Results 9,841-9,860 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for the question. Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a key policy priority of the Department and the Government. The Department is overseeing the development of nine new regional enterprise plans to 2024, including for the west region covering the county the Deputy represents. These are bottom-up plans developed by regional stakeholders...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I presume and hope the Deputy has made a submission to the plan because she has expressed some very good ideas there. The regional plan is meant to reflect all of the local ideas and it is genuinely a bottom-up process. I do not chair this plan but I chair four other ones and the Tánaiste chairs the Dublin one. The Minister of State, Deputy Troy, also chairs four. In all cases - in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I want to be completely clear with the Deputy that these plans are meant to be bottom-up. I have sat around the table when the very first versions of these plans were put in place and I can assure the Deputy that it was all local people who were around the table with me when we went through each and every idea. The Deputy and I discussed these during one of my first set of parliamentary...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: A strong and resilient SME sector is key to rebuilding the economy after the Covid crisis. Provision made by the Government in budget 2022 aims to ensure small and medium-sized businesses are sustainable and competitive in the long term. Specifically, we want to equip enterprises for the transition to the green and digital economy. We also recognise that some businesses are in need of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Deputy will appreciate that I do not have the details of every scheme across the different Departments with me, especially as I thought the question was coming from a Kilkenny Deputy. However, I have discussed the situation in Tipperary with the Deputy and I have been there as well to engage with all the stakeholders. I am aware of the opportunities as well as the difficulties for some...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Small and Medium Enterprises (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I assure the Deputy that we fully intend to see this out. As I said, a jobs-led recovery means supporting business all the way. The Deputy referred to the hospitality sector. It is a sector that valued the wage subsidy more than most. That remains in place until next April. On top of that, I ask the sector to look at and engage with Pathways to Work. There are additional supports in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I think we can all agree that the final confirmation about the university is good news and will lead to opportunities for sustainable growth in the area. It will develop enterprise in the local area in combination with our education system. Delivering balanced regional recovery is identified as a priority within the Government's national economic recovery plan. As part of Enterprise...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I am familiar with HaloCare and what it does. It complements what we are trying to do, which is to develop and fund businesses and organisations that can create jobs and, more importantly, can have an impact on society both within the country and beyond. The Government is committed to keeping people living in their homes for as long as they possibly can. We developed a scheme across a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I do not have a date for when it will be operational but I am glad it is nearly ready. The answer to that would be as soon as possible. As the Deputy knows, considerable work has gone into that over the years. Earlier, I outlined the work of Enterprise Ireland, which complements the work of IDA Ireland, the local enterprise offices, LEOs, the local authorities and other stakeholders in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Flaherty for raising this matter. We focused on the IDA Ireland element in an earlier question. The Department and its agencies provide assistance to businesses in all regions of Ireland, including County Longford, to help them prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the future economy. The Department's core budget increased by €103 million, or 13.2%, in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I agree with Deputy Flaherty that Longford has great opportunities open to it and our development agencies are working very hard in the county. The Deputy makes a strong case for Longford, as does the Minister of State in the Department, Deputy Robert Troy, on a daily basis, the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Peter Burke, and Senator...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) promotes the commercial development of Irish designers and makers, stimulating innovation, championing design thinking, and informing Government policy. DCCI’s activities are funded by my Department through Enterprise Ireland. In 2022, my Department will provide an additional €1 million in funding, up to a total of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Job Losses (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: There is no single data set to quantify the number of redundancies in the State. Applications under the Redundancy Payments Scheme from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) represent only a proportion of actual redundancies because situations whereby redundancies are paid directly by the employer from their own resources with no recourse to the SIF are not required to be advised to any...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Foreign Direct Investment (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: IDA Ireland is not planning to establish an office in Israel. The IDA issued a request for tender for a part-time Israel based Business Development Consultant in April 2021. I am advised that IDA Ireland has identified a person for this role and the appointment process is likely to be concluded by year end. This person will represent IDA to support its efforts to win new investment....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: On 27th October last, Government approved the drafting of a Bill that will prohibit the use of tips and gratuities to ‘make up’ contractual rates of pay and to require employers to clearly display their policy on how tips, gratuities and service charges are distributed. This will ensure that tips and gratuities are additional to a worker’s wage and are not subsumed by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a key policy priority of mine and this Government. My Department is currently overseeing the development of nine new Regional Enterprise Plans to 2024, including for the South-West region. I am working on the delivery of the new Plan in the South-West in conjunction with the dedicated team of regional stakeholders. ...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Local Enterprise Offices will receive an additional €2m under Budget 2022 which represents an almost 5% increase in funding. This additional investment will allow each of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices to enhance the role they already play in assisting local and regional development including the launching of the Regional Enterprise Plans. The additional funding provided will...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (2 Nov 2021)

Damien English: On 9 June, I along with my colleague Minster Robert Troy TD, published the 'Plan for Action on Collective Redundancies following Insolvency' which sets out Government’s work to enhance protections and ensure transparency for employees in insolvency situations. The Plan follows the commitment in the Programme for Government to review whether the legal provisions surrounding collective...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (2 Nov 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, in circumstances where there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one. The system is managed through the use of lists designating highly skilled and ineligible...