Written Answers Nos. 114-120
114. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if there any indications from the Industrial Development Agency or Enterprise Ireland of job investments in the Arklow/south Wicklow area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8515/14]
View answerIDA Ireland’s primary responsibility is to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and, in the case of Enterprise Ireland, to support indigenous industry.
At present, there are 19 IDA supported companies in Co. Wicklow employing 2,443 people. IDA Ireland has strong relationships with these companies and works closely with them to ensure their long term sustainability and to encourage their growth, development and continuing re-investment in their sites. Wicklow is part of the East Region together with the counties Dublin, Kildare and Meath. The region as a whole has been particularly successful in attracting FDI with 623 IDA supported companies employing 80,152 people in the region.
Enterprise Ireland currently have 177 client companies in Co. Wicklow employing in excess of 3,300 people. In 2013 Enterprise Ireland paid over €2 million to clients based in Co. Wicklow. To date in 2014 over €23,000 has been paid to County Wicklow based companies by the Agency.
The Agency have assured me that they will continue to support new High Potential Start-Ups in County Wicklow in 2014 as well as continuing to support their established clients using the various programmes under their remit.
A core focus for Enterprise Ireland is to support the internationalisation of indigenous companies in County Wicklow. This involves working with both existing clients and new companies on a one to one confidential basis and on a group basis to help them grow internationally.
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.
In order to address the lack of investment in certain regional locations, I have 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. This analysis, will take account of factors such as key trends emerging in FDI best practice internationally, Ireland’s strengths in attracting FDI, the changes to the EU’s State Aid rules that will be introduced in 2014 and our approach to regional development will inform the formulation of an appropriate FDI strategy from 2015 onwards.
Last year the Department of Finance produced improved employment forecasts for 2014. We have now moved from a situation where the private sector was losing over 7,000 jobs per month before this Government came to office, to the present situation where it is creating 5,000 jobs per month.
While these are very encouraging signs for the economy, we must continue to build on this progress and support further job creation. The 2014 Action Plan for jobs is due to be published shortly. This year’s Plan will build on the success of 2012 and 2013 and will once again set out a series of ambitious commitments on the part of the Government to support job creation and retention.
115. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will make contact with the management of a bar (details supplied) in County Galway to ensure that the workers who have lost their jobs without notice, receive wages, wages in lieu or holiday pay that is due to them. [8599/14]
View answerI have brought the employees’ situation to the attention of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), which has made contact with the person whose details were provided by the Deputy
NERA is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. Under the current reform programme, NERA’s Information Unit has been restructured and expanded to form a new Workplace Relations Customer Service Section. This Section provides information in relation to employment, equality and industrial relations rights and obligations and can be contacted at Lo-call: 1890 80 80 90. This Section can provide information on the employees’ rights and how to obtain redress if the employees’ rights have been infringed. The website http://www.workplacerelations.ie also provides extensive information on employment rights.
116. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the distance jobseeker's allowance recipients have to be willing to travel to attend courses under job placement schemes, in order to retain their eligibility for full jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8426/14]
View answerMajor activation reforms have been introduced in my Department to help people back to work. Pathways to Work is the strategy driving these reforms. Activation measures include the requirement to attend group or individual meetings, and/or avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities, or specified employment programmes, which are considered appropriate to a person’s circumstances, and which have been agreed with the him or her as part of a Personal Progression Plan. There is no specified distance which a person would be required to travel to avail of these opportunities.
117. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will be re-considered for a rent allowance for their current accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8446/14]
View answerThere is no record of an application for a rent supplement from the person concerned since her previous claim in 2012. It is open to the person concerned to submit a new application and her entitlement will be examined in accordance with the qualifying conditions for the scheme.
118. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if this case can be looked at as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8450/14]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 14 February 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.
120. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a domiciliary care allowance application was refused in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8470/14]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 25th October 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who did not consider that the child met the medical criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 15th January 2014 outlining the decision of the deciding officer to refuse the allowance.
A review of this decision has been requested and additional information on this child’s condition/care needs has been supplied. The application together with the new information supplied will now be examined by another medical assessor, with a revised decision being made if warranted. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as it is completed.
