Results 9,961-9,980 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: Absolutely. I dealt with that point at the start with respect to extra staff.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: That is not the question with which I have an issue. It will be policed. We have all agreed we need extra inspectors. That is why a process has been under way in recent months to recruit extra inspectors. The budget was set aside to provide for that in 2021 and in 2022 and we were successful in that. The issue I have is that an impression has been given repeatedly by a certain party in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: We are going to disagree but I must state that workers are protected under our legislation and it is wrong to give the impression they are not. I cannot say any more than that the protections, legislation and staff are in place. We all agree we can increase the number of inspectors and that is what we are doing. That is where that is at. Regarding our laws, with respect to collective...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: At this time I think ten have come through the process and been hired. This process has taken quite a long time. As I said yesterday, and the Chairman will recall the debate, both with respect to the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, and the WRC, when we employ new inspectors we try to make sure we get people with the right skills and qualifications. The money has been set aside for it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: It is about 60. It could be 59 or 60. I will send the Senator an exact note on that to make sure I am right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The figure of 90 that was discussed prior to the recession was not a Government commitment and it was not signed up to. We did not say this had to be achieved. We have analysed this. We work with the WRC. I engaged with it as a Minister and on behalf of the Department on a regular basis and we try to work through its workload and the numbers it needs. We have responded to its requests...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sectoral Employment Order (Electrical Contracting Sector) 2021: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: Inspections with respect to fisheries cross over a number Departments. An interdepartmental working group, involving four or five Departments, is dealing with our approach to managing the atypical work permits scheme. I have said publicly on the record that the process to review it has begun. It is important we do that to see if we can improve that situation and we are all happy to do...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss our Department’s Supplementary Estimate with the members of the select committee this afternoon. I have been asked by the Tánaiste to express his apologies for not being able to attend the committee today as he is abroad on Government business. The committee secretariat has been provided with the briefing by the Department’s...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: A number of supports have been provided to businesses across a range of grants to assist in their efforts to deal with Covid and Brexit. Tomorrow, a Bill relating to ventilation will be discussed in the House. While there have been numerous supports through the restart grants and the various funds, we have not detailed how that money should be spent on any individual part of the business....

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The HSA has been given extra resources in the past couple of years, mainly in response to Covid and Brexit. It has taken a leading role in that work. In 2021, 54 additional posts were sanctioned in the Health and Safety Authority as part of a phased recruitment process. Of those 54 posts, 42 were inspector grade posts. In 2020, the authority had 174 members of staff, of whom 105 were...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I will try to answer those questions as best I can, working through them in reverse order. I am afraid I am not the competent person to answer the Deputy's last question about the security of telecommunications because it is beyond my expertise and above my pay grade, but I will get him a note on the matter. A lot of the work we invest in with our technological companies, including...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The money we are approving today was approved under the 2020 scheme and has been paid out this year. Parts of this €403,000 have been paid and there is some more still to be paid. It is a knock-on effect of not being able to complete the work to pay this money in 2020 that it has come into 2021. These schemes are not ideal in that they are ad hoc. To me, however, and having sat...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: Prior to 2008, schemes of this nature would have been funded through the Department of Defence. When it became evident that it was mainly businesses that were seeking assistance, it was decided that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment would assume responsibility for it. On the question of whether we need to allocate more money for the scheme, it is generally demand led. The...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The short answer is that we can certainly take a look at them. There is nothing excluded here. The fund is generally aimed at Enterprise Ireland and LEO clients and others that would fit the criteria in terms of struggling to raise equity. The full details of the scheme have not been worked out yet and I have no doubt we will be back before this committee or the Committee on Finance,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (7 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The Government has agreed to a timed amendment to the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021. This will allow time, as I outlined on the floor of the Dáil, to examine the issues carefully and to ensure that all stakeholders are consulted. This process will commence as soon as possible and will involve engagement with...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (7 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The Government has agreed to a timed amendment to the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021. This will allow time, as I outlined on the floor of the Dáil, to examine the issues carefully and to ensure that all stakeholders are consulted. I have given the matter careful consideration and to this end a consultation process will...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Damien English: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 the Government has worked to support businesses through a wide range of financial measures including the wage subsidy scheme, COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme, the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, the Future Growth Loan Scheme, commercial rates waivers and warehousing of tax liabilities. Details of all supports for businesses can be found on my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Dec 2021)

Damien English: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 the Government has worked to support businesses through a wide range of financial measures including the wage subsidy scheme, COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme, the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, the Future Growth Loan Scheme, commercial rates waivers and warehousing of tax liabilities. Details of all supports for businesses can be found on my...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Legislative Measures (7 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The Government has agreed to a timed amendment to the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021. This will allow time, as I outlined on the floor of the Dáil, to examine the issues carefully and to ensure that all stakeholders are consulted. This process will commence in the coming weeks and will involve both public consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Health and Safety (7 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The complaints mechanism operated by the agencies under the aegis of my Department, such as the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency concerned. I have, however, asked the HSA to provide an outline of how their complaint mechanism operates. The HSA operates under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and associated regulations. The...