Results 1,141-1,160 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Consultations (2 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The ratification of ILO Convention C190 is a matter of priority for Ireland and my Department officials continue to work towards being amongst the first ILO member States to ratify, with plans to progress the ratification soon.  The issue of ratification by Ireland of International Labour Organisation Convention 190, Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, is being...

Workplace Ventilation (Covid-19) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Paul Murphy and his colleagues for introducing the legislation. The Government is not opposing the Bill, which seeks to amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to provide for a definition of sufficient fresh air bases on CO2levels in the workplace as an emergency Covid-19 prevention measure. The Government supports the principle behind the Bill and it will work...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a standard application for a Critical Skills Employment Permit for the person concerned (details supplied) was received on 22 August 2021. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. The Employment Permits Section of my Department are currently processing standard applications received on 4th August 2021....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Dec 2021)

Damien English: The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a standard application for a Reactivation Employment Permit for the person concerned (details supplied) was received on 25 November 2021. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order, however given the details outlined by the Deputy the Employment Permits Section of my Department have prioritised...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Dec 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Dec 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (1 Dec 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...

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

Damien English: I thank the committee for having us today. At the outset, I want to apologise. As we informed the Chair and the clerk to the committee, due to the Dáil scheduling I have to be in the Dáil Chamber at 10 a.m. for a debate and, therefore, I am afraid that I can only stay until about 9.55 a.m. I am sorry that I will miss the discussion on the general scheme of the redundancy payments...

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

Damien English: Before proceeding I would like to introduce my departmental colleagues. I am accompanied by Ms Tara Coogan and Ms Áine Maher. They are available to answer questions as I must leave early. As time is limited, I will not have a deep conversation with the Senator on this issue. He has raised this issue before and I can assure him that we take it very seriously both in my own...

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

Damien English: There are two issues. We have had a lengthy discussion in the Dáil on a couple of occasions, and I think that applies to the Seanad as well, on the number of inspectors employed by the WRC. I think that the report the Senator referenced dates back to 2008 so it predates the financial recession in this country. I note that it was a recommendation and not a Government commitment. We...

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

Damien English: I am not sure why Senator Gavan and his party colleagues repeatedly try to question that the legislation is not strong enough. I disagree with him on that. He often gives the impression people will lose out or suffer if they avail of our legislation. That is not true. He gave the same impression, namely, that the legislation was not in place to protect people, on the last occasion we...

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

Damien English: I am not sure what more the Chairman wants me to do here. Senator Gavan has said we have no legislation on collective bargaining but we are here today discussing a form of collective bargaining. That is exactly what we are doing . I am not sure where the Senator wants to go with this.

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

Damien English: My point is-----

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...