Results 1,181-1,200 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

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,...

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

Damien English: In conjunction with work done by the HSA and its board, there was a request for additional money for staff and resources for 2020 and 2021. That request was approved and an extra €4.2 million was sanctioned to enable the work we are doing in the occupational health division. That has resulted and will result in recruitment of extra inspectors and other staff. There is a time lag in...

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 Deputy is right. The development of hub infrastructure is key. It almost a year since the Tánaiste launched our remote working strategy, the objective of which is to ensure that remote working becomes a permanent feature for our workforce. A key part of that is the option to work in a hub. Remote working does not always mean working from home and not everyone would choose that...

Employment Permits (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (25 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I recognise both speakers. It is not that I have anything against what is in the Bill. In most cases the provisions are in legislation already. The Deputy is saying he is disappointed I am not supporting his Bill. He might recognise that there is existing legislation in place to cover most of what he has asked. On the one area where this is not the case, I have explained why we cannot...

Employment Permits (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (25 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I thank both Deputies for bringing forward this Private Members' Bill. I welcome the opportunity to speak on it today. It is a shame there are not more people here to have a very focused conversation on the Bill. While I might not agree with all that is in it, conversation on this topic is essential to clarify what is in existing law, how we intend to strengthen it and how those changes...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (25 Nov 2021)

Damien English: On 28 April 2021, I announced my intention to issue an Order to give effect to a statutory recommendation of the Labour Court concerning minimum rates of remuneration and other terms and conditions in the Security Sector. The Order was to apply from 1 September 2021. This was to ensure that workers and employers would have adequate notice of the changes owing to the Covid-19 public health...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (25 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 204 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Pension Provisions (25 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Government have 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: Employment Rights (23 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Holidays Act 1961 was repealed in 1997. The legislation which provides for public holidays is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (OWTA).This Act provides that certain days may be prescribed as public holidays. At present, there are nine public holidays which are listed under section 2 of the second schedule of the OWTA. These are: a. Christmas Day, b. St. Stephen's Day, c. St....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Departmental Appointments (18 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a standard application for a General Employment Permit for the person concerned (details supplied) was received on 14 October 2021. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. Employment Permits Section are currently processing standard applications received on 22nd July 2021. Applicants can keep track of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (18 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that a standard application for a Sport and Cultural Employment Permit for the person concerned (details supplied) was received on the 2 November 2021. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in date order. Employment Permits Section are currently processing standard applications received on 22 July 2021. Applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (18 Nov 2021)

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 critical skills and ineligible...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (17 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 38 together. The Employment Permits Section of my Department inform me that standard employment permit applications for General Employment Permits for the persons referred to by the Deputy were received on 8th September 2021 in respect of Mr Bisht and on 5th October 2021 in respect of Mr Bangaleea. Applications for employment permits are dealt with in...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (17 Nov 2021)

Damien English: The Redundancy Act 1967, as amended, prescribes the minimum redundancy lump sum for qualified employees, generally referred to as 'statutory redundancy'. Statutory redundancy is based on the employee's length of reckonable service and their normal weekly remuneration subject to a ceiling of €600 per week. The Act does not stipulate the normal weekly remuneration to be used when an...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Provision (16 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Joan Collins for bringing up this issue in respect of Emmet Road, previously St. Michael's Estate. It is a project I am very familiar with and which I had hoped would be further along at this stage. Covid and other issues have caused delays but this project should have started by now and I am glad we are nearly at the stage of getting planning permission because I had hoped...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Provision (16 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I want to be clear. I am not saying those numbers; the Deputy is. I want to be clear on that.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Provision (16 Nov 2021)

Damien English: I do not know anything about them because we never put out any figures in respect of this scheme. I am not saying anything. I want to be very clear on that. The rents will be reflective of the cost. I did not think I would ever hear the Deputy advocating the use of the HAP scheme. I say that in jest.