Results 1,921-1,940 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2020: Order for Second Stage (21 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (21 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring forward the Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2020. This is another important piece of legislation that is part of the Government's efforts to help the wider enterprise sector meet the enormous challenges presented by Covid-19. I thank our colleagues for their co-operation in helping to bring the Bill to the House...

Employment Rights: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Social Democrats for the opportunity to have this debate and all the Members for their contributions. I gather some Members have concerns about the countermotion but that is their right. The motion put forward certain views. We do not share all of those views so we tabled a countermotion but we all support developing and improving workers' rights. We are trying to get that...

Employment Rights: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “acknowledges the essential work that has been carried out by so many different workers in the public and private sector during the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency, and thanks those workers for their continued efforts; endorses the commitment within the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: We will of course have thought and regard for all those employed; that is why we are in charge of employment legislation. We take that very seriously in our Department. We have several agencies that excel in their work in that area. They have built up much experience and they work with our Department and other agencies. Bodies such as our LEOs, local authorities, Enterprise Ireland and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: The key focus of any grant, assistance around lending or other help provided to businesses to cope with the Covid-19 crisis is sustaining jobs and vulnerable but viable businesses. We referred to this last week. Our number one focus is helping businesses to survive and keep their doors open and then to thrive thereafter as well. That is the main focus but there are links to tax compliance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: To be clear, the Tánaiste was referring to State and public contracts and we can deal with those under contract law. The Deputy asked me about our agencies, whose number one job has been helping businesses survive and stay open over these last few weeks and months. Only last week, the Deputy and many of her party colleagues were complaining that the application process for assistance...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: A number of agencies are working with departmental officials to ensure workers' rights are protected and there is follow-through on all the legislation we introduce in this House. That is the focus of a lot of our work in the Department. The Deputy referred to a particular report. Our officials work through all such reports and bring forward any changes that are required on foot of them....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Bríd Smith for raising this issue. She has raised it in the House previously and she will understand we are appealing this decision, as confirmed by the Tánaiste last Thursday. I reiterate the Tánaiste's message at that time and again today to all workers and employers affected by this decision in regard to sectoral employment orders, that until the appeal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Employment Rights (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: It is fair to say that we, as Ministers, have over the past nine years committed to proving our worth when it comes to industrial relations. The Industrial Relations Act 2015 was quite a large Act. Previously, we had 15 or 16 years of discussion and legal cases. We tried to bring certainty to this and we acted on that with that legislation. We have built on that since and we have shown...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: Every effort is being made to protect workers through the back to work protocols. That is an absolute guarantee. It is likewise in the health service. With regard to the changes and the biological agents regulations, this does not impact the reporting of Covid-19. The reporting requirements in the regulations require that the HSA be notified immediately of any accident or incident which...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I will set out the current situation for the Deputy, if that is all right. As the Deputy might realise, Covid 19 has been included as a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020. Any infectious disease pandemic is first and foremost a matter of public health, for which a legal basis for reporting already exists under public health legislation....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I understand that as part of the report, it will consult. We can check this. It is something we can also do when we get the report. To be clear, the Health and Safety Authority is aware that Covid-19 is a risk in healthcare settings and in other settings also. It is working with the HSE and individual employees in places of work to investigate the incidents among healthcare workers. The...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Measures (14 Jul 2020)

Damien English: While employments rights policy is currently the responsibility of my colleague Minister Heather Humphreys T.D. in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, it will soon be transferring to my Department. I understand that there is no pending priority legislation in the area of employment rights at this time. I am concerned that there appears to be a mistaken belief out...

Seanad: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (9 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his new role.

Seanad: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (9 Jul 2020)

Damien English: It was well earned over many years of service and I wish him good luck. There are many new faces in here. I was going to say "in this House", but this is not actually the House. It is good to be here in the Seanad, however, and I welcome all the new Senators. There are many new faces and I am looking forward to working with everybody over the next couple of years. I had an important...

Seanad: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (9 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I thank all the Members for their contributions. I think everybody has contributed now and has shown great understanding and knowledge of the importance of helping the SME sector, as well as that SMEs are all of us and are right at the heart of our communities. They are in every town and village that we represent and everywhere we go and because of that knock-on effect, it is important to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Jul 2020)

Damien English: To conclude and add to the comments I made earlier, Deputy Ó Cuív rightly raised the tourism and hospitality sector. With regard to any further targeted measures specifically aimed at that sector, in March 2020, a dedicated tourism recovery task force was established made up of leaders of various sectors of the industry who will work together to deal with the many challenges ahead....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Jul 2020)

Damien English: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and the general issue of supports for business in the hospitality sector. He also flagged the matter of seasonal workers, which is certainly on our agenda as well. As has been referred to by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and other Ministers, the programme for Government promises to bring forward a July jobs initiative to support our economy...

Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2020)

Damien English: The Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and myself would like to thank Deputies for their attendance, participation and support as we have taken this Bill through the Dáil over the past two days. I am conscious that the logistics were a little awkward between the two Houses. I recognise the efforts of Members to make their contributions and we value all of them. It has...