Results 10,101-10,120 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (8 Feb 2022)

Damien English: The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time. The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the occupation lists: the critical...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (8 Feb 2022)

Damien English: The number of Enterprise Ireland supported jobs by county in each of the years 2010 to 2021 is set out in tabular form below. In 2021, there were 20,342 new jobs created by companies supported by Enterprise Ireland, resulting in a net job increase of 11,911 when job losses are taken into account. Total employment by companies supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2021 was 207,894. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Feb 2022)

Damien English: The Transitional Protocol: Good Practice Guidance for Continuing to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19, a revision of the Work Safely Protocol was published on 31st January. This publication reflects the lessons learned to date, including the most recent public health advice, and is the current guidance for the safe return and continued safe operating of workplaces. It places a greater...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (8 Feb 2022)

Damien English: The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a Critical Skills Employment Permit application was received for the application concerned (details supplied) on 22 December 2021. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. The Employment Permits Section of my Department are currently processing Trusted Partner applications received on 15 October 2021....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (8 Feb 2022)

Damien English: In order to work in Ireland a non-EEA National, unless they are exempted, must hold a valid Employment Permit. All applications for employment permits are processed in line with the Employment Permits Acts and associated Regulations which lay down in legislation the criteria in relation to the application, grant and refusal of an employment permit. The Employment Permits Section of my...

National Minimum Wage: Motion [Private Members] (9 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for their motion and for this discussion. I recognise that the context in which we are having this discussion concerns the pressure that families and everybody are under at the moment to pay all of their bills due to inflation and increased costs. Some of those reasons are outside of our control as a Government but we are trying to respond with a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (9 Feb 2022)

Damien English: Ireland operates a managed employment permits system maximising the benefits of economic migration and minimising the risk of disrupting Ireland’s labour market. The regime is designed to accommodate the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill skills and labour gaps for the benefit of our economy, in the short to medium term. The occupations lists are subject to twice yearly...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Work Permits (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I am more sorry for the result in Meath then missing Eugene at the match. I hope we will get a chance for revenge. I am also sorry I was not able to meet Senator Murphy on the day he was in Navan. I was supporting Meath against Roscommon and supporting Trim in Dublin. We lost on both occasions. We will recover and get back. We have discussed this issue quite a lot in the House. Most...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Work Permits (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I will keep it short this time. The Senator has identified another area of concern. We made changes in the list last year to reflect demand. The Senator identified the area of construction. We made changes to the scheme last year whereby the majority of jobs in the construction sector are eligible for permits or do not need them at all. The Senator also flagged the retrofitting plan. We...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Driver Licences (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising awareness of this issue. I was not aware of the change made in 2006. It was not up in flashing lights, but it has certainly had an impact. It has affected people, mainly of the younger generation, as the Senator said. It is worth examining the matter and the Senator has made a very compelling case for doing so. I will provide some background on this...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Driver Licences (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I again thank Senator Ward for raising this issue. I will certainly talk to the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, who is sorry she could not be here today, and to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, about it. I might not be in a position to convince her but I have no doubt that, with the arguments he has just put to me, the Senator will be able to if he gets a chance. I will encourage her...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Barry for his question and for the motion we discussed and debated yesterday. We went through the various mechanisms we can use to achieve the results he is seeking. The Government is keenly aware, as we stressed during yesterday's debate, of the pressures people are feeling as the rate of inflation and the cost of living increase. Many costs have increased sharply in recent...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: The Government is finalising a package of measures to respond to the inflationary measures which are putting significant pressure on families and individuals, and have been doing so over the past couple of months. They build on the changes announced in the budget, where there was a tax package and there was a social welfare package. There was a minimum wage increase recommendation accepted,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: We must be careful in relation to taxes and jobs as well. Much of the time, the changes Deputy Barry puts forward in relation to the tax system are in our view anti-jobs and anticompetitive. That will not help us as we try to drive a recovery from Covid through a jobs-led recovery.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I have nothing more to add bar that the Government is responding to this. I listened to Deputy Barry, yesterday and again today, with his call for action. I have listened to the Deputy in the past on other disputes and other issues as well. People who followed Deputy Barry's advice previously often got bad advice from him and were misinformed or brought down the wrong path. I would ask...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Minimum Wage (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I would ask anybody who wants to follow Deputy Barry's advice to look at his record over the past two years and the advice he doled out.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his support for enterprise centres and the general principle of investing in and strengthening them. I spent a day recently in counties Cavan and Monaghan and saw the benefits of investing in enterprise centres and enterprise teams in those counties and indeed, throughout the country. I acknowledge the work that is being carried out locally...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I note the point the Deputy raised. I recall reviewing that site and agree that there is great potential there to create jobs. The Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Rural and Community Development are very keen to develop working spaces, sites, office space and factory space for those who want to create jobs. We are determined to have a jobs-led recovery as we come out of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Enterprise Support Services (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: The Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and myself hope to launch regional enterprise plans during February. Part of that will be funding a range of actions in different counties along the concept outlined by the Deputy. I think we are launching one in Cavan. That gives an opportunity through the funding set out, which is quite substantial, over the next four or five years to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Work Permits (10 Feb 2022)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will give her the short answer first because I know that is what she wants. It is to be hoped we will be able to reopen that process within the next couple of weeks. That is the aim. That then takes a couple of months and decisions will probably be made around April or May at the latest. In a few weeks we will open the consultation and see...