Wednesday, 18 Sep 2013

Written Answers Nos. 473-491

Jobs Initiative

Questions (473)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

473. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide details of all JobBridge interns hired to date in his Department to include appointed position, length of employment and the number of interns that were offered full-time positions at the end of their internship. [38670/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin)

The details of Jobsbridge intern placements in my Department are set out in the table below. In accordance with the scheme the host organisation may not have vacancies in the area of activity in which the internship is offered and no intern has been offered employment following their internship; however the scheme provides job seekers with the opportunity to gain quality work experience thereby increasing their employability.

Jobsbridge Interns - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

2012

Number	Division	Type	Start	End
1	Civil Service HR Directorate:	Legal Research Asst	06.02.2012	02.11.2012
2	-	Legal Research Asst	06.02.2012	14.09.2012
3	Government Reform Unit	Research Assistant	06.02.2012	03.08.2012
4	-	Research Assistant	06.02.2012	03.08.2012
5	-	Research Assistant	13.02.2012	10.08.2012
6	-	Legal Researcher	06.08.2012	30.11.2012
7	-	Legal Researcher	03.09.2012	02.11.2012
8	-	Legal Researcher	03.09.2012	30.11.2012
9	-	Legal Researcher	03.09.2012	03.05.2012
10	-	Legal Researcher	17.09.2012	14.12.2012
11	-	Legal Researcher	01.10.2012	15.02.2013
12	-	Research Assistant	01.10.2012	28.06.2013
13	-	Research Assistant	01.10.2012	15.02.2013
14	-	Research Assistant	29.10.2012	12.06.2013

2013

Number	Division	Type	Start	End
15	Government Reform Unit	Legal Researcher	04.02.2013	01.10.2013
16	-	Legal Researcher	11.03.2013	06.12.2013
17	-	Legal Researcher	15.07.20.13	11.04.2014
18	-	Research Assistant	29.07.2013	25.04.2014
19	-	Research Assistant	06.08.2013	07.08.2013
20	-	Legal Researcher	09.09.2013	06.06.2014
21	-	Research Assistant	16.09.2013	13.06.2014

Pension Provisions

Questions (474)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

474. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form a list of the annual pension payment to former Ministers and Taoisigh following the Haddington Road agreement reductions sorted by payment high to low, including the recipient’s name. [38671/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin)

A further cut in higher-value public service pensions was decided on by Government earlier this year, and was subsequently legislated for as part of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013, which implemented the direct pay and pension reductions noted as part of the Haddington Road Agreement.

This further pension cut took effect on 1 July 2013 by way of changes to the rates and scope of the existing Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR). It is important to note that public service pensions below €32,500 are not affected by the further reduction, which ranges from approximately 2% at the threshold level of €32,500 to some 5% on the highest value pensions.

These changes on 1 July 2013 are reflected in the ministerial pension figures in the following table.

It should be noted that a number of former Ministers who are included on this list are voluntarily gifting all/part of their Pension to the Exchequer.

Forename And Surname	Revised Annual Pension @1 July 2013
BERTIE AHERN	96,009.34
BRIAN COWEN	96,009.34
ALBERT REYNOLDS	94,928.13
JOHN BRUTON	88,187.29
MARY HARNEY	77,196.73
MICHAEL MCDOWELL	71,924.57
DICK SPRING	68,993.32
MICHAEL SMITH	67,172.49
CHARLES JOHN MC CREEVY	67,172.49
JOE WALSH	67,172.49
S TREACY	67,172.49
MICHAEL WOODS	67,172.49
JOHN O'DONOGHUE	67,172.49
MARTIN CULLEN	67,172.49
NOEL DEMPSEY	67,172.49
DERMOT AHERN	67,172.49
MICHAEL L O KENNEDY	66,809.35
LIAM MAC COSGAIR	65,863.91
MARY O'ROURKE	65,097.41
RORY O'HANLON	65,097.41
ROBERT MOLLOY	61,984.78
SEAMUS PATTISON	61,981.26
MARY HANAFIN	60,776.68
FRANK FAHEY	59,909.70
PETER BARRY	59,127.55
MAIRE GEOGHEGAN-QUINN	58,457.14
DAVID ANDREWS	57,035.71
RAY BURKE	52,654.03
SILE DE VALERA	52,469.33
DESMOND O MALLEY	51,421.98
GERARD COLLINS	51,421.98
PATRICK COONEY	51,421.98
PATRICK LALOR	50,057.93
PADRAIG FLYNN	46,889.80
JIM MC DAID	46,434.11
BRENDAN DALY	42,632.63
ALAN DUKES	42,071.61
RAY MAC SHARRY	38,243.45
PADDY O TOOLE	37,935.44
LIAM KAVANAGH	37,341.42
M TAYLOR	37,033.41
MICHAEL D HIGGINS	37,033.41
BATT O'KEEFFE	36,254.93
BARRY DESMOND	35,813.24
TOM O DONNELL	35,207.33
RICHIE RYAN	35,207.33
NIAMH BHREATHNACH	34,921.32
GEMMA HUSSEY	34,877.32
AUSTIN DEASY	34,877.32
JOHN GORMLEY	32,796.58
RICHARD BURKE	32,611.23
NOEL TREACY	32,216.55
TOM KITT	31,223.75
ML NOONAN	30,749.44
MARTIN O DONOGHUE	29,958.26
JOE JACOB	29,190.57
NORA OWEN	27,239.53
PROINSIAS DE ROSSA	27,229.55
IVAN YATES	27,229.55
MARY WALLACE	26,436.59
TONY KILLEEN	25,246.50
GER CONNOLLY	24,800.39
SEAN CALLEARY	23,504.80
TRAS HONAN	23,050.35
PAT CAREY	23,017.12
NOEL AHERN	22,515.84
BRIAN MULLOOLY	21,916.37
EAMON RYAN	21,501.31
DAN WALLACE	20,808.98
VINCENT BRADY	20,716.82
NOEL DAVERN	20,220.79
PAT THE COPE GALLAGHER	19,756.24
FERGUS O BRIEN	19,507.55
TED NEALON	19,507.55
JIM O KEEFFE	19,507.55
DONNACHA Ó LIATHÁIN	19,502.42
LIZ O'DONNELL	18,798.96
LIAM T COSGRAVE	18,767.62
TIM O'MALLEY	18,649.06
TOM PARLON	18,649.06
TOM MOFFATT	18,455.87
HUGH BYRNE	18,455.87
EDWARD COLLINS	18,328.20
JACKIE FAHY	18,076.95
PAUL CONNAUGHTON	17,733.40
GEORGE BIRMINGHAM	17,733.40
JOHN RYAN	17,400.10
C FLOOD	17,364.21
THOMAS HUSSEY	17,107.83
EITHNE FITZGERALD	17,041.17
BRIAN O'SHEA	17,036.04
RORY KIELY	16,937.58
M D'ARCY	16,871.96
DONAL CREED	16,871.96
SEAN HAUGHEY	16,692.85
CONOR LENIHAN	15,690.28
NED O'KEEFFE	15,126.47
AVRIL DOYLE MEP	14,789.31
IVOR CALLELY	14,754.19
T O'SULLIVAN	14,713.23
JOHN CURRAN	14,639.63
PAT MOYLAN	13,912.24
MICHAEL FINNERAN	13,089.47
MARTIN MANSERGH	13,089.47
TREVOR SARGENT	12,731.24
AUSTIN CURRIE	12,313.52
LIZ MCMANUS	12,309.80
BERNARD ALLEN	12,309.78
DONAL CAREY	12,046.88
SEAN MC CARTHY	11,843.84
LIAM HYLAND	11,837.13
CHARLES MC DONALD	11,810.85
LORCAN ALLEN	11,684.40
DONIE CASSIDY	11,505.91
THOMAS FITZPATRICK	10,991.31
LIAM AYLWARD	10,258.74
JOHN DONNELLON	9,049.68
SEÁN POWER	8,564.97
JIM HIGGINS	5,973.12
EOIN RYAN	5,929.48
GAY MITCHELL	4,627.12

Oireachtas Members' Remuneration

Questions (475)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

475. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the annual monetary payment made to Oireachtas members in allowances (details supplied). [38672/13]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin)

Statutory Instrument No. 530 of 2011 provides for an annual allowance to be paid to the chairpersons of 15 specified committees. The amount of this allowance was reduced on 1 July 2013, in line with the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013. The new rate for 14 of these committees is €8,740 if the chairperson is a TD and €5,989 if the chairperson is a Senator. The allowance for the chairperson of the Committee for Member’s Interests in Seanad Éireann has been reduced to zero following the application of the Act.

Under Statutory Instrument No. 84 of 2010 members of the Oireachtas under the public representational element of the Parliamentary Standard Allowance may, among other items, claim for telephone calls, otherwise than from Leinster House, including line rental and mobile calls, relating to the performance of his or her duties as a member. Ministers may not claim for these expenses. Under the same Regulations, an additional amount of €1,700 per annum is payable to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee for the same purpose. An additional amount of €1,000 per annum is payable to the Chairman of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, a Joint Committee appointed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, the Select Committee on Members’ Interests of Dáil Éireann, or the Select Committee on Members’ Interests of Seanad Éireann.

The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 transferred to the Commission from the Minister for Finance the function of payment of the allowances referred to.

There is no Committee Chairperson hospitality allowance payable to a committee chairperson. However, I am informed by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Service that an allocation is provided to Oireachtas committees to meet expenditure incurred within the Leinster House complex on entertainment associated with committee business or arising from official committee travel. When entertainment arises, the committee present the relevant invoice or receipt, following which that bill is then paid by the Oireachtas. Each committee can spend a maximum of €2,539 per annum.

If the Deputy wishes to obtain further information on that allocation, or details of payments made in a particular year or period in respect of these allowances, she may request these from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission directly.

Exchequer Revenue

Questions (476)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

476. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form for the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013, the income raised for the Exchequer from mobile phone masts at Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. [38733/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brian Hayes)

The table below shows the income received by the State, under licences granted by the Commissioners of Public Works to mobile phone operators, in respect of masts at Garda Stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region from 2011 to date.

Income from Licences granted to Mobile Phone Operators in respect of Garda Masts in the Dublin Metropolitan Region

Garda Station	2011	2012	2013
Balbriggan	€42,450	€46,517	€101,440
Ballyfermot	€12,825	€17,100	€72,179
Blackrock	€12,825	€17,100	€17,100
Blanchardstown	€67,230	€60,076	€60,305
Bridewell	€41,822	€47,418	€47,365
Cabinteely	€46,292	€47,725	€47,618
Cabra	€46,727	€64,742	€60,589
Clondalkin	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Clontarf	€29,250	€30,581	€33,129
Coolock	€26,356	€29,875	€89,051
Crumlin	€14,850	€19,800	€64,284
Dalkey	€12,600	€16,800	€16,800
Donnybrook	€12,300	€16,400	€16,400
Dun Laoghaire	€12,825	€17,100	€17,100
Dundrum	€12,600	€16,800	€16,800
Fitzgibbon Street	€44,750	€49,600	€97,426
Garristown	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Howth	€38,811	€47,218	€47,165
Irishtown	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Kevin Street	€13,950	€18,600	€18,600
Kill of the Grange	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Kilmainham	€87,716	€51,558	€30,300
Lucan	€54,283	€62,279	€62,279
Malahide	€14,475	€19,300	€19,300
Mountjoy	€43,113	€47,475	€102,551
Pearse Street	€12,600	€16,800	€16,800
Raheny	€21,477	€29,746	€78,680
Rathfarnham	€12,300	€16,400	€60,884
Rathmines	€41,804	€47,569	€47,177
Ronanstown	€12,975	€17,300	€17,300
Santry	€74,253	€33,000	€28,900
Shankill	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Stepaside	€42,277	€47,322	€101,713
Store Street	€12,825	€17,100	€17,100
Sundrive Road	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Swords	€12,450	€16,600	€16,600
Tallaght	€46,197	€50,297	€46,197
Terenure	€25,305	€29,682	€34,109
Whitehall	€29,400	€33,500	€71,222

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Questions (477, 491)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

477. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Department is monitoring the current Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks currently under way in Washington DC; if his Department has examined the initial position papers that the EU has made public on various aspects of the negotiations regarding the specific agricultural, food, marine and other related matters contained with the talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36989/13]

Andrew Doyle

Question:

491. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Department is monitoring the current Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks currently under way in Washington DC; if his Department has examined the initial position papers that the EU has made public on various aspects of the negotiations; if these positions are in the best interests of Ireland in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36988/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 477 and 491 together.

The first round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks took place in Washington, D.C. between 8 and 12 July 2013 and the second round is scheduled to take place in Brussels from 7 to 11 October 2013.

The EU Commission has set up a specific webpage in order to provide as much information to stakeholders as is possible concerning the negotiations. The webpage can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/. The EU's initial position papers which were published on that webpage subsequent to the first round are the technical documents that were presented to the US side during the first round. These documents cover the following areas:-

- Cross-cutting & institutional provisions on regulatory issues

- Technical barriers to trade

- Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (i.e. barriers to trade in food and agricultural products)

- Public Procurement

- Raw materials and energy

- Trade and sustainable development

These papers were prepared ahead of the first round with the involvement of the EU Trade Policy Committee. The normal interdepartmental co-ordination process informed the position taken by Ireland.

The negotiations will be an iterative and on-going process and my Department, as lead Department for co-ordinating Ireland’s interests in EU trade policy, will bring together the inputs from all Departments and relevant stakeholders in order to evaluate Ireland’s interests in these negotiations. In this context, my Department recently launched a Request for Tenders for a “Study to Examine the Economic and other impacts on Ireland of a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and related potential opportunities”. The focus of this study will be to identify opportunities and key areas and sectors of the Irish Economy that will be impacted by the TTIP and to quantify this impact. The study should also identify the appropriate strategy that should be deployed to maximise the potential arising from the TTIP and provide an assessment of the longer term implications for enterprise policy.

Company Law

Questions (478)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

478. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he or officials in his Department have discussed changing current legislation dealing with the disclosure of profits by supermarket chains and major supermarket groups, in view of the fact that they are not revealing profit figures and their financial data based on their operations here; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that although some publish turnover data, the profits are not disclosed; if he believes profit margins should be disclosed on their Irish operations like other sectors in the economy; his views that the argument of competitive disadvantage will disappear if they are all legally obliged to disclose such information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37361/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

Companies operating in Ireland are free to establish and organise themselves in the most suitable form to promote and run their businesses, provided that they comply fully with relevant national and EU legislation, including relevant legislation on the content of their financial statements.

The requirements regarding the preparation and publication of the financial statements of limited companies and groups are determined by the First, Fourth and Seventh EU Company Law Directives and by the EU Regulation 1606/2002 and International Financial Reporting Standards adopted by the EU under its provisions. These requirements are largely reflected in the Companies Act 1963, the Companies (Amendment) Act 1986 and the European Communities (Companies: Group Accounts) Regulations 1992, as amended. Equivalent requirements apply across the EU. The Fourth and Seventh Directives have been replaced by a new Accounting Directive 2013/34/EU which is required to be transposed by July 2015. The requirements concerning the accounts of unlimited companies are governed by domestic legislation.

The extent to which profits are or are not disclosed is of general application and is not determined on the basis of the sector in which a company or group operates. The requirements under Company Law are essentially the same for companies or groups that operate supermarkets as they are for companies or groups active in any other sector of the economy.

I consider that a disclosure regime targeting a specific sector could be viewed as disproportionate and discriminatory and could have negative consequences in terms of business costs and in attracting foreign direct investment.

I have no plans to amend the law in relation to this issue.

Industrial Relations

Questions (479, 499)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

479. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to legislate for collective bargaining through the trade unions as contained in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37631/13]

Andrew Doyle

Question:

499. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to reform the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2001 to ensure the State's compliance with recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37291/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 499 together.

It has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments, including this one, to promote collective bargaining through the development of an institutional framework supportive of a voluntary system of industrial relations that is premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association and underpinned by a legislative framework, including the Trade Union and Industrial Relations Acts. There is also an extensive range of statutory provisions designed to back up the voluntary bargaining process, together with long-established dispute settling institutions that play an important role in disputes relating to collective bargaining.

In the absence of a practice of voluntary collective bargaining, subject to agreed qualifying criteria, the Industrial Relations Acts, 2001 & 2004, provide for a mechanism by which the fairness of the employment conditions of workers in their totality could be assessed.

A 2007 decision of the Supreme Court in Ryanair v. The Labour Court, brought clarity in terms of the process to be followed where issues pursued to the Labour Court under the Industrial Relations Acts, 2001 & 2004 to resolve problems between employers and workers on employee representation issues where that could not be done through existing procedures.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to reform the current law on employees' right to engage in collective bargaining (the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2001), so as to ensure compliance by the State with recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

With this in mind, in late 2012, I wrote to relevant stakeholders inviting their observations on the matter. Submissions have been received and follow up meetings took place between Departmental officials and stakeholders up to end May 2013.

I hope to be in a position to put proposals to Cabinet later this year. In this context, I am certain that satisfactory arrangements can be put in place that will reconcile Ireland’s constitutional, social and economic traditions, and international obligations, whilst at the same time ensuring continued success in building Ireland’s domestic jobs-base and in attracting overseas investment into the economy.

Consumer Protection

Questions (480, 482, 523)

Joe Higgins

Question:

480. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will consider introducing legislation to give effect to a cooling-off period for the purchase of goods or services that arise from unsolicited calls by sales representatives to citizens, similar to regulations that currently exist in Australia. [37649/13]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

482. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will consider introducing legislation, similar to that which exists in the UK and Australia, to provide for a cooling-off period to protect persons, particularly those most vulnerable in society, from salesmen and tradesmen who engage in cold-calling as a way of advertising and promoting their services; if he has considered broadening guidelines relating to cold-calling to increase consumer protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37800/13]

Andrew Doyle

Question:

523. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to other jurisdictions where a cooling-off period is in place before it is legal to accept payment for work touted from door-to-door sales; if such laws are currently in place here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38352/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 480, 482 and 523 together.

Legislation along the lines referred to in the Deputies’ questions has been on the statute book in Ireland for some time.

The European Communities (Cancellation of Contracts Negotiated Away From Business Premises) Regulations 1989 (S.I. No. 224/1989) give effect to Directive 85/577/EEC on Contracts Negotiated Away from Business Premises, and give consumers a right to cancel contracts for goods or services concluded during unsolicited visits to the consumer’s home or place of work or during an excursion organised by the trader away from his business premises. This right must be exercised within seven days of the making of the contract. The Regulations further specify the information to be provided by the trader on the consumer’s right of cancellation. The Regulations do not apply to contracts with a value of less than €50 and to certain other specified contracts.

The European Communities (Protection of Consumers in Respect of Contracts Made by Means of Distance Communications) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 207 of 2001) give effect to Directive 97/7/EC on Distance Contracts and apply to consumer contracts concluded by mail, e-mail, telephone or online. The Regulations give consumers a period of seven days in which to cancel such contracts and also specify the information, including information on the consumer’s right of cancellation, which the trader must provide prior to the conclusion of the contract. Certain specified contracts are outside the scope of the Regulations and the right of cancellation. The European Communities (Distance Marketing of Consumer Financial Services) Regulations (S.I. No. 853 of 2004) provide for a cancellation period of 14 to 30 days for distance contracts for financial services.

Directives 85/577/EEC and 97/7EC are due to be replaced by Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights. The new Directive requires traders engaged in the supply of goods or services on a distance or off-premises basis to provide a broader range of information to consumers, extends protections to visits by the trader to the consumer’s home or place of work solicited by the consumer, and increases the duration of the period within which contracts can be cancelled from seven to fourteen days. My Department published a consultation paper on the implementation of the Directive in May 2013, and this can be accessed at http://www.djei.ie/publications/commerce/2013/CRD.pdf. Member States are required to transpose the new Directive by 13 December 2013 and to apply it from 13 June 2014.

Health and Safety

Questions (481)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

481. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the increasing amount of farm accidents this year, his views on whether a new campaign highlighting the need for increased farm safety measures should be put in place and to heighten the awareness of how easy it is for accidents to happen on family farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37752/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA), is the national statutory body with responsibility for enforcing occupational safety and health law, promoting and encouraging accident prevention, and providing information and advice to all companies, organisations and individuals, including farmers. The HSA has focused on health and safety in the agriculture sector over many years and continues to do so.

Last year I approved the HSA’s 2013 Programme of Work, which was prepared against a background of unacceptably high levels of work-related deaths and injuries in the agriculture sector. The Programme acknowledged that while progress has been made in agriculture by bringing stakeholders together and by developing action plans where everyone has a role to play, it was not enough and thus provided for a HSA led campaign of awareness raising around specific risks along with identified priority actions for the sector. Out of the 12,850 planned workplace inspections and investigations for 2013, 3,000 will be carried out in the high risk agriculture sector.

The HSA has continued its practice of emphasising the importance of workplace health and safety in the agriculture sector. In this regard, in April this year, in line with the Programme of Work, a two-week farm safety campaign with a focus on joint involvement with farmer representative organisations was carried out. The campaign included actions such as farm walks and talks, with a particular focus on farmers in the 60+ age group. This age group was focused upon as over half the people killed over the last decade in agriculture were in this age-group. In an effort to focus attention on age as a risk factor, the HSA and the IFA have jointly produced a DVD entitled ‘Older, Wiser, Safer – A Practical Guide to Safety for Older Farmers.’

The HSA has also used the partnership approach to improving farm safety. This approach involves engaging with the major stakeholders in the agriculture sector in the task of improving farm safety through the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee - a sub-committee of the Board of the HSA. This approach is designed to better support the identification and development of broad based actions by the primary stakeholders to assist in developing and sustaining a safety and health culture within the sector. It seeks to emulate the approach that has worked well in the construction sector.

An important element of achieving improved farm safety outcomes is the recently published three-year (2013-15) Action Plan for the Farm Safety Partnership. This plan aims to deliver coordinated initiatives on awareness raising, safety promotion, research and special projects. In response to the serious challenges faced in agriculture, the HSA has introduced a number of initiatives including:

- On-line farm risk assessment tool www.farmsafely.com.

- A Code of Practice for Agriculture which includes a Risk Assessment Document and a Safe System of Work Plan (SWWP). The Code provides practical user-friendly guidance with respect to farmers, family members, employees, service providers, advisers, trainers and persons with a role related to safety and health. It sets out clearly the major risks in farming and provides a simple approach through the risk assessment document to managing safety at farm level.

- An extensive media campaign on national TV, national & local radio and in the print media.

In 2012, the HSA has carried out an integrated farm safety media campaign, which included graphic TV advertisements, and hard-hitting radio and print advertisements, all with a strong focus on the shocking consequences of farm accidents for real farmers. The aim of this element of the HSA’s campaign was to drive home the terrible consequences that result from accidents in the agriculture sector.

Early this year, a very hard-hitting radio advertisement involving the effects of power-take- off (PTO) entanglement, previously aired in 2012, was again featured on National and local radio and will be aired again coming up to the impending National Ploughing Championships (24th - 26th September), at which the HSA, with assistance from the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee will have a very visible presence, where it will host a major farm safety stand featuring both external active demonstrations of tractor and quad bike safety and internal demonstrations on a wide range of guidance and information available from the HSA. Associated HSA sponsored radio and print advertisements highlighting the importance of farm safety are in place from 16th September until after the Championships.

Particularly due to the number of child fatalities so far this year on Irish farms (3), the HSA has placed a Child Safety advertisement again in the Irish Farmers' Journal and National and local press, to be aired before and during the Ploughing Championships. This advertisement, which won Gold in the Irish Print Advertisements Kinsale Sharks Awards for 2013 will also feature on National Ploughing Championships' mobile boards.

In addition, “Survivor Stories” DVDs, all with a strong focus on the shocking consequences of farm accidents for real farmers, have been widely distributed to all farming organisations for showing at meetings of their members. The HSA hopes for more use of these DVDs and other guidance material in the coming months. Similarly, images and stories of other serious accidents were shown before and after the “Ear to the Ground” television programme.

The HSA has 20 Inspectors who carry out proactive inspection work in the agriculture sector including 5 full time specialists in the Agriculture Inspection Group. The level of awareness among farmers in relation to their duty to ensure a safe farm - based on inspection - is now estimated at 80%. It continues to be the experience of the Inspectors that while the standard of the individual Safety Statement/Code of Practice is, in general, adequate to control the risks on the farm, the implementation of the identified controls and allocation of resources required is lower.

In July this year, the HSA commenced a ‘Farm Safety Survey’ of 3,000 randomly selected, farm households. The overall aim of the proposed research is to identify the factors most likely to influence farmers in Ireland to make long-term behavioural changes with regard to their daily farm work, to improve knowledge of methods of farm accident prevention, to inform future HSA preventive activity and to make recommendations concerning how best to make farms safer places to work and live.

Ultimately, day-to-day responsibility for workplace safety rests with those in the workplace in the first instance. In that context, it is important that we continue to maintain a strong focus on workplace safety as safe workplaces can ultimately only be delivered by those who control and work in them. Agriculture, by its very nature, is one of the more hazardous occupations, especially as the workplace and family home are so often one-and-the-same. In such circumstances, I would urge all involved in the agriculture sector to re-double their efforts to improve health and safety standards in their sector.

Question No. 482 answered with Question No. 480.

Exports Data

Questions (483)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

483. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the Irish chemical industry has supplied chemical materials to Syria in the past 20 years. [38739/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

While export statistics under the heading “chemical materials” are not available, details of the value of exports from Ireland to Syria of “chemicals and related products”, as defined by the Central Statistics Office, are outlined below. Included in these figures are export values for a range of products, including medical and pharmaceutical products and drinks concentrates.

Year	€ M
1993	2.62
1994	5.35
1995	2.38
1996	3.93
1997	4.01
1998	5.54
1999	3.54
2000	5.69
2001	3.38
2002	1.57
2003	1.41
2004	2.22
2005	1.36
2006	3.80
2007	4.42
* 2008	6.40
2009	15.05
2010	17.71
2011	14.40
2012	12.75

* The increase in exports from 2008 was due to increased demand in soft drink concentrate and pharmaceuticals.

Small and Medium Enterprises Supports

Questions (484)

Nicky McFadden

Question:

484. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if targeted measures will be introduced to increase working capital in small and medium enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36854/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

The Government is focused on delivering on a practical programme of actions that can achieve positive improvements in the overall operating environment for small businesses. Improving working capital is of course a priority for the Government.

I introduced two targeted schemes to support an additional flow of credit into the economy, namely the Microenterprise Loan Fund and the Credit Guarantee Scheme.

The Microenterprise Loan Fund improves access to credit for microenterprises and facilitates the growth and expansion of viable businesses with less than 10 employees from all industry sectors across the country, which have been refused access to credit from the banks. Support is in the form of loans for up to €25,000, available to start-up, newly established, or growing microenterprises, with viable business propositions, that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by banks. Microfinance Ireland is delivering the Microfinance Loan Fund, and will generate €40m in additional lending for microenterprises and create over 3,800 jobs over a 5 year horizon.

The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) supports SMEs who, because of lack of collateral or because of the sector they operate in, face difficulties in accessing traditional bank credit. Commercially viable, well performing micro, small and medium enterprises that have a solid business plan and a defined market for their products or services, and can demonstrate their ability to repay the loan are the target of this scheme. The CGS will facilitate up to €150 million of additional lending per annum for SMEs with potential to create over 1,000 jobs each year. I am in the process of having the CGS independently reviewed to help improve the Scheme for all businesses, and I intend taking appropriate action as a result of the review to ensure use of the Scheme is maximised.

As part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, my Department is improving access to working capital so companies can avail of increased export opportunities through a range of products as this is a key issue for growing Irish enterprises. State supported variants of this form of finance are available in a number of countries and the SME State Bodies Group will examine if such a scheme has merit for Irish export orientated SMEs.

While also recognising that non-bank financing instruments can also be quite effective in complementing traditional financing channels in supplying growth capital to SMEs and entrepreneurs, the SME State Bodies Group will actively explore the potential of new and/or alternative approaches to financing SMEs for example peer to peer lending, supply chain finance and crowdfunding and will endeavour to ensure that any new initiatives within the financial system receive an appropriate response from the policy system.

The issue of working capital for SMEs will be a key consideration during the formation of the 2014 Action Plan for Jobs.

Work Permit Applications

Questions (485)

Derek Nolan

Question:

485. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding an application for an employment permit in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36893/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

An application for a Green Card Employment Permit was received in respect of the person named above. This application was refused on 23rd January 2013.

A review of this decision was sought in accordance with Section 13 of the 2006 Employment Permits Act. The review upheld the original decision to refuse the permit on the basis that the information on the application indicated that the employer was trading under a business name that was not registered with the Companies Registration Office. Registration of a business name is obligatory if any individual, partnership or body corporate is trading under a name other than their own true name.

I understand that a new application has been submitted to my Department and that it is currently being given consideration.

IDA Supports

Questions (486)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

486. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of performance reviews of employment grants conducted by the Industrial Development Agency that found that posts for which grant aid was committed were not created; the total number of unfilled posts and the total value of grants returned. [36897/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

When approving financial assistance for a company, the IDA enters into a legal and binding contract with the company involved. The contract, which is confidential between IDA Ireland and the company, includes conditions and milestones with which the company is required to comply before any financial assistance is paid. All IDA clients enter into formal Grant Agreements in full knowledge that the penalty for non-performance is a pro-rata repayment of grants.

Employment Grants for approved job creation projects are only paid following investment incurred by IDA approved clients and the creation of actual jobs. Where a shortfall in job numbers arises, the IDA will review the case and seek recovery of grant where appropriate.

The IDA monitors job creation in individual client companies on an on-going basis. In addition the Annual Employment Survey, which is carried out by Forfás, is utilised by the IDA as a further tool of verification of job numbers in IDA sponsored companies. In addition, at the time of a grant claim, the IDA also seeks formal verification of job numbers, prior to payment of the grant.

Figures for 2012 show that the total amount of grant refunds made to the IDA was €3.132m, of which €2.8m was in respect of Employment Grants.

IDA Jobs Data

Questions (487)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

487. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency for which a third level qualification is required for each year since 2001. [36898/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I am informed by IDA Ireland that they do not track the numbers of jobs approved for which a third level qualification is required.

IDA Jobs Data

Questions (488)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

488. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Agency for each salary band from €20,000 in bands of €10,000 up to €150,000 for each year since 2007. [36899/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

Details of the number of jobs promoted by the IDA for each salary band from €20,000 up to €150,000 for each year since 2007 is set out in the following tabular statement.

Table showing the number of jobs promoted by the IDA for each salary band from €20,000 up to €150,000 for each year since 2007

Salary Scales	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
20,000 - 30,000	1,004	350	212	2,574	820	2,154
30,000 - 40,000	1,608	2,915	957	2,477	2,270	2,430
40,000 - 50,000	1,302	3,844	817	2,427	2,147	3,343
50,000 - 60,000	2,283	664	1,144	621	2,240	2,899
60,000 - 70,000	411	1,574	90	700	410	206
70,000 - 80,000	21	308	0	68	299	228
80,000 - 90,000	75	25	0	0	200	242
90,000 - 100,000	70	0	0	0	295	0
100,000 - 110,000	0	0	0	25	0	89
110,000 - 120,000	0	0	0	216	0	0
120,000 - 130,000	0	0	0	0	0	0
130,000 - 140,000	0	0	0	0	0	60
Total	6,774	9,680	3,220	9,108	8,681	11,651

IDA Supports

Questions (489)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

489. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the supports available to the aviation leasing industry; the drawdown of these supports and the number employed in this sector. [36902/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

All of the financial (capital, employment, R&D and training) and non-financial supports used by IDA Ireland to attract and develop various sectors are also available to the aviation leasing industry subject to compliance with relevant eligibility criterion and EU State Aid requirements.

Over the last forty years or so, the State has introduced several measures that have supported the attraction and development of an aircraft leasing sector. This includes, inter alia, ratification of the Cape Town Convention, which provides a legal framework for international mobile assets, the 12.5% corporate tax rate, the creation of an extensive Double Taxation Treaty network and the introduction of securitisation legislation (Section 110). These in combination with Ireland’s long history in aircraft leasing dating back to the establishment of GPA in the 1970s and the promotion and marketing of Ireland as a leasing location has resulted in more than 50 global lessors employing more than 1,000 staff establishing operations in this jurisdiction. The international lessors operating in Ireland now include globally recognised companies such as: ORIX, AWAS, Airbus, GECAS, Sumitomo Mitsui, ILFC and Avolon. Since many of these companies have located in Dublin to source specialised staff and to be close to the international connectivity afforded by Dublin airport (most of the customers of these firms are based overseas), very few of the aircraft leasing firms qualify for grant support from IDA and instead tend to use fiscal and non-grant incentives.

While leasing doesn’t have the public profile or job numbers associated with our ICT or Life Sciences industries, the competence, global reach and achievements of the leasing companies based here have helped Ireland acquire an international reputation as a centre of excellence in this specialised area. When airlines and their financiers anywhere in the world think about aircraft leasing, they think about Ireland. This is a significant achievement for a small economy and testament to the vision, hard work and expertise of the leasing community.

Enterprise Support Schemes

Questions (490)

Michael P. Kitt

Question:

490. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his proposals to obtain markets for Irish manufacturing and professional service companies in the Middle East and North Africa; if engineering and infrastructure investment has increased in these areas in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36917/13]

Written answers

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton)

Enterprise Ireland has a strong team in place to assist Irish companies to address opportunities across the Middle East. From their offices in Dubai and Riyadh, the agency has an experienced and locally well connected workforce in place, to provide advice and assistance to individual client companies who have this region as a business priority. The markets where most attention has been concentrated to date are UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, with markets such as Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait considered as offering good opportunities in certain sectors. There has been a series of Ministerial-led Trade Missions to the region over the past years and Enterprise Ireland is now planning a further Trade Mission to the focus markets of UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia early in 2014.

Enterprise Ireland has an exceptionally well connected Market Research Centre where client companies who wish to brief themselves on these countries can access the latest databases and available business research.

Throughout 2013, Enterprise Ireland has had delegations of Irish companies from the Education, Travel Technology, Consumer Retail, Construction, Engineering and ICT sectors participating in trade events in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. By year end almost 60 Irish companies will have participated in these events.

In the past two years alone, Enterprise Ireland client companies established 51 new offices in the MENA region, demonstrating a strong commitment to building lasting business relationships with their Middle East Partners.

Enterprise Ireland had also focused on Libya for a number of years prior to the outbreak of hostilities there. Enterprise Ireland continues to monitor the situation there closely and there is currently some activity around sectors such as aviation and healthcare.

Other markets in North Africa have not been highlighted as priority by Enterprise Ireland due to the relative lack of activity and interest by companies in these markets, with available resources currently being dedicated to the more accessible markets in the Gulf.

Regarding the Middle East, the majority of the estimated $4.3TRN in infrastructure projects, to be completed by 2020, will take place in the Gulf Co-operation Council States of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. In 2013, Data from the Middle East Economic Digest projects shows that Saudi Arabia leads the region with close to $600 billion worth in projects to be awarded, followed by the UAE with slightly more than $350 billion of contracts and Kuwait with a little over $150 billion. Between Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, contracts of more than $250 billion are expected to be awarded this year.

Question No. 491 answered with Question No. 477.