Written Answers Nos. 104 - 109
105. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which he is satisfied of the ability of industry here to compete with the competition in domestic and export markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52066/12]
View answerCompanies compete for business in all markets, domestic and overseas, primarily on the basis of their product or service offering. Issues that influence a company’s ability to compete successfully and win business include price, quality, innovative nature of the offering and customer service. Competitiveness in the broad business environment is determined by a variety of factors, including the cost of doing business, productivity levels, availability of skilled labour, good infrastructure, the quality and intensity of innovation and research, and regulation that supports enterprise growth.
As a country in which to do business and sell both at home and abroad, Ireland has regained some of the competitiveness it had lost and this is reflected in the fact that Ireland’s rating improved four places from 24th to 20th in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook for 2012. Earlier this month, the World Economic Forum also reported that Ireland has improved its competitiveness ranking, from 29th to 27th place in that organisation’s Global Competitiveness Index.
Many Irish companies are among the best and most innovative in the world, with cutting edge, well priced goods and services. Indigenous companies are now selling more overseas than any time in the history of the State. Buoyant international sales led to Enterprise Ireland’s client companies achieving record levels of exports in 2011. The total export figures, at €15.2bn, exceeded the pre-recession record levels of 2008 and new export sales exceeded €2.14bn.
Despite these encouraging trends, we must ensure that the improvements we have achieved are structural in nature and sustained in the longer-term.
The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs 2012 includes a range of initiatives to improve our competitiveness, including measures to promote investment in innovation and research in order to ensure that Ireland’s enterprise base continues to produce the goods and services that customers want to buy; further measures to reduce costs for businesses and a suite of measures designed to align skills with enterprise needs and prioritise critical infrastructural investment.
A number of steps have already been taken to enable indigenous firms to specialise, develop skills and value and scale up including:
- The launch of the new Potential Exporters Division in Enterprise Ireland, to support more indigenous companies to trade in foreign markets,
- Enterprise Ireland’s LEAN initiative aimed at productivity improvement and the development of new business models, thereby enabling client companies increase productivity and competitiveness,
- The Launch of a new Development Capital Scheme, aimed at addressing a funding gap for mid-sized, high-growth, indigenous companies, and
- Improvements to the R&D tax credit scheme.
We will build on this progress in the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs which will set out further measures to ensure that enterprises trading in and from Ireland continue to win business here and overseas, thereby promoting employment and economic growth.
106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent if any to which in the course of discussions with stakeholders it has been found possible to identify a means whereby existing employers can employ a percentage of extra staff without incurring greater costs thereby reducing the social welfare budget and increasing production in both services and manufacturing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52067/12]
View answerThere are already a number of schemes in place to reduce the cost to employers who take on new employees from the Live Register, including the Employer’s PRSI Exemption Scheme and Revenue’s Job Assist scheme.
The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme exempts employers from liability to pay their share of PRSI for eligible employees for a period of up to 18 months.
Revenue Job Assist offers both employers and workers incentives in respect of the recruitment of people who have been continuously unemployed for 12 months or more. Job Assist applies for a period of three years and can be used in conjunction with the Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme, where applicable. It applies to employers in the form of a double tax deduction on the employee's wages and employer's PRSI in respect of such wages. Further details of these schemes and other financial supports available to employers can be found on my Department’s website, www.enterprise.ie.
107. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51935/12]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received in the Department on the 10th June 2009 and was awarded with effect from July 2009, the month after the application was received.
In August 2009 the person concerned appealed the date of award and asked for the application to be allowed from an earlier date, on the basis that there was good cause for the delay in making the claim. Having considered the request, the Social Welfare Appeals Office decided to allow backdating of the DCA claim to 1st April 2009, the date the Department of Social Protection took over responsibility for the administration of the DCA scheme from the HSE and the date that the relevant legislation came into effect.
The person concerned was notified of this decision on the 28th June 2010 and was advised that payment of DCA for any period prior to the 1st April 2009 remained the responsibility of the Health Service Executive, who previously administered the scheme.
108. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of temporary jobs or internships created over the past two years under the various initiatives taken by her and full time jobs created as a result; the extent to which it may be found possible to replicate the best practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52058/12]
View answer109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate, arising from the various job creation initiatives, internships or apprenticeships created under the various schemes introduced by Government over the past two years that have been in the public or private sector; the degree to which permanent positions have arisen as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52059/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together.
The Department of Social Protection funds and manages a number of interventions targeted at those on the live register or in receipt of certain social protection payments. Combined, the some 35,400 placements and supervisory positions are provided across Community Employment (23,300), the Rural Social Scheme (2,730), Tús (5,250), the Job Initiative (including the part-time Job Initiative) (1,300) and the Community Services Programme (2,800). JobBridge, the national internship scheme, has a target of maintaining 6,000 internships and has made significant progress with 12,308 internships having commenced since its launch in July 2011. 67% of these placements are in the private sector, 22% are in the public sector and 11% are in the community/voluntary sector. An interim evaluation of JobBridge found that 52.3% of those who have finished their internship are currently in paid employment. Tús has provided 6,780 work placements and supervisory positions since its introduction in July 2011. Given that nature of Tús, the number progressing to employment is not expected to be significant. To date, less than 200 people have left Tús to take up employment options. Both JobBridge and Tús are proving to be effective in meeting the objectives set for then.
