Written Answers Nos. 90 - 97
92. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the impact that his departmental budget for 2014 will have on the budgets of the Industrial Development Agency, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, InterTrade Ireland, county enterprise boards and local enterprise offices. [49847/13]
View answer2014 Allocations
The Exchequer DJEI capital allocation for 2014 is €442m, which, it is expected, together with both capital carryover and reinvestment of income generated by agencies, will maintain IDA, EI, SFI, ITI and CEB allocations broadly in line with 2013 expenditure.
The issue of capital carryover will be decided in the context of the Revised Estimates Volume that will be conducted during November and early December. Individual allocations across Agencies will be presented in early December as part of the Revised Estimates Volume.
The Department's current expenditure ceiling for 2014 has been set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at €339m. This includes the total Pay, Pensions and Non-Pay expenditure provisions for the Department, its offices and its agencies for next year. The distribution of this current expenditure provision will also be presented in early December as part of the Revised Estimates Volume.
Budget 2014 Impact
Budget 2014 will enable the delivery by these agencies of a range of enterprise and research and innovation supports, which are crucial in achieving a return to economic growth through providing access to finance and growing innovation in Ireland.
The measures this will deliver include:
- Delivery of DJEI measures under Action Plan for Jobs 2014, to be announced early next year;
- Delivery, by IDA Ireland, on its job creation targets as set out in IDA’s “Horizon 2020” Strategy, which covers the 5 year period 2010-2014. The targets that have been set in Horizon 2020 are:
- 105,000 new jobs (62,000 in IDA supported companies and a further 43,000 indirect).
- 640 Investments.
- 50% of investments located outside Dublin and Cork.
- 20% of greenfield investments originating from emerging markets by 2014.
- Annual client spend of €1.7bn in R, D&I by 2014;
- Continued supports, through EI and SFI to drive the innovation performance of indigenous industry and commercialisation of research;
- Enterprise Ireland will target some 12,000 new jobs and generate €17.5billion in exports. The Agency will also support 95 new High Potential Start-Up companies with commitments to create e 2,100 new jobs;
- Continued investment by EI in mentoring, management development and lean programmes, to increase business efficiency and competitiveness, aiding sustainability and protecting jobs. EI will also provide export-related supports to companies that want to scale and develop new markets;
- Provision of ongoing support, through Enterprise Ireland, for new R&D investment and activity in companies and for collaborative projects between companies and Irish third level institutions;
- Participation by hundreds of companies in IDA and EI-funded trade events and missions throughout 2014;
- 2-3 new, large, internationally visible SFI-funded research centres, in sectors of national strategic importance. SFI will look to invest €10m - €15m in these centres in 2014 in collaborations with industry;
- Continued support to over 20 world-class SFI research centres and to a cohort of 3,000 researchers to maintain and drive Ireland’s job creation strategy;
- A national level “Health Innovation Hub”, to drive collaboration between the health system and commercial enterprises leading to the development and commercialisation of new healthcare technologies, products, services and
- start-ups emerging from within the health system and/or firms.” This will deliver a significant positive benefit for both the life-sciences and ICT sectors of industry, both of which are of strategic importance to Ireland in terms of jobs and exports, representing 50,000 jobs and exports of €51 billion;
- Provision, by InterTrade Ireland, of ongoing all-island programmes and activities designed to raise awareness among SMEs of the value of engaging in cross-border trade;
- An additional €3.5million in supports for start-ups and growing businesses through the CEBs/ Local Enterprise Offices. The CEB’s Capital allocation is utilised in direct grant disbursement to eligible micro-enterprises and through the provision of a range of “soft supports” – training, mentoring and business advice services to support start-ups and developing businesses. The CEBs will continue to use their capital funding to promote business start-ups and to develop existing businesses to support job retention and creation in line with Government policy on maximising job creation through appropriate use of available Exchequer funding. It is envisaged that some of the additional monies will be used for the delivery of a targeted Programme to increase the level of Youth Entrepreneurship and also to establish a Programme of targeted supports to the micro enterprise sector with a specific sectoral and / or geographical perspective.
Budget 2014 will also enable the continued delivery of almost €2.5billion in new, non-bank credit schemes, targeted at the full range of businesses from micro-enterprises through SMEs to mid-sized Irish exporting businesses and high-growth technology firms:
- €850 million through three SME funds from the National Pensions Reserve Fund
- €225 million development capital scheme
- €700 million Seed and Venture Capital Scheme 2013-2018
- €10 million international start-up fund
- €120 million second call under Innovation Fund Ireland
- €90 million micro-finance scheme
- €450 million credit guarantee scheme
I issued a comprehensive Press Release on the impact of the Budget on 15 October and this is available on my Department’s website at the link below: http://www.enterprise.gov.ie/en/News/2013/October/Over-48-000-new-jobs-to-be-supported-in-2014-through-DJEI-Budget-–-Minister-Bruton.html
93. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide an update on plans to create a business incubator for Baldoyle industrial estate, Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49875/13]
View answerThe Deputy might be aware that my Department through Enterprise Ireland has, in the past, approved funding towards Community Enterprise Centres in the Fingal and Dublin City areas, including centres at Swords, Ballymun, Coolock and Darndale, which are in close proximity to Baldoyle. Enterprise Ireland has no current call for Community Enterprise Centres. No further capital funding for a Community Enterprise Centre scheme is planned at present.
An individual person seeking information, advice or support with regard to establishing an enterprise should contact their local Enterprise Board in the first instance. Contact details for the Fingal CEB are: Mainscourt, 23 Main Street, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, tel: 01-890 0800, email: info@fingalceb.ie, website: www.fingalceb.ie.
94. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form the number of appointments to State boards under his Department's remit made from March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit from March 2011 to date in 2013; the number of vacancies on State boards under his Department's remit publically advertised from March 2011 to date in 2013; and the number of appointments to State boards under his remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process. [50016/13]
View answerSince coming to Office, I have made 74 appointments to the Boards of Agencies under my Department’s remit. It should be noted that of these, only 25 of these were new appointments within my discretion. Nineteen appointments were reappointments and the remaining 30 were allocated under legislation to Department Representatives, social partners, nominees of other Ministers, nominees of prescribed bodies and appointments on an Ex Officio basis and were not appropriate, therefore, for public advertisement.
Of the 25 new appointments made at my discretion, 16 were selected from applications from the public.
A total of 25 vacancies on the State Boards under my Department’s remit were publicly advertised.
A breakdown by type of all appointments made by me to the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department since taking office, are listed in the table.
Breakdown of the State Board appointments made since March 2011
|
- |
No. |
|
Reappointments |
19 |
|
Department Representatives |
7 |
|
Nominated by the Social Partners other bodies in accordance with Legislation |
8 |
|
Discretion of Minister – From among individuals who made application |
16 |
|
Discretion of Minister- Other |
9 |
|
Ex Officio |
9 |
|
Staff Representatives |
3 |
|
Merging of Shannon Airport Authority and Shannon Development |
3 |
|
Total |
74 |
95. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons entitled to a health contribution health levy refund; the number that have received these refunds; if a deadline applies to claims for refunds; and the steps he is taking to notify those that may be eligible for a refund. [49846/13]
View answerA person was liable to pay the health contribution where they earned in excess of €500 in any week. However, if over the course of the year their gross annual income was less than €26,000 a refund of the health contribution may be due.
In order to confirm that a refund is due my Department must carry out a manual check to ensure that the correct rate of PRSI was applied over the course of the relevant tax year. It is not possible to identify the number of people who are entitled to a health contribution refund until this check is carried out.
To date my Department has received over 290,000 applications for health contribution refunds. The processing of these applications is up to date and has resulted in approximately 48% of applicants receiving refunds.
Applications for refunds must be made within four years of the end of the year that the contribution was paid. For example, you must apply for a refund of health contributions paid in 2009 by 31 December 2013. Any contributions paid prior to 1 January 2009 are outside the time limit for making a claim.
The position with regard to entitlement is that if a person earned more than €26,000 in 2009 and/or 2010 they were liable to pay the health contribution and are not due a refund. If a person earned less than €26,000 and never earned more than €500 in any one week they would not have been charged the health contribution and are not eligible for a refund.
A person may be entitled to a refund of the health contribution if they have earned less than €26,000 in 2009 and/or 2010 and earned more than €500 in any particular week in those years.
Also employees who are Medical Card holders; recipients of social welfare widow's/widower's pension; one parent family payment; deserted wife's benefit, or certain EU pensions and payments, are exempt from the health element of the PRSI contribution (i.e. they are liable at the sub-class of contribution - A2, B2, C2, etc.). Refunds arise if the full contribution has been paid.
The health contribution was included in the Universal Social Charge (USC) with effect from 1 January 2011 and no health contribution refunds arise after that date.
96. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49848/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an invalidity pension appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 4 July 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 21 October 2013 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on 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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
97. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Waterford will have their appeal for mortgage interest supplement decided upon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49850/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on 19 September 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal 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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
