Written Answers Nos. 117-124
117. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the role his Department officials have in relation to job creation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47228/12]
View answerI have repeatedly stated that Governments do not create jobs, successful businesses do. This is why I see my job, and that of my Department, as doing everything possible to help more businesses succeed. In that respect, my Department's Mission is to support the creation of sustainable jobs by promoting the development of a competitive business environment in which enterprises will operate to high standards and grow in sustainable markets.
At a practical level, my Department and its agencies are involved in a wide range of activities to deliver this Mission, including:
- The provision of a comprehensive set of supports to businesses through the enterprise development agencies, in particular Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the County and City Enterprise Boards, Shannon Development and the National Standards Authority of Ireland.
- The promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation as a key engine to accelerate Ireland's economic recovery, including through the work of Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
- Improving the competitiveness of the business environment and access to finance for businesses.
- Identifying and prioritising sectors with potential for job creation and systematically addressing obstacles to these sectors developing their potential.
- Supporting a business regulatory system which facilitates competition in the marketplace, has high standards of corporate governance, fosters dynamic and innovative markets and ensures protection of employment rights and safe working conditions.
- Compiling the Action Plan for Jobs on behalf of the Government and, in 2012, implementing approximately two thirds of the actions.
My role and that of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place to support enterprise and innovation so that employment opportunities can be grown and maintained. My officials support me in realising these aims and in implementing measures to achieve those goals.
The full range of my Department's activities and objectives in these areas is set out in the Department's Statement of Strategy 2011-2014 which is available on my Department's corporate website at www.djei.ie.
118. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide details of the number of semi-State and State agency executives and employees on an agency by agency basis that have salaries of more than €100,000 per year; if he will provide this information in tabular form, detailing any additional allowances, bonuses and the annual cost to the Exchequer of any pension packages to such employees, in terms of tax reliefs or other costs; if he will provide this information for the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52134/12]
View answerThe details of salaries of semi-State and State agency executives and employees, are a day to day matter for the respective agencies. I have asked the Agencies to respond directly to the Deputy.
119. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide details of the number of former semi-State agency executives or employees, on an agency basis, in receipt of pensions in excess of €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52147/12]
View answer120. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide details of the number of former semi-State agency executives or employees, on an agency basis, in receipt of pensions in excess of €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52159/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 120 together.
The details of pensions of former semi-State agency executives or employees are a day-to-day matter for the respective agencies. I have asked the Agencies to respond directly to the Deputies concerned.
121. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plan to make further cuts to the back to education allowance. [51672/12]
View answerThe Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme. It is designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling those in receipt of certain social welfare payments to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held. The BTEA scheme covers a large range of full-time courses of education in approved colleges, spanning basic foundation courses to third level courses across all disciplines. Expenditure on the Scheme in 2012 is expected to be of the order of €200 million.
As the Deputy will appreciate, managing expenditure demands for 2013 and beyond poses difficult challenges and requires a critical analysis of all expenditure items. As part of the preparations for the forthcoming Budget, the Government is considering the resources available to meet expenditure demands across the various schemes and services delivered by the Department in 2013. The outcome of these deliberations and the resources to be made available to BTEA will be announced as part of the Budget.
122. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide sectoral breakdowns of redundancy statistics for 2012 which have been delayed due to a transition to a new IT system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51667/12]
View answerAt present, my Department is not in a position to provide a breakdown of the 2012 redundancy statistics by sector. Work on the reporting facility of the redundancy payments system is ongoing with a view to being able to produce this type of date. It is hoped that it will be possible to provide this information in the near future.
Information on the overall number of redundancy applications received by the Department is available on the Department's website www.welfare.ie.
123. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time a British Citizen need to reside here in order for their habitual residence application to be accepted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51668/12]
View answerFor social welfare purposes, habitual residence in the State is determined according to the facts that apply at the time the claim is made. It does not depend on the nationality or citizenship of the person making the claim.
Decisions concerning habitual residence are assessed having regard to five factors which have been laid down by the European Court of Justice, and which are now incorporated into our domestic social welfare legislation. The five factors are:
(a) the length and continuity of residence in the State or in any other particular country;
(b) the length and purpose of any absence from the State;
(c) the nature and pattern of the person's employment;
(d) the person's main centre of interest; and
(e) the future intentions of the person concerned as they appear from all the circumstances.
There is no discrimination on grounds of nationality in social welfare legislation, therefore the same conditions exist for UK nationals as nationals from any other country.
Each case received for a determination on the Habitual Residence Condition is dealt with in its own right and a decision is based on application of the legislation and guidelines to the particular individual circumstances of each case.
Any applicant who disagrees with the decision on a case has the right to request a review of that decision and/or appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
124. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a British citizen (details supplied) Dublin 1 who has worked here before but whose job has since ceased, has a PPS number and is in a relationship status with an Irish citizen is now being refused jobseeker's benefit/allowance, community welfare supplementary support twice, even though they have provided all documentation, including the habitual residence form and have no intention of leaving the country; and if her attention has been drawn to the financial difficulties they are undergoing as they have no access to support services during their unemployment. [51669/12]
View answerThe person concerned has received formal decisions with regard to his jobseeker's allowance and supplementary welfare allowance applications. These matters are now being dealt with by the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
