to develop enterprise in the State for the benefit of our economy, while simultaneously...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: National Standards Authority of Ireland (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: SR 82:2017 is the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) revised Code of Practice for Slating and Tiling, and is used primarily by architects, building designers, structural engineers and roofers. The revised Code of Practice replaces and supersedes ICP 2:2002 setting out guidelines for the materials, design and application recommendations, workmanship requirements for slates, tiles,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: In 2015, the Industrial Relations Acts were amended to allow for a retired person to have access to the IR bodies in a period of 6-months post-retirement for matters arising pre-retirement. This 6-month provision allows for the settling of any practical issues affecting a former worker. Any proposals that arise from voluntary conciliation in the WRC, must also be approved by the trustees of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Workplace Relations Commission (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent statutory office under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: I am acutely aware of the ongoing difficulties that businesses continue to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I note that the business you refer to has also been impacted by Brexit. As you know 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Rights of People with Disabilities (13 Jul 2021)

Damien English: Enterprise Ireland continues to engage with Government and other interested parties to embed design, incorporating a Universal Design approach, in existing and future innovation and design-led programmes. Enterprise Ireland collaborates and works in partnership with the National Disability Authority on the Universal Design Grand Challenge. Enterprise Ireland supported the seventh annual...