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Thursday, 30 Jan 2014

Written Answers Nos. 75-81

Departmental Contracts

Questions (75)

Shane Ross

Question:

75. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way his departmental taxi contracts, for the purposes of taxis for the use of departmental staff, are decided and allocated; if there is a public tender process for taxi companies wishing to apply for these contracts; the process for allocating the contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4647/14]

View answer

Written answers

When my Department last ran a public procurement competition for the provision of taxi services it invited 5 Taxi companies to quote for the provision of a Taxi/Hackney Service to the Department. National Radio Cabs (NRC) was the only company that responded to the Invitation to Tender - (ITT) at that time and subsequently a 2½ year contract was put in place with NRC. The contract encompassed the 3 Dublin based Department buildings and the Dublin based Offices of my Department (e.g. the Companies Registration Office). That contract expired in September 2011. In the context of the development of a National Procurement Service, my Department did not issue a further tender for taxi services since late 2011 as we propose accessing the centrally procured taxi service in due course. In the interim the existing contract has continued in operation.

As I have alluded to, my Department is aware that the newly established Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has begun work to develop a Taxi Services procurement strategy for use across the public service and my Department and its Offices intend to avail ourselves of this contract. While we await the results of the OGP public procurement process it is the intention of my Department to put a short-term contract in place. In this regard, the public procurement competition for Taxi Services for my Department and its Offices will be advertised on the eTenders portal to ensure maximum coverage to interested suppliers.

I should also inform the Deputy that in line with Department of Finance Circular 11/82 and my Department’s in-house Travel & Subsistence Policy, my Department has significantly reduced the expenditure incurred on taxi hire from some €46,000 in 2008 to less than €15,500 in 2013.

Job Creation Data

Questions (76)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

76. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of jobs lost, jobs created and net jobs gained by the Industrial Development Agency, Enterprise Ireland and county enterprise boards, on a county basis, for each of the past three years. [4730/14]

View answer

Written answers

The Forfás Annual Employment Survey is the active time series and is the source for the attached data. The sample of companies changes year on year. As companies enter the population or have transferred agency, companies have the opportunity to revisit numbers for the previous year when they are filling out the Survey.

Data is currently being compiled in respect of 2013 and will not be available until the later in the year.

Appendix 1 and 2 below outlines jobs created, jobs lost and the net change in IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland client companies in each of the 26 counties in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Appendix 3 sets out the jobs created, jobs lost and the net change in the County Enterprise Boards in each of the 26 counties in 2012.

Appendix 1 – IDA Ireland

County

Employment Data

2011

2012

Carlow

Jobs Created

75

116

Carlow

Job Losses

0

-1

Net Change

75

115

Cavan

Jobs Created

3

43

Cavan

Job Losses

-22

-39

Net Change

-19

4

Clare

Jobs Created

27

37

Clare

Job Losses

-33

-28

Net Change

-6

9

Cork

Jobs Created

1,990

1,979

Cork

Job Losses

900

-991

Net Change

1,090

988

Donegal

Jobs Created

271

186

Donegal

Job Losses

-22

-18

Net Change

249

168

Dublin

Jobs Created

6,864

6,389

Dublin

Job Losses

-3,395

-3,059

Net Change

3,469

3,330

Galway

Jobs Created

1,047

859

Galway

Job Losses

-169

-297

Net Change

878

562

Kerry

Jobs Created

163

74

Kerry

Job Losses

-182

-8

Net Change

-19

66

Kildare

Jobs Created

398

176

Kildare

Job Losses

-507

-489

Net Change

-109

-313

Kilkenny

Jobs Created

33

180

Kilkenny

Job Losses

-5

0

Net Change

28

180

Laois

Jobs Created

3

2

Laois

Job Losses

-27

-23

Net Change

-24

-21

Leitrim

Jobs Created

7

1

Leitrim

Job Losses

-199

-152

Net Change

-192

-151

Limerick

Jobs Created

233

400

Limerick

Job Losses

-132

-99

Net Change

101

301

Longford

Jobs Created

0

24

Longford

Job Losses

-50

0

Net Change

-50

24

Louth

Jobs Created

109

386

Louth

Job Losses

-58

-45

Net Change

51

341

Mayo

Jobs Created

69

126

Mayo

Job Losses

-87

-58

Net Change

-18

68

Meath

Jobs Created

53

68

Meath

Job Losses

-28

-103

Net Change

25

-35

Monaghan

Jobs Created

0

3

Monaghan

Job Losses

-85

-10

Net Change

-85

-7

Offaly

Jobs Created

31

31

Offaly

Job Losses

-87

-1

Net Change

-56

-30

Roscommon

Jobs Created

51

53

Roscommon

Job Losses

-12

0

Net Change

39

53

Sligo

Jobs Created

93

149

Sligo

Job Losses

-51

-138

Net Change

42

11

Tipp North

Jobs Created

22

0

Tipp North

Job Losses

-3

-6

Net Change

19

-6

Tipp South

Jobs Created

84

10

Tipp South

Job Losses

-279

-155

Net Change

-195

-145

Waterford

Jobs Created

72

75

Waterford

Job Losses

-764

-186

Net Change

-692

-111

Westmeath

Jobs Created

194

252

Westmeath

Job Losses

-56

-30

Net Change

138

222

Wexford

Jobs Created

51

111

Wexford

Job Losses

-47

-106

Net Change

4

5

Wicklow

Jobs Created

66

60

Wicklow

Job Losses

-247

-110

Net Change

-181

-50

Appendix 2 – Enterprise Ireland Jobs Created, Jobs Lost and Net Change

County

Job Data

20112012

Carlow

Jobs Created

253152

Carlow

Job Losses

99121

Net Change

15431

Cavan

Jobs Created

369374

Cavan

Job Losses

273244

Net Change

96130

Clare

Jobs Created

94133

Clare

Job Losses

160105

Net Change

-6628

Cork

Jobs Created

1,9971,663

Cork

Job Losses

624818

Net Change

1,373845

Donegal

Jobs Created

301180

Donegal

Job Losses

179309

Net Change

122-129

Dublin

Jobs Created

3,9384,097

Dublin

Job Losses

3,3203,415

Net Change

618682

Galway

Jobs Created

855572

Galway

Job Losses

448410

Net Change

407162

Kerry

Jobs Created

232194

Kerry

Job Losses

94106

Net Change

13888

Kildare

Jobs Created

1,082534

Kildare

Job Losses

372244

Net Change

710290

Kilkenny

Jobs Created

150320

Kilkenny

Job Losses

201100

Net Change

-51220

Laois

Jobs Created

15876

Laois

Job Losses

226138

Net Change

-68-62

Leitrim

Jobs Created

4654

Leitrim

Job Losses

4716

Net Change

-138

Limerick

Jobs Created

289684

Limerick

Job Losses

354453

Net Change

-65231

Longford

Jobs Created

86116

Longford

Job Losses

13288

Net Change

-4628

Louth

Jobs Created

389299

Louth

Job Losses

411196

Net Change

-22103

Mayo

Jobs Created

716197

Mayo

Job Losses

531270

Net Change

185-73

Meath

Jobs Created

362615

Meath

Job Losses

200294

Net Change

162321

Monaghan

Jobs Created

391294

Monaghan

Job Losses

275142

Net Change

116152

Offaly

Jobs Created

173139

Offaly

Job Losses

172171

Net Change

1-32

Roscommon

Jobs Created

10829

Roscommon

Job Losses

13475

Net Change

-26-46

Sligo

Jobs Created

140247

Sligo

Job Losses

89-71

Net Change

51176

Tipperary North Riding

Jobs Created

12749

Tipperary North Riding

Job Losses

55180

Net Change

72-131

Tipperary South Riding

Jobs Created

12381

Tipperary South Riding

Job Losses

577117

Net Change

-454-36

Waterford

Jobs Created

909692

Waterford

Job Losses

611846

Net Change

298-154

Westmeath

Jobs Created

340275

Westmeath

Job Losses

310104

Net Change

30171

Wexford

Jobs Created

191385

Wexford

Job Losses

340297

Net Change

-14988

Wicklow

Jobs Created

204410

Wicklow

Job Losses

219193

Net Change

-15217

Appendix 3: CEB Employment Statistics 2012

CEB

Full Time Gains

Full Time Losses

Other Time Gains

Other Time Losses

Net Full Time

Net Other Time

Net(Full Time +(Other Time/2))

Carlow

254

-94

165

-74

160

91

205.5

Cavan

138

-131

150

-106

7

44

29

Clare

200

-120

105

-174

80

-69

45.5

Cork City

52

-52

19

-14

0

5

2.5

Cork North

59

-30

12

-12

29

0

29

Cork South

179

-108

97

-55

71

42

92

Cork West

83

-77

58

-72

6

-14

-1

Donegal

131

-311

255

-99

-180

156

-102

Dublin City

382

-364

183

-101

18

82

59

Dublin Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown

337

-64

511

-76

273

435

490.5

Dublin Fingal

240

-205

135

-156

35

-21

24.5

Dublin South

168

-113

135

-88

55

47

78.5

Galway County/City

124

-165

78

-45

-41

33

-24.5

Kerry

316

-369

199

-368

-53

-169

-137.5

Kildare

133

-160

77

-108

-27

-31

-42.5

Kilkenny

84

-155

30

-81

-71

-51

-96.5

Laois

69

-99

98

-73

-30

25

-17.5

Leitrim

35

-45

32

-33

-10

-1

-10.5

Limerick City

100

-151

96

-74

-51

22

-40

Limerick County

73

-81

2

-20

-8

-18

-17

Longford

79

-100

55

-38

-21

17

-12.5

Louth

148

-177

84

-90

-29

-6

-32

Mayo

43

-50

35

-34

-7

1

-6.5

Meath

175

-94

145

-58

81

87

124.5

Monaghan

120

-155

83

-60

-35

23

-23.5

Offaly

75

-90

41

-72

-15

-31

-30.5

Roscommon

81

-106

53

-73

-25

-20

-35

Sligo

117

-87

144

-113

30

31

45.5

Tipperary(NR)

41

-125

53

-40

-84

13

-77.5

Tipperary(SR)

53

-17

10

-6

36

4

38

Waterford City

76

-106

64

-38

-30

26

-17

Waterford County

110

-105

97

-67

5

30

20

WestMeath

130

-218

97

-136

-88

-39

-107.5

Wexford

269

-163

140

-173

106

-33

89.5

Wicklow

184

-115

234

-176

69

58

98

IDA Site Visits

Questions (77)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

77. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of site visits by potential investors arranged by the Industrial Development Agency on a county basis over the past three years. [4731/14]

View answer

Written answers

Details of the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors on a county basis from 2011 to 2013 are set out in the attached tabular statement.

There are many complex factors influencing investor location decision-making such as the increasing preference of investors globally for cities of scale with 1 million plus population, significant challenges from lower cost locations in the UK and Eastern Europe and attractive regional aid.

It must be acknowledged that some regional locations outside of Dublin and the main urban centres already facilitate the presence of a large number of multinational companies who have invested over the years, span multiple sectors and employ significant amounts of people. The primary opportunity for regional locations is in respect of the existing client base and potential further investment opportunities from same. Approximately 70% of all FDI investments won by IDA Ireland is from the existing client base. I should also point out that 72,500 people, roughly 44% of the total employment in IDA Ireland’s base of companies including those that were former clients of Shannon Development, are located outside of Dublin and Cork.

As I have said in this House on more than one occasion, I am, of course, concerned at the lack of investment in certain regional locations and I have, accordingly, requested IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to work with my Department so that we can explore what further initiatives we can take to ensure we have a better approach to enterprise development in regional locations. This exercise will complement the in-depth analysis of our FDI strategy which is currently being undertaken by Forfás and which will take account of factors such as key trends emerging in FDI best practice internationally, Ireland’s strengths in attracting FDI and any changes to the EU’s State Aid Rules, which will come into effect on 1 July 2014. The results of these two exercises will form the basis of IDA Ireland’s strategy from 2015 onwards.

Table showing the number of IDA sponsored site visits on a county by county basis in each of the years 2011 to 2013 inclusive

County

2011

2012

2013

Carlow

2

4

1

Cavan

0

3

2

Clare

15

14

5

Cork

27

38

31

Donegal

2

1

7

Dublin

150

196

180

Galway

35

18

15

Kerry

2

1

1

Kildare

3

1

1

Kilkenny

0

3

3

Laois

2

0

2

Leitrim

0

0

1

Limerick

40

30

23

Longford

0

0

0

Louth

26

12

4

Mayo

0

1

3

Meath

2

0

1

Monaghan

1

0

1

Offaly

1

3

1

Roscommon

0

0

4

Sligo

3

6

10

Tipperary

1

5

4

Waterford

11

26

14

Westmeath

15

7

9

Wexford

0

3

2

Wicklow

3

6

1

Departmental Agencies Expenditure

Questions (78)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

78. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the spend by the Industrial Development Agency, Enterprise Ireland and county enterprise boards on a county basis for each of the past three years. [4732/14]

View answer

Written answers

Tables 1, 2, and 3 below sets out the payments made by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland and the City and County Enterprise Boards to companies in each county for the years 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Detailed data in relation to 2013 is currently being compiled. It is expected that the information will be available later this year.

Table 1 – IDA Ireland (€)

County

2011

2012

Carlow

0

9,503,141

Cavan

129,778

0

Clare

844,145

0

Cork

15,092,610

14,308,619

Donegal

354,746

6,221,146

Dublin

43,043,936

22,156,125

Galway

14,107,397

12,252,609

Kerry

152,671

2,145,004

Kildare

4,281,933

1,767,566

Kilkenny

0

0

Laois

21,182

0

Leitrim

297,622

347,378

Limerick

7,801,591

11,209,462

Longford

124,852

0

Louth

489,051

2,809,400

Mayo

1,198,963

1,254,475

Meath

386,670

152,240

Monaghan

70,335

0

Offaly

338,200

8,000

Roscommon

361,000

13,098

Sligo

852,618

0

Tipperary

1,875,356

0

Waterford

115,819

1,722,808

Westmeath

1,443,232

1,552,832

Wexford

3,373,513

1,853,970

Wicklow

0

48,328

Table 2 - Enterprise Ireland

(Payments made under the Employment Subsidy Scheme which Enterprise Ireland administered on behalf of DJEI are not included here)

County

2011

2012

Carlow

€1,772,399

€1,575,046

Cavan

€3,297,902

€1,711,863

Clare

€1,069,787

€756,937

Cork

€12,115,641

€18,756,360

Donegal

€2,308,832

€1,580,614

Dublin

€39,983,427

€32,946,358

Galway

€4,798,425

€5,193,252

Kerry

€2,519,140

€701,132

Kildare

€2,105,622

€1,423,661

Kilkenny

€2,246,310

€2,730,305

Laois

€790,168

€333,399

Leitrim

€53,869

€314,386

Limerick

€3,751,621

€4,040,403

Longford

€2,774,239

€1,336,632

Louth

€2,330,563

€2,586,909

Mayo

€1,710,009

€1,436,413

Meath

€1,664,833

€1,079,888

Monaghan

€2,499,302

€4,062,338

Offaly

€1,375,569

€1,067,722

Roscommon

€1,182,743

€451,456

Sligo

€1,248,628

€1,189,396

Tipperary

€4,703,498

€5,342,247

Waterford

€2,798,822

€5,608,658

Westmeath

€1,339,165

€1,035,028

Wexford

€3,816,160

€3,844,257

Wicklow

€1,610,077

€1,825,807

Table 3 – County Enterprise Boards (€)

CEB

2011

2012

Carlow

282,337

270,441

Cavan

192,846

234,185

Clare

475,522

616,752

Cork City

216,024

218,633

Cork North

155,389

88,122

Cork South

223,622

882,019

Cork West

181,234

288,145

Donegal

400,588

394,318

Dublin City

848,351

720,913

Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown

627,790

632,964

Fingal

508,115

459,416

Galway County & City

622,707

431,789

Kerry

340,171

253,502

Kildare

406,750

285,256

Kilkenny

256,472

356,258

Laois

276,144

182,307

Leitrim

265,308

186,389

Limerick City

254,147

298,023

Limerick Co.

446,353

347,317

Longford

191,514

250,529

Louth

370,827

255,210

Mayo

280,710

208,472

Meath

459,658

228,527

Monaghan

203,302

258,523

Offaly

287,561

337,686

Roscommon

302,224

253,329

Sligo

269,145

168,138

South Dublin

357,683

604,482

Tipperary NR

521,962

361,664

Tipperary SR

167,114

238,111

Waterford City

283,261

316,508

Waterford Co

352,268

267,244

Westmeath

410,646

468,532

Wexford

420,657

457,434

Wicklow

380,507

348,492

Employment Rights

Questions (79)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

79. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the action he will take to deal with the anomalous position of workers whose contract of employment expires on their 65th birthday, a year before the official State pension age; his legislative proposals to allow for contracts to be extended at the request of workers in these circumstances or to ban the making of long-term employment contracts that are not aligned with the State pension age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4764/14]

View answer

Written answers

An interdepartmental Group, chaired by the Department of Social Protection which has responsibility for the State pension and pension age policy, was established in August 2012 to consider cross departmental policy issues that may support longer working and thereby improve the sustainability and adequacy of pensions systems. This Group included representatives from the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Pensions Board. A Working and Retirement Forum was held in Croke Park in December 2012, at which a range of stakeholder groups, including employer and employee representative organisations, discussed a wide range of issues linked to working and retirement including the ending of the State Pension (Transition) from January 2014. The Group has prepared a number of proposals detailing measures which may encourage participation and retention in the labour market of older workers and these are currently being considered.

Statutory law permits private sector workers to work past the age of 65, as there is no statutory retirement age for such employees in Ireland. However, a contract of employment may contain a retirement age. The existence of a clause in the employment contract setting out a maximum retirement age is a matter of contract between the employer and employee.

As matters currently stand for those employees who are obliged by their contract of employment to retire at 65 years but will not receive the State pension until 66 years, the Department of Social Protection has indicated that, in terms of financial supports, social welfare benefits will continue to be available to the age of 66 for those who are contractually obliged to leave employment. Also, existing legislation provides that jobseekers whose benefit expires in their 65th year will continue to be paid benefit up until the age of 66, subject to the person having paid 156 or more qualifying contributions and satisfying the general scheme conditions.

The Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011, which aim to protect against discrimination in relation to access to employment on a number of grounds including age and give effect in national law to the EU Directive 2000/78/EC, come within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice, Mr Alan Shatter T.D. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has made rulings in a series of age-discrimination cases concerning Directive 2000/78/EC which prohibit discrimination in employment and occupation on various grounds, including age. The CJEU has clarified that, under Directive 2000/78/EC, mandatory retirement ages may be set down if, within the context of national law, they are objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate social policy aim.

Invalidity Pension Applications

Questions (80)

Seán Fleming

Question:

80. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois has been granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4557/14]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 8th January 2014, 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.

Social Welfare Appeals Data

Questions (81)

Ciaran Lynch

Question:

81. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals currently lodged with the scope section; the average time taken to decide an appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4559/14]

View answer

Written answers

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that 129 appeals relating to Scope Section decisions on the insurability of employment are currently registered with that office. The average time taken to process Scope/ insurability of employment appeals in 2013 was 78.4 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing and 35.8 weeks for a summary decision. This compares to 83.3 weeks and 45.6 weeks respectively in 2012.

The average processing time for all appeals peaked in 2011 at 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.1 weeks for a summary decision. In 2012, processing times improved by 10.3 weeks when the average time for an oral hearing was 39.5 weeks while there was a slight increase to 27.8 weeks for a summary decision. This improvement continued in 2013 to 33.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.8 weeks for a summary decision.

Insurability of employment appeals are particularly protracted, because of the complex nature of insurability questions, the number of parties that might be involved in a case, and, where an oral hearing is required, the logistics required in the process.

Appeal processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. While this process carries an inherent delay in terms of finalising an appeal, it also crystalises the flexibility and accessibility of the appeals system. By its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial function, the processing of appeals takes time and reflects the fact that, by definition, the appeal process cannot be a quick one.

There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the number of appeals received peaked at 35,484, reducing to 32,777 appeals in 2013. In order to manage this increasing workload, significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing backlogs and improving appeals processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, in addition to 10 former Community Welfare Service Appeals Officers who joined the appeals office in 2011, bringing the total number of serving Appeals Officers to 41; reviewing and improving business processes; and implementing a new operating model within the appeals office. A major programme of process redesign and modernisation is also underway in the Department in relation to many of its scheme areas, aimed at reducing backlogs and reducing the time taken by the Department to respond to requests from the appeals office for submissions in relation to appeals.

In addition to the improvements in processing times mentioned above, these measures have also led to a significant increase in the number of appeals finalised in the appeals office from 17,787 in 2009 to 38,421 in 2013. An additional 5,863 appeals were finalised in 2013 compared to 2012. Good progress has also been made in reducing the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 14,884 at 27 January 2014.

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.

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