Results 1,641-1,660 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (12 May 2021)

Damien English: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that the necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on businesses right across the country. With this in mind the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Intellectual Property (11 May 2021)

Damien English: Universal and equitable access to safe, effective and affordable vaccines, diagnostics and treatments is crucial in the global fight against COVID-19. International Trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties. In exercising that competence at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the European Commission engages with Member States, including Ireland, through a variety of Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Public Holidays (11 May 2021)

Damien English: The legislation which provides for public holidays is the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. This Act provides that certain days may be prescribed as public holidays. At present, there are nine public holidays. An extra holiday has implications of a broad nature in terms of costs and productivity and has cross-government issues to be explored. Any proposal for the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Electricity Supply Board (11 May 2021)

Damien English: Ireland's system of Industrial Relations is based in voluntarism. While the right of workers to form associations and join a trade union is enshrined in Article 40 of the Irish Constitution, under Irish law there is no obligation on employers to recognise any union for the purposes of collective bargaining. This dispute is essentially a matter for the company and its employees to resolve. I...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Tests (11 May 2021)

Damien English: The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in a workplace or any setting is to follow public health advice and practice physical distancing, adopt proper hand hygiene and follow respiratory etiquette. However, some employers, with the agreement of their workers, have sought to implement additional checks as a way of strengthening their COVID-19 response and providing reassurance to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (6 May 2021)

Damien English: As you are aware, the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates. You will also know...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (6 May 2021)

Damien English: LEO Dublin City like many of the Local Enterprise Offices experienced an unprecedented increase in activity and engagement with clients and stakeholders across 2020 and this has continued into the current year. Last year, for example, the Local Enterprise Offices network approved 12,946 Trading Online Vouchers to assist businesses get online to trade or improve their existing online offering....

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Grocery Industry (6 May 2021)

Damien English: In 1981, the European Commission took infringement proceedings against a Buy Irish campaign then in operation. In its subsequent judgment (Commission v Ireland, case C-249/81), the European Court of Justice held that the campaign was a reflection of the Irish Government’s intention to substitute domestic products for imported products on the Irish market and thereby to check the flow...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 May 2021)

Damien English: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) leads on Ireland’s response to international initiatives, and I understand that it is engaging with a number of Government departments, including my own, on consideration of the WHO COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) initiative. C-TAP has called on researchers, developers, and manufacturers to voluntarily share knowledge, intellectual...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 May 2021)

Damien English: I think it is clear that universal and equitable access to safe, effective and affordable diagnostics, treatments and vaccines is very important in the global fight against COVID-19. International Trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties. In exercising that competence at the WTO, the European Commission engages with Member States, including Ireland through a variety of...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Brexit Supports (6 May 2021)

Damien English: An authorised consignee is authorised by Revenue subject to certain prescribed criteria such as including having practical standards of competence or professional qualifications directly related to the activity carried out and to be able to communicate electronically with Revenue through the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS). However, Enterprise Ireland does not provide such training to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Film Industry (5 May 2021)

Damien English: The right of workers to form associations and join a trade union is enshrined in Article 40 of the Irish Constitution. However, our Superior Courts have established that the Constitutional guarantee of the freedom of association does not guarantee workers the right to have their union recognised for the purpose of collective bargaining. Notwithstanding this, it has been the consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic (5 May 2021)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122, 123 and 127 together. I think it is clear that universal and equitable access to safe, effective and affordable diagnostics, treatments and vaccines is very important in the global fight against COVID-19. International Trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties. In exercising that competence at the WTO, the European Commission engages...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 May 2021)

Damien English: The Government has worked to support businesses through this difficult time with a comprehensive range of measures for firms of all sizes. The measures include the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) now extended until the 30th of June, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Flexible Work Practices (5 May 2021)

Damien English: Last year as a response to COVID-19, my Department launched a Public Consultation on Remote Work Guidance and created a new guidance webpage for employers and employees. This webpage brings together all State guidance on remote work into one place and includes an employer checklist outlining all the relevant considerations to be undertaken for remote working in the longer term - and can be...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Vaccination Programme (5 May 2021)

Damien English: From the outset of Covid-19, many employers have taken the initiative in line with subsequent requests from the Government to be as flexible and as accommodating as possible with their staff. Employers have a general duty of care towards their workers and that care is often expressed in the form of understanding, compromise and flexibility. COVID-19 vaccinations are an extremely...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 May 2021)

Damien English: I am very aware of the ongoing difficulties facing businesses over the past year. It has been a difficult time for business owners, employees and their families. With this in mind, the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 May 2021)

Damien English: As you are aware, the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates. You will also know that...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Agriculture Industry (5 May 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, however, this objective must be balanced by the need to ensure that there are no suitably qualified Irish/EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is a genuine one. In May 2018, following a detailed business case...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (5 May 2021)

Damien English: As you are aware, the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates. You will also know...