Results 601-620 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I am sorry if I appear mean to the Senator but the WRC said it would be unenforceable.

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I am trying not to be. I was being generous earlier on.

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: If the Senator has some magic formula, I am happy to look at it when the Bill comes before the Dáil. There is no doubt about that. Of course, we all would like to achieve that. I must be black and white on this. If the WRC tells me something is unenforceable, I have to accept it. It is the body we will be asking to police this. We want this policed. I am assuming we are here...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: -----but I am working with a WRC which tells me that, because it is cash and because we cannot trace it, it is unenforceable. We have to also recognise where we are today. Although I do not have the percentages, I understand the majority are paying with card. It is a minority who are paying their restaurant bills with cash. If the Senator has any statistics on that, we would be happy to...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for his amendment. He is right that I cannot accept it. I will explain why in a moment. There are two things I agree with. One is the whole area of a deterrent. The greatest deterrent is that one might be caught, more so than the fine itself or the punishment, in our view. That is my understanding of criminal legislation and legislation like this as well. I also...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I am not going to give a timeline because I cannot. It would be unfair because I need to consult Ministers and other Departments but I have listened to the Senator tonight and on other Stages, and listened to others as well, and it is something we should do. I certainly take on implementing that across Government but I cannot commit colleagues or the whole of Government to a timeline I want...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: Amendment No. 77 extends the power of a Workplace Relations Commission inspector under section 27 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015 to businesses and places used by prescribed persons who engage contract workers at or through their premises. Section 27 normally applied only to places in connection with an employment relationship. This is necessary to allow the enforcement of section 4F...

Seanad: Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I thank all of the Members for their support for the legislation and their genuine approach. We are all trying to make the legislation better and the amendments do this. We may have had different wording but the same intent was behind all of the amendments proposed on all sides and we are at one. If there are any issues that we can deal with in the Dáil, we will certainly do so. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (29 Jun 2022)

Damien English: The Local Enterprise Offices act as a ‘First Stop Shop’ for business owners throughout the country providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and offer a ‘signposting’ service for all government supports available. The Local Enterprise Offices can offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (28 Jun 2022)

Damien English: The consultation process on the Retired Workers Access to industrial relations mechanisms for pension related issues which was conducted by my Department concluded a number of weeks ago. My Department officials have commenced the examination of submissions received. The outcome of the consultation will feed into the Government’s response to the proposals.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Exports Growth (28 Jun 2022)

Damien English: My Department, through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), assists new businesses including entrepreneurs, early-stage promoters and small businesses looking to expand. The LEOs comprise a wide range of experience, skill and services to offer advice, information, training and support in starting or growing a business, or reaching new markets. Funding includes a Priming Grant available to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (28 Jun 2022)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 Jun 2022)

Damien English: The Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that, on 11 January 2022, a General Employment Permit application for the person concerned (in the details supplied) was received. On 25 May 2022 the application was refused. The refusal reasons included the following: The manner in which the advertisements were placed on the Department of Social Protection/EURES Employment...

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I am glad to have a chance to say a few words in relation to Navan hospital, which we are all proud of and lucky to have in Navan. As a Navan person who attended the hospital many times in my years growing up, I have no doubt that we are lucky to have it and it has saved thousands of lives. The people in it are excellent and provide a top-class service in many areas. However, we have to...

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: I also recognise there are medical suggestions here and people telling us differently. I listened to Gerry McEntee. Most of the Teachtaí Dála here last week listened to him. Most people believed him and were concerned. We will all differ on what the solutions are. I will differ with Gerry McEntee on some of that and row with him, but I do not doubt his medical opinion and his...

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: On numerous occasions we have said "No" to the HSE. These proposals are not new. They have changed but over many years we have always said "No" and that the place is not ready for it yet. That conversation is still going on. There is extra capacity in Drogheda. We have to ask ourselves if that is enough. I am not convinced it is enough to deal with the patients who might not be able to...

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: Second, can we address the risk concerns in Navan by investing in Navan? Let us fully tease out and analyse that. We are all naturally biased. As a Navan Teachta Dála, I want Navan hospital to be the best. Can we address the concerns or can we not? If we cannot, is the capacity elsewhere to take our patients or are we only transferring the risk from one place to another? It is...

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: These are GPs I have listened to for a long number of years, as has Deputy Tóibín.

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: Sorry, Chair, can I finish my contribution here? There are GPs saying it is right and GPs saying it is wrong. Let us tease this through. We want to make the right decision. Most of us in here want to do the right thing for health, not for politics. Is the capacity elsewhere? Is the ambulance service in place to accommodate this? Will it ever be in place? Have we got guarantees as to...

Our Lady's Hospital Navan Emergency Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2022)

Damien English: Deputies received a letter telling them it has been done.