Written Answers Nos. 94-100
94. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if public servants will be eligible for work until reaching the age of 67 to reflect the changes in retirement age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14267/14]
View answerThe rules, including legislative provisions, governing the ages at which public servants may be compelled to retire on age grounds vary both across sectors and by reference to the date of recruitment. In addition, the relevant Minister or authority may have responsibility for setting compulsory retirement ages in employment in respect of particular segments of the public service workforce, where necessary for operational reasons.
I have no current plans to alter the existing provisions as they apply to serving public servants.
95. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the protocol in relation to assistant principal officers and principal officers using their private cars and claiming unvouched expenses when official cars are available in his Department; if he has received any complaints regarding same; and the oversight that is in place to deal with same. [14399/14]
View answerIn response to the Deputy's question I can confirm that the issue of assistant principals and principal officers using their private cars and claiming unvouched expenses when official cars are available does not arise in my Department.
96. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when a Garda station (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive necessary renovations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14407/14]
View answerThe Commissioners of Public Works undertake refurbishments and routine maintenance at Garda Stations on foot of requests from An Garda Síochána. The Commissioners do not currently have a request for such works at Castlemaine Garda Station.
97. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of potential employers IDA Ireland has brought to Loughrea, County Galway, in terms of encouraging those business to locate there, in each calendar year since 2011; the number of jobs that have been created through the assistance of IDA Ireland in Loughrea in each calendar year since 2011; the measures he has taken to encourage the creation of jobs specifically in the area of Loughrea since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14224/14]
View answerI am informed by IDA Ireland that in the three year period 2011 to 2013 inclusive, there has been a total of 68 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Galway. Details of the number of site visits paid in each of the years in question is set out in the following tabular statement. However, for reasons of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, details of such visits are provided on a county by county basis only.
County Galway has had particular success in recent years in terms of attracting inward investment particularly in the areas of Medical Technologies and ICT. At present there are 60 IDA Ireland client companies in Galway City and County employing over 13,600 people in full and part time employment. In the three year period from 2011 to 2013, almost 4,000 new jobs were created in IDA Ireland client companies in County Galway. Details of the number of jobs created in each of the three years is set out in the following tabular statement.
As a result of this inward investment, significant scale and capability has been established underpinning existing industry clusters such as the Medical Technologies cluster in Galway. The emphasis for IDA Ireland is to continue to engage the existing base of multinationals in Galway and the West Region as a whole to ensure opportunities are realised in respect of job retention, creation and growth but with a particular focus on driving the transformation agenda within the existing client base making them more competitive in a global context thus ensuring ongoing operational sustainability. Approximately 70% of all FDI won on an annual basis comes from the existing client base.
Under the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland are working with my Department to develop a framework for a Regional Enterprise Strategy to better integrate the efforts of enterprise agencies and the other regional stakeholders in building enterprise based on sustainable competitive advantage of the region. 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 1 showing the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential Investors to County Galway (incl. Galway City) in each of the years 2011, 2012 and 2013
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Number of site visits |
35 |
18 |
15 |
Table 2 showing the number of new jobs created in IDA Ireland client companies in County Galway (incl. Galway City) in each of the 3 years 2011, 2012 and 2013.
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Number of new jobs created |
1,921 |
923 |
1,098 |
98. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the supply side, the level of FDI integration with the domestic economy for each of the past five years; and the way this compare to the EU average (details supplied). [14257/14]
View answerWhile all 27 EU member states have an agency dedicated to attract foreign direct investments into the country, member states do not generally share a common practice to link FDI promotion with wider economic policy objectives, such as FDI integration with the domestic economy. A few Member States link FDI objectives directly with overall economic objectives, Ireland being a classic example.
The Forfás Annual Business Survey of Economic Impact 2012 (ABSEI), which was published on Monday last show that companies which were clients of IDA Ireland spent a total of €56.676bn on Irish goods and services in the 5 year period 2008 to 2012. Detail of the amount spent on Irish goods and services in each of the years 2008 to 2012 is shown in the following tabular statement. The ABSEI asks companies to outline what they purchase in the Republic of Ireland but not the nationality of the companies from which purchases are made.
The Global Sourcing Project has been a major focus of the EI/IDA Senior Management Team since its establishment in early 2012. Action 188 of the Action Plan for Jobs 2013 set the objective of procuring an additional €500m of domestically sourced goods and services by FDI companies in Ireland. The latest ABSEI survey shows that the purchase of Irish goods and services by increased by 6% of €777m between 2011 and 2012.
Table showing the value of Irish goods and services purchased by IDA Ireland client companies in each of the years 2008 to 2012. (Client companies of the former Shannon Development, which are now clients of IDA Ireland are included in these figures)
|
€million |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
Irish Materials |
2,140 |
1,602 |
1,638 |
1,912 |
2,364 |
|
Irish Services |
9,076 |
8,760 |
8,747 |
10,056 |
10,381 |
|
Total |
11,216 |
10,362 |
10,385 |
11,968 |
12,745 |
99. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 294 of 15 January 2014, when public lighting will be provided by the IDA Ireland at this location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14271/14]
View answerI am informed by IDA Ireland that, resulting from the tender which issued in December last, consulting engineers have been appointed and are currently finalising their detailed remedial recommendations report which will form the basis of the main works tender. The Agency assures me that the consulting engineers are aware of the urgency of the matter.
100. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of local enterprise office chief executives there will be; the way this contrasts with the number of outgoing county enterprise board chief executives; if his Department has considered issues of displacement of already existing private sector service provision in its focus on LEOs as the single point of contact for local businesses; his views on whether the Enterprise Europe Network will remain as it is currently established or whether it will become an exclusively publicly delivered service via the LEOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14295/14]
View answerWhen the 35 County and City Enterprise Boards are dissolved in mid- April, their existing functions will transfer to Enterprise Ireland (EI) and will be delivered on EI's behalf by the Local Authorities in 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). A Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities provides that the incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CEB will be the designated Head of LEO and will have a direct reporting relationship with the County Manager. In organisational terms, the LEO will be a dedicated Unit within the Local Authority by virtue of having its own specific funding stream, branding, website and metrics and by conducting its work on the basis of the SLA. Therefore, as there will be no Board going forward to the new LEO structure, the position of CEO will not arise. It is not intended, or envisaged, that the LEO service to local business will cause displacement of already existing private sector service provision. In fact, I would actively encourage private sector providers to work closely with their local LEO in the provision of these services in order to enhance and maximise the opportunities for micro and small businesses at local level.
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is a "one-stop shop" for the business needs of SMEs in the EU and beyond. It provides enterprises with information and a range of quality and free-of-charge business support services to make them more competitive. The Enterprise Europe Network in Ireland is coordinated by Enterprise Ireland and can be contacted via the Cork, Galway, Dublin, Sligo and Waterford Chambers of Commerce.
As regards the EEN Call 2015-2020, the EU Commission has recently confirmed that the deadline for submission for the above call is 15 May 2014, with the communication of results in September 2014.
