Wednesday, 24 Apr 2013

Written Answers Nos. 113 to 121

Job Creation Data

Questions (113)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

113. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created, and jobs sustained, by each county enterprise board for each year since 2007. [19307/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The information requested by the Deputy on the number of jobs created by the County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) for each year since 2007 is set out in Tables 1 to 4. Please note that prior to 2010, CEBs could report only on the number of jobs existing in CEB supported companies and the measurement of job creation was whether this figure had gone up or down since the previous year – CEBs assist in creating jobs every year, even those in which the overall employment figures fell.

In 2010, the CEBs’ data recording system was changed to encompass the same format as used by Forfás, thereby enabling the CEBs to produce figures for jobs existing, job gains and job losses for the years from 2010 onwards.

Table 1: CEB Employment Statistics 2012

CEB	No of Clients	Full Time Employees	Other Time Employees	Full Time Gains	Full Time Losses	Other Time Gains	Other Time Losses	Net Full Time Gains/ Losses	Net Other Time Gains/ Losses	Net Gains/ Losses (Full Time + (Other Time/2))
Carlow	261	1258	415	254	-94	165	-74	160	91	205.5
Cavan	256	1071	436	138	-131	150	-106	7	44	29
Clare	437	1255	599	200	-120	105	-174	80	-69	45.5
Cork City	242	796	114	52	-52	19	-14	0	5	2.5
Cork North	89	400	77	59	-30	12	-12	29	0	29
Cork South	266	1089	256	179	-108	97	-55	71	42	92
Cork West	173	638	350	83	-77	58	-72	6	-14	-1
Donegal	348	1578	856	131	-311	255	-99	-180	156	-102
Dublin City	842	2067	552	382	-364	183	-101	18	82	59
Dublin Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown	459	1802	839	337	-64	511	-76	273	435	490.5
Dublin Fingal	395	1237	491	240	-205	135	-156	35	-21	24.5
Dublin South	347	1076	441	168	-113	135	-88	55	47	78.5
Galway County/City	632	1556	169	124	-165	78	-45	-41	33	-24.5
Kerry	516	1236	749	316	-369	199	-368	-53	-169	-137.5
Kildare	170	800	313	133	-160	77	-108	-27	-31	-42.5
Kilkenny	376	775	204	84	-155	30	-81	-71	-51	-96.5
Laois	267	652	344	69	-99	98	-73	-30	25	-17.5
Leitrim	236	340	183	35	-45	32	-33	-10	-1	-10.5
Limerick City	183	654	270	100	-151	96	-74	-51	22	-40
Limerick County	218	1058	192	73	-81	2	-20	-8	-18	-17
Longford	313	831	265	79	-100	55	-38	-21	17	-12.5
Louth	345	866	441	148	-177	84	-90	-29	-6	-32
Mayo	255	1000	329	43	-50	35	-34	-7	1	-6.5
Meath	358	1107	341	175	-94	145	-58	81	87	124.5
Monaghan	171	902	386	120	-155	83	-60	-35	23	-23.5
Offaly	283	742	294	75	-90	41	-72	-15	-31	-30.5
Roscommon	212	612	258	81	-106	53	-73	-25	-20	-35
Sligo	231	813	475	117	-87	144	-113	30	31	45.5
Tipperary(NR)	175	365	160	41	-125	53	-40	-84	13	-77.5
Tipperary(SR)	219	706	325	53	-17	10	-6	36	4	38
Waterford City	247	665	265	76	-106	64	-38	-30	26	-17
Waterford County	200	590	204	110	-105	97	-67	5	30	20
WestMeath	281	1022	379	130	-218	97	-136	-88	-39	-107.5
Wexford	309	1193	445	269	-163	140	-173	106	-33	89.5
Wicklow	198	678	653	184	-115	234	-176	69	58	98
Grand Total	10510	33430	13070	4858	-4602	3772	-3003	256	769	640.5

Table 2: CEB Employment Statistics 2011

Table 3: CEB Employment Statistics 2010

Table 4: Net Jobs Created in CEB-assisted Companies

S = South and East Region, B = BMW Region

Departmental Agencies

Questions (114)

Seán Fleming

Question:

114. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the Craft Council, which is under the auspices of his Department will be recognised as a cultural body in order to enable craft workers to be included under legislation governing the Arts Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19414/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The Crafts Council of Ireland is the national design and economic development organisation for the crafts industry in Ireland fostering the sector’s growth and commercial strength, communicating its unique identity and stimulating quality design, innovation and competitiveness. The Council’s activities are substantially funded by my Department via Enterprise Ireland. The Crafts Council works closely with Enterprise Ireland to create and sustain jobs, and grow exports in the crafts sector.

Under Action 318 of the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, the Crafts Council will continue to increase the profile of the craft sector in Ireland through its involvement in a number of key initiatives which will seek to maximise the economic impact and job creation potential of investment in the sector. I am unaware of any proposals with regard to having the Crafts Council recognised as a cultural body. The Arts Council is a statutory body under the Arts Act 2003 and all matters relating to that body are the responsibility of my colleague, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Local Enterprise Offices Remit

Questions (115)

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

Question:

115. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason the proposed LEOs are going to be less confusing for businesses; if the limit of 10 employees is maintained for the LEOs; if the LEOs will be able to engage with indigenous companies who employ more than 10 but do not export; if he will confirm that the new LEOs will have an independent evaluation committee based on independent business experts and professionals who chair such committees; if he will explain the reason the current proposal to have county managers or their representatives chair such an expert committee is supportive of achieving economic development and job creation in view of the fact that it is not their area of expertise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19465/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The CEB restructuring project is the first radical reform of the system for the delivery of State support to micro and small businesses since the establishment of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs). This reform will bring about a new level of engagement and interaction at both national and local level in relation to enterprise support and stimulation and economic recovery and growth. The proposed reforms offer a huge opportunity to leverage the skills, resources and experience of the CEBs, Local Authorities and local business community to create a national approach to the sector allowing for seamless progression, innovative performance, streamlined delivery and increased employment.

The Centre of Excellence within Enterprise Ireland (EI) will be responsible for developing an improved environment for small and micro business and bringing this sector into the heart of national enterprise policy. It will build on the success of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) by developing new thinking and best practice with regard to supports for small and micro business and ensuring their delivery. Some of the strengths and advantages that EI will bring to the LEOs are an enhanced insight to the opportunities for development of key and emerging sectors, clusters and networks; a back-stop of technical expertise to assist in the assessment of potential investment projects and access to a central reservoir of information, benchmarking programme performance and assessing international best practice. The LEOs will be the first-stop-shop through which all information on State supports for small and micro businesses can be accessed, and where businesses with clear high growth potential can be fast-tracked to the next level of support from EI.

As Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation I will retain responsibility for policy, and a key feature of this new structure will be the consistent application of policy across all LEOs, from the evaluation of applications for funding support, to the spending of budgets allocated. I will shortly be publishing a Framework Service Level Agreement that has been agreed between Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities which will form the basis within which LEOs will operate in delivering enterprise supports. This includes details on the creation of the Evaluation Committees that will be established. They will include representatives from Enterprise Ireland and a number of business representatives and entrepreneurs with specific business expertise. The decision to have the County Manager, or their representative, chair the committee is in line with their responsibility in the delivery of this service on behalf of Enterprise Ireland.

In addition to the publication of the SLA the national micro enterprise policy guidelines are currently being reviewed and developed and will outline how micro and small enterprises will be supported. The Deputy will be aware that I engaged in a full public consultation process and the valuable inputs received are currently helping to frame these guidelines. The current policy of supporting companies with less than ten employees that are involved in manufacturing and internationally traded services will be broadened to a situation where all micro and small businesses will be included in the first-stop-shop services of the LEO e.g. companies with greater than ten employees and those trading in the domestic market will be eligible for appropriate supports.

Local Enterprise Offices Establishment

Questions (116)

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

Question:

116. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way in which the proposal to maintain in excess of 30 LEOs meets the criteria of reducing the number of quangos in the McCarthy report; the way in which the suggested structure of new enterprise offices based on local authorities reporting to county managers with a service level agreement with Enterprise Ireland, that is, adding the complexity of local authorities, does not in fact create another layer for businesses to deal with; if he will explain the way the proposed new structure and the reporting requirements within it are enterprise focused; and if he will outline the reason start up businesses should see why engaging with a local authority that sets and demands rates is a positive and innovative reform. [19467/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

The CEB restructuring project is the first radical reform of the system for the delivery of State support to micro and small businesses since the establishment of the County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs). This reform will bring about a new level of engagement and interaction at both national and local level in relation to enterprise support and economic recovery and growth. The proposed reforms offer a huge opportunity to leverage the skills and experience of the CEBs, Local Authorities and local business community to create a national approach to the sector allowing for seamless progression, innovative performance and increased employment.

The creation of a First-Stop-Shop at local level for the support of small and micro business will bring local enterprise support into an integrated national network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) delivering enterprise policy to the highest standards, offering seamless progression for small business with potential to the existing national programmes run by Enterprise Ireland (EI). The LEOs will deliver the combined functions of CEBs and the Local Authority business support functions as well as developing an enhanced service to business at local level.

The new Micro Enterprise and Small Business Division in Enterprise Ireland will develop a world-class Centre of Excellence providing best-in-class support to entrepreneurs and small business in the execution of a national micro enterprise policy. The LEOs will report into this new Micro Enterprise and Small Business division.

The EI Centre of Excellence will be responsible for developing an improved environment for small and micro business and bringing this sector into the heart of national enterprise policy. It will build on the success of the CEBs by developing new thinking and best practice with regard to supports for small and micro business and ensuring their delivery. Some of the strengths and advantages that EI will display are an enhanced insight to the opportunities for development of key and emerging sectors, clusters and networks; a back-stop of technical expertise to assist in the assessment of potential investment projects and access to a central reservoir of information, benchmarking programme performance and assessing international best practice. The LEOs will have a close on going working and reporting relationship with EI in terms of design and deliver of appropriate national training and management development programmes and financial supports, management and monitoring of LEO metrics including the measurement of customer/entrepreneur experience/satisfaction, progressing LEO clients to the EI portfolio, preparation of Enterprise Development Plans for each LEO etc.

The current 35 separate Board structure will be dissolved – thereby removing much of the high level administrative requirements normally associated with Non Commercial State Sponsored Bodies and eliminating duplication or overlap arising from the individual Board structure - and their functions delivered by the Local Authority, through the LEO, on behalf of EI. The LEOs will form a stand-alone unit within the local authority structure and through Framework Service Level Agreement (SLA) between EI and the Local Authorities will be answerable to me as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for all enterprise policy and budgetary matters. I will shortly publish the SLA.

Local Authorities have worked with business to support investment and business development at local level, and to the extent that it has been part of their remit hitherto, promoting and fostering entrepreneurship. They deliver essential services to business and can respond to the needs of local businesses speedily and efficiently, as well as advising on the requirements placed on business in relation to matters such as planning, building, fire and safety, business rates, and licensing.

Youth Guarantee

Questions (117)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

117. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to Focus Ireland's proposal to introduce a Youth Guarantee; if she will provide education, training and support for young persons experiencing homelessness; her views on whether it will save costs for the Exchequer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19186/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The €100 rate of jobseeker’s allowance was introduced for claimants aged under 20 in April 2009, and this rate was applied to claimants aged up to 21 from December 2009. A rate of €144 applies to claimants aged 22-24. The measures encourage young jobseekers to improve their skills and remain active in the labour market in order to avoid the risk of becoming long-term unemployed and will help them to progress into sustainable employment on a long-term basis. Where a person is in receipt of a rate of jobseeker's allowance described above and he or she participates in a course of education, training, Community Employment, Rural Social Scheme or Tús, a higher rate of €160 applies.

I understand that the Deputy has been contacted with regard to these measures by Focus Ireland. My officials are in contact with Focus Ireland in relation to their concerns. While the primary issue in this regard is a housing issue rather than one of income support, the Department will continue to engage with Focus Ireland and to seek a viable solution.

In relation to a Youth Guarantee, under my chairmanship, the Council of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Ministers (EPSCO) last month agreed a recommendation on an EU-wide Youth Guarantee. The EPSCO Recommendation is that each Member State should ensure that young people receive a quality offer of employment or of continued education, an apprenticeship or traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed. The Recommendation will now move to be considered for formal adoption by the Council at a later stage in Ireland's Presidency - most likely in May.

The scale and nature of the measures required will depend on the trend in youth unemployment, and in particular the number of young people likely to experience periods of unemployment of more than four months under current policies. In this context, it is a welcome development that the official labour market figures published by the CSO recently indicated that the number of young unemployed at the end of 2012, at 59,000, a reduction of almost 9,000 on the same time a year earlier. It is to be hoped that this is the beginning of a sustained downward movement in youth unemployment as the economy recovers. Even so, the implementation of a guarantee will, almost certainly require an expansion in the range of opportunities currently on offer to young people in the form of further education, training, internships, subsidised private-sector recruitment, and supports for self-employment.

Home Care Packages

Questions (118)

Jim Daly

Question:

118. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a home care package payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19438/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

This is a matter for my colleague in the Department of Health.

Respite Care Grant

Questions (119)

Finian McGrath

Question:

119. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reverse the 19% cut to the respite care grant and actively support the campaign by carers to give carer's a break [19487/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The contribution that people provide in caring for members of their own family is critical for society. It was for that reason that the Government last year adopted the National Carers’ Strategy with a view to giving greater public recognition to carers and their work.

Carers receive significant income supports from the Department of Social Protection so that people can continue living at home as far as possible. Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years. In 2013 it is estimated to be €776 million compared with an estimated outturn of €771 million in 2012. The expenditure on carers in 2012 included: €509 million on carer’s allowance; €24 million on carer’s benefit; €135 million on the respite care grant and; €103 million on domiciliary care allowance. Carers also receive a free travel pass at an annual cost of €6 million and carers who reside with the care recipient are eligible for the household benefits package at an annual cost of approximately €30 million.

I am not in a position to reverse the reduction to the respite care grant. The revised rate of €1,375 will still be more than what it was in 2006 when the rate was €1,200. The respite care grant is paid to more than 70,000 people each year, with some 5,000 people in receipt of more than one grant as they care for more than one person. Almost 54,000 people are in receipt of the carer’s allowance and 27,000 in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance. There are also 1,700 in receipt of carer’s benefit. Some 5,000 carers not in receipt of a carer’s payment also receive the grant.

The supports available to carers in Ireland are among the highest rates of income support in Europe. A person getting certain qualifying payments and also providing full-time care and attention to another person can keep their main social welfare payment and receive a half-rate carer’s allowance as well. The half-rate carer’s allowance was protected in Budget 2013. The respite care grant is available to all full-time carers regardless of their means while the income disregard and means test for carers allowance is the most generous in the social welfare system. A couple under 66 with two children, earning a joint annual income of up to €35,400 can qualify for the maximum rate of carer’s allowance while a couple earning €59,300 will still qualify for the minimum rate. Carers are entitled to an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person and a respite care grant for each care recipient.

Child Benefit Policy

Questions (120)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

120. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the future of child benefit;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19154/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents with the cost of raising children and it contributes towards alleviating child poverty. The estimated expenditure on child benefit in 2013 is around €1.9 billion and it is currently paid to around 611,000 families in respect of some 1.16 million children. In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, tasked with recommending cost-effective solutions as to how employment disincentives can be improved and better poverty outcomes can be achieved. The first report of the Group, examining child and family income supports was published in February.

This report makes important recommendations on how child benefit could be maintained as a universal payment while reforming the system of child and family income supports so as to better target those who need these supports most. There was a strong preference in the Group for an approach based on a two-tier child and family income support payment which would encourage work participation and allow for better flexibility in the targeting of support for different family types.

Given the range of complex issues involved, the Government has made no decision at this time on the core recommendations of the report. It is intended that the report will now contribute to a wider policy debate on the matter. In considering the proposals to reform child and family income support payments, including the balance between income supports and services, I expect that Government will also take into account further work by the Advisory Group on the issue of social protection and taxation supports for working age persons and more general developments in the budgetary and fiscal situation.

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Questions (121)

Michael Creed

Question:

121. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the situation regarding a carers allowance application in respect of a person (details provided) details supplied in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19170/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 12 March 2013 who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.